Himalayan Singing bowls (also known as Tibetan singing bowls) have been known to Westerners since the late ’50s. They came to the US and Europe with Tibetan refugees who escaped the Chinese communist occupation. Now almost every yoga studio and wellness center has one of these instruments and even though every Tibetan gift shop sells singing bowls, very little is known about their origin. There has been much speculation about the nature of this mysterious bell-like instrument on the one hand and mounting scientific evidence showing the many health benefits it delivers on the other. The beautiful complex simplicity of the singing bowl’s voice helps to achieve relaxation, reduce stress, anxiety and physical pain. It has also been known to help normalize blood pressure and simply clear your mind if you give it a chance.
Focusing on the complex harmonic overtones is a great way to enhance the ability to concentrate and sharpen memory. Singing bowls are a perfect tool for meditation and brain function enhancement.
Although little is known about how singing bowls were used in the past, modern practitioners of sound healing are developing new skills and reinventing techniques of utilizing singing bowls for balancing and harmonization. There are many skeptical opinions, but if you know what to do with the bowl – you’ll see that it works! In the article ‘The Pulse of A Singing Bowl ‘ you may read about the nature of monaural beats and how the pulsating voice of the singing bowl positively influences the brain activity.
Instead of offering you the sources to learn from about the origins of singing bowls and what are they used for, I’d like to share a story about my healing and a great singing bowl master that I met while I was in Tibet.
In 2007, I heard the sound of a singing bowl for the first time. Although it felt like this sound was squeezing my heart, a sense of well being penetrated my whole essence. It felt like I was being blessed by some higher intelligence. Shortly after this, I purchased a bowl for my wife and me.
We didn’t know what to do with the sound bowl, besides striking it and listening, but there was something about that sound. The bowl was sitting on a decorative cushion, which rested on a coffee table and we couldn’t pass by it, without taking the stick and playing the bowl for at least a couple moments. The bowl was receiving so much attention as if it were a member of our small family.
Like a normal couple we had our ups and downs, but every time the bowl made a sound, the atmosphere at home would change for the better, also a more peaceful state of mind was created.
Back then, I was practicing meditation and was reading a lot about the influence of sound on mental, emotional and physical health. I was looking for some art to occupy myself with and knew that it would be related to sound therapy. The field of “sound healing” triggered my attention.
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