It seems that alternative healing is all the rage these days, and healing items can be found everywhere from metaphysical shops to online mega warehouses like Amazon. This brings us to the newly popular Meditation Singing bowls, also called Himalayan bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, or cup gongs. Which are ancient musical instruments used primarily for Buddhist meditation. Traditionally, these instruments have been played by Buddhist monks within monastic settings in Tibet, Nepal, India, China, Japan, and Korea.
Many meditation singing bowls are constructed of metal, including precious metals such as silver and gold. Other metals found in many meditation singing bowls include copper, zinc, iron, and nickel. In most cases, meditation singing bowls are made from a variety of metals.
The meditation singing bowl is played by hitting, striking, or rubbing a wooden striker or mallet against the bowl’s outer surface, or by stirring it slowly. When performed correctly, the bowl produces a continuous harmonious sound. It is believed that this sound is relaxing and beneficial for the chakras, making it a helpful meditation tool. Today, meditation singing bowls are used for yoga, healing, sound massage, sound therapy, chakra balancing, and other types of meditation.
These beautifully crafted singing bowls offer a number of benefits. Among these is stress relief, improved sleep patterns, reduced blood pressure, reduced depression symptoms, and even stimulation of the immune system. Despite the fact that modern science has not confirmed this method of meditation or “therapy” as a common practice, we shouldn’t ignore the positive effects it has on both our physical and mental health.
There are many varieties of meditation singing bowls available, including different shapes, sizes, designs, colors, carvings, and crafts. Various religious themes and symbols can be found in these pieces, such as the Tibetan mantra “Om Mani Padme hum”, dragon carvings, mandala carvings, Buddhist religious symbols, and more. Traditional bowl-making is a lost art; most of these bowls do not contain any ornamentation yet they’re equally as healing as their ornate counterparts.
In most cases, there are two regions that produce two different types of bowls. There are two styles of singing bowls: hand-hammered (beaten) singing bowls that are found primarily in Nepal and India and are crafted according to traditional methods. Colored, carved, and crafted bowls, which are often used as gifts, decorations, and souvenirs, are mostly produced in Nepal, a country in the Himalayas.
Currently, meditation singing bowls are so popular that even those who don’t meditate display them in their homes as decorations. Their attraction to meditation singing bowls is understandable since they come in such beautiful designs and are absolutely stunning to look at. Those who use the singing meditation bowl for a higher purpose, like meditating, see it as a representation of human spirituality, depicting the spirit as a vessel that contains not only our limitations but also our potential.
In the same way as the seasons’ change, the singing bowls’ surface appearance symbolizes our ever-changing nature; we are never the same from one moment to the next due to events and interactions. Even though some events may impact us profoundly, others may have a subtle effect that resides within. This is because the singing bowl we choose is a representation of who and what we are. Whether we use them for meditation or for decorative purposes, they will always represent human spirituality. Therefore, if you happen to find yourself drawn to one of these mystically wonderful bowls, please be sure to allow it into your life and procure the many benefits it offers.
