1. What are singing bowls?

Tibetan (also known as Himalayan) singing bowls are actually bells that vibrate and produce a rich, deep tone when played. This vibration can be felt in the body and heard. They were first created out of necessity. They were used as a measure of grain, when a family would grow one crop and another would grow something else, and they would use the bowls to measure out an exchange of crops. According to Master Gopali, my singing bowl master, the bowls were also used as a form of medicinal healing when little else was available. For example, if a woman gave birth and lost a lot of blood, she would then drink out of the bowls, and would quickly regain lost minerals.

Over time, the bowls were used for religious or spiritual ceremonies, including meditation or shamanic healings. The bowls I am playing were created in Tibet when a full moon was visible in the sky. Tibetans believe the energy of a full moon is very powerful, and that energy is infused into the 7 metal alloys of the bowl, and it is then hand hammered over 1200 times to create a single bowl. This process creates a very powerful sound, and a vibration that lasts for minutes, and which can be felt when in close proximity to the body.

Each bowl has a specific pitch, which correlates to a chakra or energy point in the body. When I play the bowls, using my musical ear, I can hear where someone has stuck energy, as the bowls will sound flat or dull to my ear. I continue to play until those pitches are more aligned.

2. What are the benefits of singing bowls?

The vibration and tone of singing bowls helps induce relaxation throughout the mind and body. It should help you reconnect your mind, body and spirit again and give you a deep sense of tranquility, as if the layers of stress you experience daily are being peeled away, like layers of an onion. Other known benefits include: Releasing chronic tension or pain in the body, helping with circulation, promoting faster healing in the body, reducing blood pressure, helping with anxiety, stress, or depression, energizing you, increased creativity and even promoting better sleep.

3. What should I wear?

Plan to arrive at least 5 minutes early for your session, so you have time to use the restroom and relax prior to the healing. Arriving early helps you to honor the energy of the process, so you aren’t rushed. Wear comfortable clothing with minimal buttons, zippers or jewelry. (Yoga type clothing works well). I will provide a cover for your eyes. When one of our senses is removed, the others become heightened, so you will become more aware of the sound and feel of the vibration by covering your eyes.

Please be sure to turn off all cell phones prior to starting the session, and try to avoid wearing any perfume or cologne, as other clients may be extremely sensitive. Bring along a bottle of water to drink after the session, as metabolic wastes are released from your body during the healing, so you will want to stay hydrated following the session to flush any toxins out.

4. What happens after a session?

Most people feel very relaxed after a session, as if they just woke from a very deep meditation or sleep. Some are even euphoric, or emotional, while others experience an immediate freedom from their long term pain or tension. After an initial period of feeling very calm, people often experience a sense of greater productivity and an increase in energy. The bowls facilitate an alignment of the chakras (or energy points of the body), which causes you to feel emotionally or mentally lighter for days.

5. Do emotions ever come up in a session?

Sometimes people burst into tears as they are releasing fear or grief. At other times tears of happiness are shed, or no emotions are released at all. Some people even feel temporarily angry or uncomfortable, as the sound penetrates their nervous system and stuck energy. (But this will usually pass very quickly). All these reactions are normal and are part of the healing process, or transformations, that we are going through every day in our lives. The vibrations and sound of the bowls help heal you from within. There is no easy answer when it comes to the question: What should I expect from a session? Just relax, be present, and know that life is changing and unfolding for you in that moment.

6. Which 7 metals used in a bowl?

Metal: Planet: Area:

Gold Sun Heart

Silver Moon Root of the body

Copper Venus Sacral energy

Iron Mars Solar plexus

Tin Jupiter Crown of the head

Zinc Mercury Throat

Lead Saturn Third Eye

7. How does a session work?

A singing bowl session cannot be fully explained - it must be EXPERIENCED. I don’t want anyone to enter with a preconceived notion of what results they will get, because it is different for everyone every single day, and you must experience it without expectation or judgement. Your job as a client is just to relax, breathe, and allow yourself to just take it all in. Each session is 60 minutes in length, and begins with a short seated or lying meditation to calm the mind and prepare it for healing. The client will then lie down, fully clothed, on the floor, face up or face down for each treatment, and bowls will be placed around the body, in the center of the room, or on the body, depending upon what I feel the client needs at that moment. Your eyes will be covered with a cloth, so you may focus on the sound and vibration. When we begin, the vibrations and sounds will begin to fill the air and your mind and body will start to relax and become in sync with the bowls. This will eventually calm your nervous system and brain.

8. What is the goal of the session?

This bowl healing should be thought of as a meditation. It’s an opportunity for you to relax, breathe slowly, and just release any tension or fears you are holding onto. Some people may fall asleep immediately, while others will be in or out of a state of awareness, or others may be awake the entire time. As I play the bowls, you body should begin to sync up with the vibration, and this will realign your mind, body and spirit.

9. What if I can’t relax during the session?

If your brain starts to wander during the session and start thinking of your to do list, it’s ok… just notice it without judgement and come back to a peaceful state. For some people it will be harder to quiet your mind, while for others it may happen quickly. If you have trouble relaxing, focus all your energy on relaxing your tongue. This usually calms you down quickly.

