Tibetan Singing Bowl
Singing bowls have been used for centuries in Tibet(before the arrival of buddhism)for healing and consciousness transformation.The previous Karmapa said that it produces "sound of the void".In Tibet, monks used to meditate on the sound of these singing bowls to transform consciousness into higher levels of realization,and it was said that ,to those highly distinct and erudite scholars the sound gave teaching on emptiness.
Typically the singing bowls in ancient times were made of seven metals namely gold,silver,copper,mercury,iron,lead and tin.The iron used were meteorite iron called thogcha in Tibetan.Meteorites found in Tibet travels through a thinner layer of oxygen so there would have been less burn up hence the quality may differ from the ones found in other parts of the world.The raw materials were smelted and purified,cast,reheated and hand hammered into shape and tone.Today one can find bowls that are hand hammered,machine made or both combined and moreover the number of metals used differ too.
Each of the metals in the alloy creates a unique,simultaneous,resonating vibration that reaches every cell of our body.It has been observed that on hearing the sound from the bowl our brain enters into deeper alpha and theta brain wave frequencies which induces a profound physical and mental relaxation and meditative states(at conscious/alert/working level our brain waves operate at the beta level) resulting in an improved vitality,concentration,memory and a general physical,mental and emotional well being.Therefore it is used to heal stress, insomnia,pain,depression etc and also it is said to have produced positive results with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
How to use:
Hold the bowl on the palm of your left hand(non dominant hand)with fingers straight and held closely together,without touching the bowl.
You need a mallet to play the bowl.A bare wood or a leather wrapped mallet is best for playing around the rim.The wool mallet is meant for striking only.
Hold the mallet (with firm but relaxed grip)against the rim of the bowl and rotate in a clockwise direction applying adequate pressure.Practice until you find the speed and pressure that allows the bowl to sing smoothly.