| Singing bowls are used for meditation, relaxation and | | | | violin. The sound will resonate inside your chest and |
| healing purposes. These small, circular bowls function | | | | continue on through the rest of your body. As you |
| like bells and have a melodious sound when played. | | | | concentrate on the combined sensations of audible |
| Singing bowls come mainly from Tibet although they | | | | sound and tangible vibration your body will enter a |
| are also played in Nepal, India, and Bhutan. Tibetan | | | | deeply relaxed state. |
| Llamas have been using them for thousands of years. | | | | Though the bowl will continue to sing for some time, it |
| However, they have always been considered sacred | | | | will be necessary to repeat the striking action from |
| and therefore their existence was mostly kept secret | | | | time to time, if you can find the energy to do so. You |
| until the Chinese invaded Tibet in the 1950's. Since that | | | | don't have to put it on your chest. And if you are a |
| time knowledge of singing bowls has slowly spread, | | | | flexible enough person to place it on your back and still |
| and their use has become more common in other | | | | be able to strike it with the mallet, then that is always |
| cultures. | | | | an option. If you want to try placing the bowl on your |
| Traditionally singing bowls are made from a mixture of | | | | back, but find it difficult to strike the bowl from this |
| seven metals, though most singing bowls on the | | | | position, it is fine to recruit someone else to be the |
| market today are made from only three or five metals. | | | | striker. There are also singing bowl therapists who |
| These bowls produce tones that allow you to relax | | | | place the bowls around you, and on top of you. These |
| deeply and create harmony between body and soul. | | | | therapists can adjust the sound and play the correct |
| When you place the ringing bowl on your body the | | | | tone for your particular chakras. |
| sound waves reach every cell with vibrations that | | | | Striking the bowl will make it resonate, but rubbing it will |
| massage the cells as they pass through your body. It | | | | make it sing. The difference between a resonating |
| doesn't take long to reach a state of complete | | | | sound and a singing sound is simply the isolation of a |
| relaxation. This cellular massage has also been known | | | | single note. When rubbing the bowl, you need to hold |
| to provide healing results to sick or damaged bodies. | | | | the base gently between the fingertips of one hand. |
| Singing bowls can also be used for relaxation while | | | | You want to keep the fingers toward the base so that |
| you play the bowl. | | | | they won't mute the tones you are going to play. It is |
| There are two ways to play a singing bowl. The first | | | | sometimes nicer to use a leather mallet. This will |
| way is to strike it with a mallet. The second way is to | | | | eliminate the clanging sound often associated with a |
| rub the bowl with a wooden stick producing continuous | | | | plain wooden stick. |
| singing tones. Good singing bowls have lots of different | | | | Hold the striking stick vertically alongside the bowl. |
| tones that come out as you move your mallet around | | | | Wrap your hand tightly around the top end of the stick, |
| the outside of the bowl. To prepare for a cellular sound | | | | and rub the bottom end around the outside edge of |
| massage you must first lay flat on your back. Make | | | | the bowl. When you play the singing bowl in this way, |
| yourself comfortable and then place the singing bowl | | | | you can use a plain wooden mallet, rather than a |
| on your chest. Because the vibrations tend to make | | | | leather-wrapped mallet. Press the wood firmly to the |
| them slide you may want to put a piece of non slip | | | | rim in order to keep it from rattling. |
| matting, like you would find in the kitchen drawers, | | | | As you begin to rub the rim of the bowl you will hear |
| between the bowl and your body. Once everything is | | | | several tones mingled together. As you continue to rub |
| in place and you are comfortable use the mallet to | | | | one note will begin to stand out above the rest and the |
| strike the singing bowl close to the rim. | | | | other tones will slowly fall away until you are left with a |
| As the bowl begins to ring your ears will begin to pick | | | | pure and penetrating ring. |
| up lower tones. Not only will you be able to hear the | | | | Singing bowls can be relaxing for use in your own |
| bowl ring, but you will also begin to feel the sound | | | | personal meditation, and they can also be used for |
| waves as they pass through you body. Your chest | | | | yoga classes and other situations to begin or end a |
| area is mainly a large air chamber. This chamber acts | | | | class. |
| in the same way as the hollow cavity of a guitar or | | | | |