Singing bowls produce as many different sounds as there are variations in the metallic content.
Every metal manifests its individual sound and harmonics, offering its own exceptional medicinal sound.
According to tradition, singing bowls are made from seven metals, each metal representing one of the “planets”:
- GOLD – Sun
- SILVER – Moon
- MERCURY – Mercury
- COPPER – Venus
- IRON – Mars
- TIN – Jupiter
- LEAD – Saturn
How to Choose and Commune with Your Bowl
Place the bowl in the palm of your hand, strike it softly with the wooden mallet and with your eyes closed, listen and enjoy the sound. Listen not only with your ears but also get in touch with how it makes you feel and how your body responds. The labyrinth of over-laid sounds and harmonics is always a unique experience for each person.
Then strike the bowl lightly again and with pressure, slowly rub the mallet firmly around the edge. It starts to `sing’ quietly and increases in volume with successive rotations. Do not force the sound louder than it wishes to vibrate, otherwise it will rattle unpleasantly.
If you have no immediate results, persevere and you will slowly gain the necessary skill. Each bowl has its own resonance and `sings’ its unique song. If you do not respond to one particular bowl, try another for there is indeed, a special sound for you.
We all react to sound in accordance with our accumulated experiences, therefore making this choice an entirely personal one. You will recognize your own sound with your experiments.
The bowl may be put on a small firm cushion or rubber ring. A ‘gong beater’ or mallet for percussion produces different sounds especially those covered with tape, felt, leather, cork, rope or wood.
When the bowl is `singing’, place it close to your lips. By opening and closing your mouth you will hear the various harmonics. You can hum or intone directly into the resonating bowl. Your voice reinforces what your ears are hearing and creates a circuit connecting the ears with your voice, resulting in a more focused, listening mode. The difference between hearing and listening now become obvious.
The shape of sound becomes visible when you rub your bowl, which has been filled with some water. It then horns, the vibrations of which can even cause a fountain of tiny, sparkling droplets. These sounds pattern themselves in the water much like a Mandala.
Two of the advised guidelines for meditation are the focusing on breath or alternatively on sound. The vibratory sounds of the singing bowl are ideal for stilling the mind and bringing it into a centred clarity.
