It’s hard to track down the origin of singing bowl but one thing is for sure, throughout history it has been used for various purposes. Singing Bowls has been use for meditation, healing, sound bath, religion and music from ancient time in Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet and India. The popularity of singing bowl today is mostly found among yoga practitioners, meditators, music therapists, sound healers and mediation gurus.
To answer to the question “How we can use singing bowl?”, we can mainly use singing bowl in following four ways:
Spiritual connection and Meditation
In Himalayan monasteries of Nepal, India and Tibet singing bowl has been used to indicate the start and end of meditation period as it has calming and meditative sound. It was also said that singing bowls were played during an entire session, to help the mind focus and obtain a state of pure relaxation. It is believed that whenever a singing bowl is played, the mantras and good wishes imbued within it while it is was made are released to flow freely into the universe. Hindus and Buddhists have also traditionally used singing bowls in their rituals to aid in their spiritual focus, harmony and inner peace.
Chakra Balancing
Hindus believe that the world began with a sound, and thus sound plays a very important role in our bodies and in the universe as a whole. The most powerful mantra “Om” is said to be the sound of universe according to Hinduism. Sound as an alternative healing method has been practiced in many cultures for many centuries. It is believed that the delicate and unique sound of singing bowls can deeply affect our bodies, and can beneficially affect the body’s physical and psychological state. Since our bodies contain several energy centers, or chakras, running from head to toe and each of these energy centers are believed to correspond to specific tones which the singing bowls can naturally produce.
The Root Chakra – Tone “G”
Sacral Chakra- Tone “A”
Solar Plexus- Tone “B”
Heart Chakra- Tone “C”
Throat Chakra- Tone “D”
Third Eye Chakra- Tone “E”
Crown Chakra- Tone “F”
The resonance and vibration of singing bowls when placed on top of these energy centres are believed to penetrate more deeply than bigger and heavier bowls which are typically placed above or beside the body. In the traditional Tibetan healing practice, singing bowls are also believed to increase the efficacy of various medicinal herbs. In many cases it has been proved that singing bowls has helped patients develop a sense of peace and well-being, and also reduced pain.
Sound Healing and relaxation
Sound healing or sound bath or sound massage using singing bowls is a great natural way to restore harmony to the body. Its mystical properties naturally bring peace and focus to the mind. As our body is composed of approximately 50 to 70 percent water, vibration and sound produced by singing bowls synergizes with our body and creates a type of energy that works with the body in many ways and which can produce several positive results, such as a deep sense of tranquillity and reduced psychological and emotional stress. Vibrational sound healing can help these positive energies to flow freely within the body, and such therapy is said to ease symptoms of depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and other similar conditions.
Vibrational sound massage allows the body to become at peace both at an inner and outer level. Singing bowls of different weights and sizes are usually placed directly on top of the body while being struck while performing sound healing. They can also be placed surrounding the body.
Historical Uses
In many Asian countries when coins and other precious objects were the only kind of legal tender available, singing bowls were also used as a kind of currency. Handmade singing bowls were also used as common kitchenware, storage and eating items, though this practice is no longer be applicable in the present day. Singing bowls were valued based on their thickness, weight, and on their metal composition. Typically, the heavier the singing bowl was, the higher value it would have. Moreover, singing bowls were often given as wedding gifts or as a dowry.
From household to monasteries and from daily use to medical use, singing bowls have been used in multiple ways throughout many centuries. Today it is been used mainly for sound healing, sound therapy, meditation, spiritual connection, chakra balancing, decoration and gift purposes. Click here to know more about Singing Bowl origin and its history.
