Stress is a given in your life. Between responsibilities for family and work, you’re pulled in countless directions. Could the tranquil chimes of a singing bowl offer the stress relief you need?
Have you ever wondered why sound is often an integral part of many meditating traditions? Many religions incorporate music and chanting into their worship. Some ancient traditions such as Buddhism and yoga use chimes, gongs, cymbals, and drums to help bring practitioners into deeper meditative states.
Some of these practices call this sound bathing. As you concentrate on the steady vibrations of the music or sounds, they keep you present. It’s a beautiful way to drown out negative thoughts as you bask in the tranquil sounds around you.
Origin of These Fascinating Bowls
One of the many things people often associate with Tibet is singing bowls, also called sound bowls. A simple search on the Internet can bring you countless entries about these bowls and their link with the Himalayan country. However, the association isn’t entirely true.
An article published by The Isbourne explains that the connection probably wasn’t invented until the 1970s in America. Sound bowls have been used as gongs and bells in some Eastern cultures for centuries, not necessarily Tibet. As stated in the article, using these metallic or crystal bowls for sound therapy is purely a Western invention.
Finding The Right Bowl and How To Use It
Regardless of their origins, you can benefit from using sound bowls to help you relax. They come in assorted sizes and are often made of brass or delicate crystal. Sound bowls are often intricately carved with Buddhist or other sacred symbols.
Prices depend on the material they are made of, their age, and their artistic design. Vintage bowls and those cut from crystal are usually more expensive. However, You can find a decent sound bowl that is affordable for just about any budget in shops or online.
It would help if you also had a mallet to make your bowl sing. These are often carved from wood with soft padding on one end. Tapping the bowl with the mallet will produce a soothing gong sound while rubbing the outer edge will make “singing” vibrations.
Anyone can use sound bowls for relation and meditative states. The hypnotic hum is soothing and can be just the thing for your frazzled nerves. Bathing in the sound can be a separate session, or you can incorporate it into your relaxation routine.
Putting Your Tibetan Singing Bowl to Use
After you’ve chosen the sound bowl that’s right for you, keep it in your sacred space. Some people have several bowls of assorted sizes to make specific sounds. Having single or multiple bowls is up to you.
While you’re seated and relaxed, have your sound bowl or bowls on cushions or a small table in front of you. Use the mallet to rub along the rim of the bowl gently. This friction produces soft humming noises that sound like an angelic voice. Allow the heavenly song to softly cover you from head to toe.
You’ll feel the stresses of the day melt into heightened awareness. The humming and chimes help quiet your inner chatter and allow you to focus on your intuition. You can enjoy bathing in the sound any time you want, whether it be morning or evening.
The sessions can last for 20 minutes or an hour. Many couples like to use sound bowls as a way to connect on a spiritual level. Do you often feel overwhelmed and stressed at work? Maybe you can keep a smaller bowl at your desk.
During a break, find a quiet place to sit and listen to your bowl. It can help reduce your anxiety and boost your focus for the rest of the day.
Seven Benefits of Using a Tibetan Singing Bowls
If you’re searching for practical relaxation tools, you might consider using these beautiful bowls. They are easy to use, and you can take them wherever you go. Here are seven possible benefits of sound bathing using these bowls.
1. May Enrich Your Meditation
Even if you’ve been meditating for a while, it’s easy to be distracted. Sometimes when you’re trying to sit quietly, your mind fixates on a random thought. Before long, you’ve started an entire internal conversation about your problems and concerns.
Using a vibration bowl can temporarily silence your environment and turn off the chatter in your brain. As you listen to the otherworldly vibrations from the bowl, it helps you focus and fall into a deeper state of relaxation. In a research paper published by Loyola Marymount University, they discuss the influence of Tibetan singing bowls on brain waves, and their effects are hard to ignore.
2. May Improve Your Sleep
Do you often awaken in the morning and feel just as exhausted as you did before you went to bed? Even after you’ve guzzled a pot of coffee at work, you feel like a zombie walking in a brain fog. Maybe you’re one of the millions of Americans who are sleep-deprived.
Many people battle insomnia because they are tense and can’t stop the racing thoughts in their minds. Does this sound like a familiar pattern? If so, Himalayan bowls may help. It’s much more relaxing and satisfying than counting sheep.
Before you turn in, you can treat yourself to a soothing session. The gentle vibrations of the bowls can ease your stressful brain and make you feel peace and tranquility. When you go to bed, you’ll be ready to drift into dreamland.
3. May Help Your Digestion
There’s a distinctive connection between your gut and your brain, explains an article published by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Medical experts call this the enteric nervous system. Issues with your digestive system can affect your mental health and vice versa.
When you’re stressed, your brain goes into survival mode. Your endocrine system pumps emergency hormones into your bloodstream like cortisol and adrenaline. Chronic stress causes a hormone overload and can wreak havoc on your body, including your digestive system.
An overload of these hormones often causes indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea. Listening to the subtle bowl chimes can help lower your stress levels and reduce stress hormone production. Making these bowls part of your meditative routine can be healing to your gut.
4. May Lower Your Blood Pressure
Another hazard of chronic stress is hypertension or high blood pressure. Even if you’re in good physical condition, undue stress can eventually cause your blood pressure to elevate. Over time, hypertension weakens your blood vessels and may lead to coronary artery disease or stroke.
Relaxation techniques, such as sound therapy, works to diminish extra stress. You’ll feel your racing pulse slow to normal as you breathe and relax. Less stress and a slower pulse can lower your blood pressure.
5. May Improve Your Mood
It’s only human to awaken on the wrong side of the bed on occasion. Sometimes, you feel sluggish and grumpy. At other times, your disposition may be sad and melancholy, and you may be depressed.
Did you know that vibration bowl therapy may boost your mood? They produce soothing sound vibrations that encourage a relaxed mind and a feeling of well-being. Just a few minutes of basking in the gentle sounds of singing bowls can help you feel better.
6. May Help with Pain Management
When you’re coping with chronic pain, your outlook may seem bleak. It can put limitations on what you can do. Using singing bowls may be an ideal complementary therapy with what you’re already doing to control your uncomfortable sensations.
According to a study published by Pain Research Management, sound therapy such as singing bowls shows promise for helping those with fibromyalgia. They may have fewer flare-ups and less pain intensity. While sound therapy may not completely alleviate the pain, it can help you cope more easily.
7. May Boost Your Creativity
Are you a creative person, or do you want to boost your creative energy? Some of your greatest inspiration may come from a meditative state. When you use these harmonic bowls, they can heighten your senses and spark your creativity.
Plus, frequent sessions may improve your critical thinking skills. While you use analytical steps to solve problems, you also need a healthy dose of imagination. Both crucial elements can get a boost from singing bowl sessions.
While you’re bathing in the sounds of the bowl, you may want to keep a notepad handy. You may have a burst of inspiration in your meditative state and don’t want to forget it. Jot it down on your tablet and reflect on your ideas later.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Singing Bowls
The constant vibrations of a sound bowl can create a relaxing atmosphere your body, mind, and spirit need. Not only will you connect with the sound, but you can gain more profound self-awareness. Singing bowls are just one of the many meditative tools you can consider for your daily relaxation routine.
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