INTRODUCING: TIBETAN SINGING BOWLS
In ancient times, caravans of merchants and monks travelled from near and far to Tibet, along the Silk Road and other routes of Asia and Mongolia to transport goods for trade, and to spread knowledge, news and wisdom.
Travellers told stories of metal smiths who forged metal bowls by hand and that these bowls were an integral part of Tibetan culture and spiritual practices for centuries. And so, the Tibetan Singing Bowls started their entry into the rest of the world.
Since the 1960’s, when spiritual tourism saw East and West united in the ashrams of India and the mountains of Nepal, Tibetan singing bowls have steadily gained popularity in the Western world. Today, Tibetan singing bowls are rarely produced by using traditional forging methods, and when they have been traditionally forged, are highly prized for their beauty, therapeutic benefits, and spiritual significance.
Originally, Tibetan Singing Bowls were hand-made from a combination of seven metals, including iron, lead, copper, tin, silver, gold, and mercury. Today, other metals such as bronze are sometimes added to the alloy and bowls are machined, affecting the sound and rim quality adversely.
Rubbing a wooden or bamboo mallet around the rim or hitting the side of the bowl with a sponge mallet, produces a rich, resonant sound, particular frequency, and high outward vibration.
The sound produced by Tibetan singing bowls is believed to have healing properties, and the vibrations from the bowls can penetrate through muscle and fat, as deep as bone marrow, shaking up and energising every cell in the human body. It is believed to balance the body’s energy, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote relaxation and over-all well-being.
Tibetan singing bowls come in a range of sizes, from small, handheld bowls to large, floor-standing bowls. Each bowl produces a unique sound, depending on its size and the materials used to make it and they are often decorated with intricate designs and symbols.
These bowls are a unique and powerful tool for healing, meditation, and spiritual growth. Their rich, resonant sound, specific frequencies, and high vibration, has the power to transport us to a deeper state of consciousness, to get us out of our heads and re-connected to our bodies.
“If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears, but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiological functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.” (Dr Mitchell Gaynor, director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine, Cornell Cancer Prevention Centre, New York.)
