Tibetan Singing Bowl: The Best Sound Therapist

It’s a proven fact that restful sounds help calm down the mind. The same applies to a Singing Bowl: it works as a music therapist. Singing bowls produce a natural and harmonious sound when played; as you listen to it, you will find yourself in another dimension. Singing bowls, also known as Tibetan Singing Bowls, take you to a state of deep relaxation and release all your stress. Keep scrolling and you’ll come to know more interesting facts about Tibetan singing bowls.

Tibetan Singing Bowls For Sound Healing

We live busy and stressful life where our brains are always wired up with something. It becomes stressful to dwell on our day-to-day activities as our brain is working subconsciously all the time. We need to find ways to distress ourselves. In that case, sound healing is the best way to reduce stress, and if you don’t know Tibetan singing bowl is the most common way that is used in sound therapy.

Tibetan Singing Bowls have incredible healing and medicinal properties. Tibetan Buddhists have been using them for religious and sound healing practices for millenniums but its healing power was a secret until non-religion people gave it a try. Nowadays, wellness practitioners including music therapists, yoga therapists and massage therapists, use the reposeful sound of singing bowls during treatment.

Benefits of Tibetan Singing Bowls

Singing Bowls have been globally used for sound healing. Researchers have found that energy vibrates at different rates in the body, and the unique vibration of the singing bowls, aka Himalayan singing bowls, has the capacity to shift energy and restore the mind, body, and spirit to a balanced state.

 Los Angeles-based renowned sound healer Susy Schieffelin says, “Waves made by striking or singing the bowls produce harmonics that can move you into different brainwave states.”

Below we have listed the top 5 health benefits of singing bowl therapy.

1. Stress Reduction: The vibration of the singing bowl “harmonizes” the cells and produces beneficial changes in the body; it gives the body deep relaxation and reduces stress.

2. Deep Relaxation: The wonderful tone of the Tibetan singing bowl has an effect on brainwave frequencies; it brings the brain to the theta state (intriguing border between the conscious and the subconscious mind).

3. Cleanses Negative Energy: Singing bowl therapy is used to remove negative energy and clear blockages through brain waves. The resonating sound of the Himalayan singing bowl keeps stops anger and hatred from entering your body.

4. Purifies Emotions: Singing bowl therapy has an impact on the nervous system; it changes the pattern of brain waves and helps you come out of the bad vibration you have in your mind. The sound rectifies the physiologic functioning of your brain and plays a positive role in the treatment.

5. Lowering Blood Pressure: A 2014 study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion showed that a 12-minute singing bowl therapy can cause a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure and heart rate.

Materials Used in Tibetan Singing Bowls

The composition of antique singing bowls is what makes them unique. According to local Tibetans, the primary metal used to make singing bowls in the past was meteorite iron. The meteorites were found in the uppermost parts of the Himalayas where oxygen levels are very low. Having come from a location closer to the heavens (Himalayas), Tibetans consider these meteorites to be of sacred origins and highly regarded. This is where the Tibetans believe the healing powers of the singing bowls came from. 

Historically, singing bowls have been crafted with the combination of five to nine metals, and sometimes even twelve. Tibetan singing bowls are commonly made with the composition of seven metals, Gold, Silver, Mercury, Copper, Iron, Tin, and Lead. It is believed that each metal represents a heavenly body or a planet where;

• Gold represents Sun
• Silver represents Moon
• Mercury represents Mercury
• Copper represents Venus
• Iron represents Mars
• Tin represents Jupiter
• Lead represents Saturn

Antique singing bowls were crafted predominantly with copper and tin, a combination of which form a type of bronze called “bell metal”. The combination of these two metals gives the bowl a harder yet elastic property that creates better reverberation when struck.

Modern singing bowls, on the other hand, typically involve only five metals, oftentimes only two. Due to high cost, gold and silver are typically no longer used, but the modern Tibetan singing bowls are still of excellent quality.

Types of Tibetan Singing Bowls

Those who are new to singing bowls think there is only one type of singing bowl and each one is the same but in fact, there are more than 50 different types of Himalayan singing bowls. However, there are only 7 types of singing bowls available in the market. They differ in shape, size, style, tone, and quality, and each one has a unique characteristic. Singing bowls have a sound range of five octaves, from high to low tones. Below are listed the 7 types of Tibetan singing bowls.

