Singing bowls are a very beautiful and effective way to incorporate music into your meditation practice. There is a bowl for every frequency and the vibes they put out are immaculate. Singing bowls are rising in popularity due to meditation becoming a more mainstream practice and I am here for it.
A singing bowl is classified as an idiophone or instrument that vibrates when struck, shaken, or scraped. They are also considered an inverted bell because the bowl is like an upside down bell. They also come in many different sizes ranging from a few inches in diameter to a few feet. The smaller ones will make a more high pitched ring while the larger ones will create a lower pitch.
It is believed that the first singing bowls originated 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia but nobody knows for sure because it is said that they have been around longer than written language. The first singing bowls were made of copper by artisans that knew metalwork. This talent was passed down through generations but at one point the chain was broken. Then about 2,000 years ago, singing bowls made out of brass were forged in Tibet. This is why they are also known as “Tibetan Singing Bowls.” The bowls spread throughout the world in the 19th century during the Chinese invasion of Tibet because the monks were forced to sell their sacred bowls in order to survive. Singing bowl artifacts have also been found in India and Nepal. These were made of gold, silver, copper, tin, iron, lead and mercury. The bowls traveled all over Asia and the Middle East and have been found as far east as Japan.
Singing bowls work by hitting or rubbing a mallet against the side. To play the singing bowl you want to hold it in your palm, if it is large it can sit on the ground. Then strike the bowl and and move the mallet around the circumference of the bowl. The vibrations are so prominent that they can visibly move water. This is also one way it affects a human vibration, as we are mostly made of water. It is said that the sound of the singing bowl has a centering effect on the brain which can sync up your right (conscious) and left (unconscious) brain. This can assist in reaching high vibrational meditative states as syncing the brain is one of the challenges of meditation. This effect also creates a state of peace and calm as the singing bowls are very relaxing.
I personally love using singing bowls because the sound really is relaxing. If you want to try out a singing bowl but are unsure about investing in one there are plenty of youtube videos of them. When I first started meditating I didn’t really think they worked but then I listened to one and I was hooked. So I can drone on all day about how great singing bowls are but in the end you have to try it for yourself.
Source:
Venusian VVitches 