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With the development of new ailments in our society, certain types of therapy are resurfacing or becoming more democratic. Music therapy, the use of sounds in a care process, is one of them.
It can take various forms, which come to us from all times and from all walks of life. Tibetan bowls, or singing bowls, are among these alternative methods with remarkable effects.
Their extraordinary sounds have the capacity to act on our health on several levels. Here is the history, operation and benefits of Tibetan bowls!
Origins: bowls… not so Tibetan!
Traces of the first Tibetan bowls date back to the Bronze Age, 3 to 5000 years ago. These origins lead to believe, without ever being able to affirm it, that they come from Indian shamanic practices.
The singing bowls were subsequently used by several traditional Buddhist schools, shortly after the beginning of our era: it is there that they were introduced in Tibet, but also in other South Asian countries like Nepal, the India, Bhutan or Ladakh.
They have since been used in prayer and meditation ceremonies by Buddhist monks and practitioners.
Composition of singing bowls
In Buddhist philosophy, the number 7 is very meaningful. Thus, the Tibetan bowls are formed from an alloy of 7 metals, which refer to the 7 chakras, but also, according to other sources, to the 7 stars and therefore to the 7 days of the week that correspond to them:
Money: the Moon (Monday)
Iron: March (Tuesday)
Mercury: Mercury (Wednesday)
Pewter: Jupiter (Thursday)
Copper: Venus (Friday)
Lead: Saturn (Saturday)
Gold: the Sun (Sunday).
Depending on their origin, the dosages are different, which affects the colors, quality and sounds of the bowls.
How the bowls work and how a session unfolds
Sound can be output in two ways. The hit sound is obtained by hitting the outside of the bowl with a felt mallet, called a gong. The rubbed sound is obtained by rotating a mallet (stick covered with leather or rubber) around the bowl.
In both cases, the process emits sound vibrations which begin to resonate. We say that the bowl “sings”. By adding water inside the bowl, it is possible to change the frequency.
You can use the Tibetan bowls on your own or let an expert handle them.
Autonomous use requires time and patience. Singing a bowl is not easy, and putting your finger on the sounds that make us feel good is even less so. However, it is possible and for this purpose, one bowl will suffice.
If you get caught up in a therapeutic session, the context will be very different. Lying on your back, you will be completely relaxed and only have to use your mind.
This is the big advantage: you free your entire concentration in the service of relaxation, which is not the case in self-taught, where you have to somehow manipulate your singing bowl. During a session, the professional uses several bowls.
Arrange strategically around you, they will vibrate under the hands of the therapist who will know how to make them sing optimally. As you can see, this is the option I prefer, the results are really of a whole new magnitude!
Much more than a sound: a vibration
A successful use of singing bowls supposes to “feel the sounds”, in other words, to let yourself be penetrated by all the vibrations and to apprehend them with our 5 senses. It therefore goes well beyond a melody that we would listen to because the sounds are pleasant to us.
You could compare it to a moment spent in the middle of nature: sublime scenery, wild life as far as the eye can see… yet you only half appreciate its beauty if you only use your eyes.
Letting yourself be invaded by the moment is the most important part, the one that makes us live the moment. Some even do not hesitate to close their eyes to such a panorama. Absurd? Absolutely not !
The power of Tibetan bowls: concretely, why does it work?
Beyond the mental and psychological aspect that I will develop in detail, the vibration has a tangible physical action: it moves the water molecules. And not just those from the bowl!
As our body is made up of 65% water, we will also be affected by this phenomenon, and that is the whole point of the process: to modify our internal vibrations.
Stress, tensions, fears also enter us in the form of vibrations, and stay there for a long time. Thus, this negativity affects affects us from within and we vibrate to their rhythm. As proof: negative emotions very often most of our thoughts and actions.
The purpose of using Tibetan bowls is to counter this phenomenon. By emitting new, positive, relaxing vibrations, the bowls readjust us by forcing us to synchronize with these beneficial waves.
We no longer vibrate to the rhythm of stress, but to the rhythm imposed by the bowls. The inner balance is then established, which is incredibly good and simply puts us in order when we feel ourselves drifting.
There is therefore a link between physical phenomena and mental repercussions. This connection, which many psychoanalysts and therapists of all times pose as obvious, we must believe deeply. This point being essential, let us dwell on it for a few moments.
The importance of personal involvement
Singing bowls are not gurus’ delusions, they actually work. However, you have to put your own money into it. For it to work, you need to be confident that it will work. If you are hermetic to the process, then you close the chakras, and the vibrations will not reach you.
Just as hypnosis works remarkably well on spirited gamers, singing bowls will have powerful effects on you if you give them a chance.
Conversely, to be hypnotized in the initial optics of failure, I don’t know if you’ve already tested, but it doesn’t work at all. It’s the same with bowls: if you go there losers, you will be losers.
The benefits of Tibetan bowls
So far, I’ve talked a lot about the benefits of Tibetan bowls without ever being specific… so here they are!
Actions on your physique …
- They soothe the body by stimulating blood circulation. This also has the effect of improving the quality of sleep and calming insomnia.
- They act on hormonal imbalances by stimulating the endocrine glands.
- They strengthen the immune system… etc. etc …
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And on your mind!
- Singing bowls rebalance the two hemispheres of the brain. We often tend to think too much with our left brain, rational and logical, without giving our emotions and intuitions the opportunity to express themselves.
Thus, the bowls increase creativity, capacity for innovation and vital energy.
- They help you reconnect with yourself. The incessant oppressions of the environment often pull us away from our deep.
- They help to overcome bad habits (procrastination, addictions, etc.)
- They help to overcome difficult stages mentally AND physically: illnesses, trauma,
- powerful medical treatments, separations, losses, accidents, etc.
- They immerse the mind in a state of deep relaxation. Negativity and pressures from the environment are expelled. By cause and effect, they therefore greatly reduce stress and help calm anxiety.
To close this part, I will add that singing bowls do not heal you strictly speaking. They help you more precisely to find within you the resources and the way to do it, by removing the obstacles which could block your way.
How to make a choice ?
If you decide to carry out your sessions in the company of a professional, this one will provide you with the bowls. If, on the other hand, you want to get some for your home, here is some information to consider.
Traditional bowls are getting harder and harder to find. An artisanal production remains in Nepal, but the overwhelming majority of production is today industrial and comes from India or China.
In this case, the most important element to take into account is the composition. Depending on the source, the bowl can have different shades ranging from a light gold to a deep copper.
If this is of little importance, however, check with the seller that the bowl is indeed made of the 7 metals mentioned above, otherwise it will not sing correctly.
Regarding the thickness, it is inversely proportional to the height of the sounds you will get: a thin bowl will sound high, a thick bowl more serious. The best thing is to try them out before making your choice.
Finally, regarding the diameter, there are different sizes. Here too, the sounds vary, but practicality will also play a role in your choice.
A bowl of more than 30 centimeters is made to stay at home, while a bowl of about ten centimeters can be taken for a small meditation session in the heart of nature!
The final word
Singing bowls are, after all, nothing shamanic. Their principle is even purely scientific: like tuning forks, they re-tune us to the frequency that is most pleasant to live with on a daily basis.
Their benefits, both physical and mental, will be maximized if the session is performed by a professional and if you completely abandon yourself in their hands. No, it is neither a miracle method, nor – like any medicinal activity – an exact science!
But the game is worth the effort. Remember: trust, involvement and letting go are essential elements for your experience to be a success!
In the end, the Tibetan bowls are the perfect illustration that some alternative medicine really works and achieves results that few other disciplines claim to achieve.