Sansula

The Dreamy Thumb Piano

The Sansula is one of those instruments that instantly quiets you. As soon as the first tones sound, the world seems to slow down. It’s a small thumb piano with a round soundbox, and its sound is… enchanting. Dreamy. Soft. As if you’re floating somewhere between waking and dreaming.

What is a Sansula?

The Sansula is a modern version of the African Kalimba or thumb piano. Small metal tines are mounted on a wooden frame with a membrane (often natural skin), creating a warm, floating tone. Each key produces a note that fits harmoniously within a set scale, you can’t really play anything “wrong.”

What does the Sansula do?

• brings deep relaxation

• stimulates the right hemisphere of the brain (intuition, creativity)

• calms stress and overstimulation

• helps release thoughts

I often use the Sansula when people feel a bit restless or have difficulty grounding in their bodies. The gentle repetition of its tones helps induce a trance-like state, without any effort. The Sansula invites you to dream, to drift, to soften.

Why I find it so special

Because it says exactly what needs to be said – without words. Because it sounds different every time. And because it touches people in a way that is gentle yet deeply moving. Sometimes I play it close to the body. Sometimes at a distance in the room. But always with the same intention: to bring calm, connection, softness. A sound like a lullaby for the soul.

During my SoundMeditation training in Guatemala, I encountered the Sansula for the first time. Its sound enchanted me immediately. Dreamy and delicate, it brought a vision of a flower meadow, where a young, innocent girl danced — carefree, full of joy, ready to take on the world. In her dance, there was everything: freedom, softness, joy. Every time I play the Sansula now, it brings me back to that image. To that feeling. To that pure strength. And to the sense of freedom that lives within each of us, if only we dare to listen.