10. How does the pitch of the bowls help me feel better?

Each bowl is a specific pitch. Each pitch relates to a specific energy point or organ area of the body. When you have dis-ease in the body, and energy is stuck, we usually experience pain, or discomfort, or if it continues long enough, dis-ease causes DISEASE. However, as our bodies are made up of 80% water, we can use the gentle sound and vibration of the bowls to gently stir up our water molecules and shift and open up energy in the body.

11. How often can I do a Singing Bowl Healing?

There is no limitation or set rule for this, but weekly, bi-weekly or monthly sessions will help contribute to your overall health. The more often you do it, the more you will benefit from it.

12. Can cancer patients receive this treatment?

Absolutely! Cancer patients can benefit from this treatment, as it not only decreases anxiety, and improves sleep, but it induces a state of relaxation. There is even a book titled: The Healing Power of Sound (Recovery from Life-Threatening Illness using Sound, voice and music), in which Dr. Mitchell Gaynor writes that he believes the sounds of the bowls affects the dysrhythmic motion found in cancer cells, and helps change the cell.

Healing bowls have been shown to lessen anxiety, decrease fatigue, and reduce the nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.

13. What if I have hearing aids?

If possible, please remove or shut them off, as the sound of the bowls could overwhelm the hearing aids and cause discomfort.

14. What if I am pregnant?

As the baby is floating in a sack of water, your child will be more sensitive to the sound. It is suggested you avoid singing bowl healings in the first trimester, and then, if you are interested in a healing, talk to me first. You are allowed to do the healings after that, but the bowls must be placed further away from you.

15. What if I have metal parts in my body?

Hip or knee type replacements are safe for singing bowl treatments. However, bowls cannot be placed on your body, as the metal will vibrate and can be uncomfortable, so please be sure to tell you practitioner prior to receiving a session, so they can make sure all bowls are placed further from your body.

16. What if I have a pacemaker or artificial heart valve?

Bowl healings are NOT recommended for these patients, or for those with Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators, or Coronary Stents. Unfortunately, the vibration could cause discomfort, or malfunction of these delicate devices.

17. What if I have migraines or tinnitus?

The healing bowls are great for people who get migraines. You can actually place a bowl upside down on someone’s head and play it to help open up stuck energy and bring blood flow to the area, helping with headaches. For tinnitus, using a smaller, high pitched bowl, you can actually stop this ringing in the ears. (But these treatments must be done in a one on one session, not in a group class).

18. What if I have Epilepsy?

If you have epilepsy, it is best to get permission from your doctor before doing a healing bowl session, to ensure you are in no danger of a seizure from the sound vibrations.

19. What if I have Parkinson’s or MS?

The effects of music on the human nervous system has been illustrated by patients with severe neurological disorders who quickly and dramatically respond to sound treatment. Even the movie AWAKENINGS told the story of Oliver Sacks and his work with music and Parkinson’s disease. For people with motor problems, music acts as a catalyst, and even hearing a beat can cause them to jump out of their chairs and start dancing. The bowls connect with the same part of the brain, and helps reconnect the circuits of the brain.

20. Do the bowls help with Mental health?

My experience with the bowls, is that you can feel an immediate relief or lift… as if all your cares are being washed away, or the weight of the world has been lifted. At least temporarily, it helps you find your sense of peace again.

21. Are singing bowls a form of entertainment?

If performed properly, it is actually a form of healing, although you might enjoy the bowl treatment as much as if you were attending a concert. The practitioner is working to intentionally shift vibrational imbalances which will then effect your physical and energetic healing. Sound has been proven to affect our autonomic, immune, and endocrine systems, as well as neuropeptide transmitters in the brain.

22. What if I am sensitive to sound?

Please let your practitioner know if you are sensitive to sound or vibration. In a private setting, bowls can be adjusted to be further away from the body, should you feel discomfort at any point. Just speak up and let me know.

23. What is your cancellation policy?

The bowls are very heavy to move, and there are a lot of moving pieces and parts involved in a healing, so I require advance payment for the session. 24 hours advance notice is required to cancel an appointment or you will be charged the full amount of the session.

Please DO NOT arrive late to your session. Appointment times are scheduled and cannot be extended beyond the stated time to accommodate late arrivals. If you are late, your session will be shortened. If you are later than 15 minutes, the session will be considered canceled.

MEDICAL RESEARCH LINKS:

A comparative study of the impact of Himalayan Singing Bowls and Supine Silence on Stress Index and Heart Rate Variability

Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-Being: An Observational Study

The Human Health Effects of Singing Bowls: A Systemic Review

Feasibility of a trial with Tibetan Singing Bowls, and suggested benefits in metastatic cancer patients: A pilot study in an Italian Oncology Unit

Effect of a music intervention on noise annoyance, heart rate, and blood pressure in cardiac surgery patients

Physiological and Psychological Effects of a Himalayan Singing Bowl in Meditation Practice: A Quantitative Analysis

Neurophysiological Effects of a Singing Bowl Massage

ARTICLE LINKS:

Sound affects: Sound Therapy, Altered States of Consciousness, and Improved Health & Wellbeing by Lyz Cooper, MA, MSc, FICNM

Relaxation techniques ease patient's fears and anxiety about radiation treatments

A dose of Hope: Dr. Gaynor takes an Alternative approach to Cancer treatment