What Are Singing Bowls?
Singing bowls, or Tibetan singing bowls, are an ancient healing practice that produces sound or vibrations when played with a mallet. These bowls use multi-harmonic instruments often linked with Buddhism due to their co-existence with meditative practices. Singing bowls are typically made of a seven-metal medley (copper, tin, zinc, iron, lead, gold, and silver) that is representative of the seven chakras but they can also be made of different healing quartz. Clear quartz singing bowls gained popularity because of the stone’s full light spectrum. Each color in this spectrum correlates directly with the color of one of the seven chakras.
Despite their popularity, the history of singing bowls is ambiguous. The origins of singing bowls trace over 5,000 years ago to the regions of Mesopotamia and shortly spread to Nepal, India, and Tibet, which have used singing bowls for thousands of years.
How to Play Singing Bowls
Striking Method:
- Hold the bowl in the palm of your non-dominant hand and the mallet in your dominant hand. If holding the bowl is too difficult, place the bowl on a flat surface.
- Lightly strike the bowl with the padded side of the mallet on the bowl’s exterior wall.
- It is recommended to strike the bowl once and fully let the sound ring out before striking it again.
Rimming Method:
- Hold the bowl in the palm of your non-dominant hand and the mallet in your dominant hand. If holding the bowl is too difficult, place the bowl on a flat surface in front of you.
- Lightly strike the bowl on its exterior to warm up the bowl.
- Before the vibrations dissipate, use the padded side of the mallet to circle the rim of the bowl.
Benefits of Singing Bowls
Stress Relief:
Similar to a cat’s purr, the vibrations of Tibetan singing bowls release endorphins. Some research supports using Tibetan singing bowls to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.
Lowering Blood Pressure:
In 2014, a study examined the benefits of a directed relaxation session using singing bowls. It was reported that there was a reduction in systolic blood pressure and heart rate compared to the beginning and after the session was complete.
Increased Sense of Self:
Using Tibetan singing bowls typically takes place in a meditative state, leaving time for self-reflection.
Cleansing Chakras:
Since chakras are made up of energy, they are believed to have vibrations. Each chakra has an octave that it vibrates at, and these octaves can be matched by tuning your singing bowl into the correct sound. Most practitioners will work within the C-major scale which makes it possible to use your singing bowls to channel your chakras.
Chakras and Singing Bowls
Since chakras are made up of energy they are believed to have vibrations. Each chakra has an octave that it vibrates at, and these octaves can be matched by tuning your singing bowl into the correct sound. Most practitioners will work within the C-major scale which makes it possible to use your singing bowls to channel your chakras.
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