1. Thadobati Singing Bowl

   

Thadobati singing bowls are one of the ancient singing bowls. Some of them even date back to the 15th century. The term “Thado” means “Straight” and Thadobati singing bowls are called so because it has straight high-sided walls with a wide flat bottom. These bowls are relatively deep, up to 5″, while a 9″ diameter is the largest size they are available in. The most common ones are with a bottom diameter only slightly smaller than the rim. They can play up to five different octaves                                                  

2. Lingam Singing Bowls

   

“Lingam” or “Lingham” refers to the male principle and it is embodied as the Hindu god, Lord Shiva. Lingam singing bowls are distinct due to their conical protrusion in their center. The inside of the bowl creates a flat bottom with a navel-like indention. Its vocals range up to 4 octaves. Lingam singing bowls are among the rarest singing bowls and can be extremely expensive when authentic. Be careful while purchasing a Lingam singing bowl. Some bowls are reworked to look like Lingam bowls but are fakes.                                                         

3. Manipuri Singing Bowls

   

Manipuri singing bowls are the original singing bowls. They were first introduced to Western travelers in the 1970s and have since become popular all around the world. Manipuri singing bowls are the shallowest singing bowls with splayed rims and small rounded bottom. They are easy to play and are pretty affordable as compared to other kinds of singing bowls. Manipuri singing bowls produce a wide range of tones, from the lower second octave to the top of the 5th.                                            

4. Naga Singing Bowls

   

Naga singing bowls, also known as pedestal singing bowls are forged in two parts, the bowl itself and a round pedestal upon which the bowl is permanently attached. The midpoint of these Naga singing bowls has a larger circumference than its opening. The origin of these bowls is still unknown, however, specialists believe that the Naga bowls were used as an offering bowls due to the pedestal. The range of notes in Naga singing bowls ranges from the third to the fifth octave.                                    

5. Full Moon Singing Bowl

   

Full Moon singing bowls are special types of singing bowls that are only crafted by hands only once a month, on a full moon night under direct moonlight. They are crafted during a full moon night to capture the energy of the moon in the bowl. It makes the bowls more spiritually powerful.  Mild vibrations produced by these bowls activate the positive energy from the full moon while relaxing you.

6. Hand Hammered Singing Bowls

   

Hand Hammered singing bowls are crafted with the traditional Tibetan procedure. In the process, local artisans firstly melt the metals into the furnace which is then poured into a Gulli Cup to prepare a metal mold. They then roll the molds and turned them into ring metal sheets of specific thickness. The sheets are then hammered after precise measurement for the size and weight of the bowl. These singing bowls produce an elongated humming sound and they are easy to play.

7. Seven Chakra Singing Bowls

   

Seven Chakra singing bowls is a set of 7 healing bowls and they are primarily used for chakra healings. Chakras are the seven energy centers in the human body and each chakra singing bowl is associated with a musical note and color.

The Seven Chakra singing bowls contain:

• Color: Red
• Musical Note: C

• Color: Orange
• Musical Note: D

• Color: Yellow
• Musical Note: E

• Color: Green
• Musical Note: F

• Color: Azure Blue
• Musical Note: G

• Color: Dark Indigo Blue
• Musical Note: A

• Color: Violet
• Musical Note: B

Singing bowls are not the only sound healing instrument that is used for relaxation and stress relief but there are many other instruments that are used as sound healers in Nepal. Some of them are:

Tingshas/Cymbals are meditation bells used in Tibetan prayers and rituals. They have two metal cymbals which, when tapped together, produce a high-pitched soothing sound. Tingsha can be used together with Singing bowls during meditation and sound therapy.

  2. Bell & Dorje                            

Bell & Dorje are important symbolic ritual items. They are used as one during Tibetan Buddhist ritual recitation. The Bell is held in the left hand and represents “wisdom” while the Dorje is held in the right hand and represents “action”. It is believed that the sound of the bell, which is called vajra in Sanskrit, attract the deities to warn the negative forces.

 3. Chod Drum Damarus

Chod Damarus are two-headed drums and they are the central instruments in Chod practice, a Tibetan ritual. The word Chod literally means "cutting through" and the sound of the chod drums symbolizes the cutting through of egotism. It is believed to proclaim impermanence.

Hence, these are the types of Tibetan singing bowls available in the market. You can purchased one from NepaCraft. You can also purchase NepaCraft Tingshas/Cymbals, Bell & Dorje and Chod Drum Damarus from NepaCrafts. We will directly ship your favorite singing bowl to your destination.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are the benefits of singing Bowls?

A: Stress reduction is the primary benefit we can get from singing bowls. The sound of these bowls activates our brain waves and gives us deep relaxation. 

Q: What is the purpose of  Singing Bowls?

A: Singing bowls offer powerful healing properties and promote deep relaxation. They are majorly used in meditation practice.

Q: Are singing bowl spiritual?

A: Yes, singing bowls does carry spiritual significance. Tibetan monks have been using singing bowls in meditation practice for thousands of years.

Q: How to use singing Bowl?

A: There are two ways to use singing bowls. You can either play the bowl by just striking the mallet or by circling the mallet around the edge of the bowl.

Q: Elements used in making singing Bowls?

A: Singing bowls are commonly crafted with the composition of Gold, Silver, Mercury, Copper, Iron, Tin, and Lead. Due to high cost, gold and silver are rarely used.

Q: What is sound healing?

A: Sound healing is practice where vibrations (from instrumental-like gongs, singing bowls and tuning forks) are used to relax one’s mind and body.

Q: Chakra singing bowl and their frequency?

A: The frequency of Chakra singing bowls range between 110 Hz and 660 Hz, some can even reach up to even 900s.