Why Singing Bowls?
Singing bowls have been used for centuries to bring the body and mind into harmony. The cells of our bodies vibrate at specific frequencies in accordance with the state of our health. Disharmony within the body may trigger cell activity which can contribute to the manifestation of disease. Working toward a more peaceful, centered state of mind supports our wellbeing.
Our stress levels are governed by the autonomic nervous system, which has two branches – the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
When we experience higher levels of stress, the body operates in fight, flight, or freeze mode. This is the sympathetic nervous system in action, and it is important for survival in situations where we need to act quickly.
In modern times, you’d expect occasions where we need to fight, flee, or freeze to be rare. In reality, many of us deal with stress that looks different, but comes with similar biological impacts. We lead such busy, demanding lives that we’re spending far too much time with our sympathetic nervous system switched on. The physiological effects of being in stress mode are many, affecting our digestion, sleep, hormones, heart, and other organs. Hence, stress is now widely acknowledged as a contributing factor for many diseases.
Inducing the body’s relaxation response allows us to go into a natural healing mode. Often called “rest and digest”, it comes into play when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated.
Relaxation may not be the only change necessary to bring a body that has been coping with sustained, long-term stress back into balance. Still, being in our rest and digest mode is conducive to healing. When we experience serenity, we know that our parasympathetic nervous system, or rest and digest mode, is switched on.
How Do Tibetan Singing Bowls Help Us Relax?
There are many ways to relax and become more centered. Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga are practices that have been used for centuries to bring us a sense of inner calm. Similarly, Tibetan singing bowls have been used to help people reach deeper levels of serenity.
Vibrations from the Tibetan singing bowl are used to stimulate specific brain wave states that initiate the relaxation response. The specific states these frequencies induce are known to bring peace and harmony to the mind and body.
Tibetan bowls are often used in combination with meditation, mindfulness or yoga practices to bring the body into an optimal healing mode.
Singing Bowls and Chakras
The concept of chakras came from the Vedic Indian tradition and has become embedded into New Age vocabulary in recent years. Chakras are believed to be vortices of energy related to specific parts of the body. There is no consensus on how many chakras people have, but seven are commonly recognised.
No scientific evidence exists to support the presence of chakras, nor that the seven energy centers relate to seven major glands in the body. Still, many practitioners find that their awareness and attention to these areas has a positive impact on their efforts to reduce stress and pain. The seven major chakras are as follows:
- Crown chakra - pineal gland
- Third eye chakra - pituitary/pineal
- Heart chakra - thymus gland
- Solar plexus chakra - pancreatic glands - digestion/metabolism
- Sacral chakra - adrenal glands
- Root chakra - reproductive glands
The lower chakras/glands are related to survival, reproduction, and the more grounded aspects of our human existence. In contrast, the upper chakras/glands are related to our intuition, wisdom, and spiritual growth. It therefore makes sense that working to balance the energy between all seven could be beneficial to our wellbeing.
In general, Western culture emphasizes elements governed by the lower chakras. This is one reason why the practice of meditation, mindfulness, and yoga enables them to reconnect with the more spiritual aspects of themselves.
How Do Singing Bowls Affect the Chakras?
Singing bowls resonate at different frequencies and have different notes. Most of our bowls at Silent Mind are not tuned to a specific note. However, our hand-beaten bowls are tuned to note B, believed to resonate with the crown chakra. Since these bowls are 100% handmade, the notes (and even the sizes) can differ from bowl to bowl. One bowl can measure four inches while another can be 4.5 inches. One bowl can sound an E note, while another can be F or B. We cannot guarantee the note to which your singing bowl is tuned.
That being said, any singing bowl, regardless of the note, can help deepen your meditation practice.
Health Disclaimer
All material on this website is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information. You should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to your health and well-being.