Singing Bowls in Massage: The sound of calm, of beauty

There is so much I want to write about the mystery and beauty of singing bowls, but I will start here.

I don't recall when I first became acquainted with singing bowls.  As a young musician and martial arts practitioner with a curiosity  about eastern philosophies and Zen teachings, I always sort of knew of them, but nothing about them.

My interest was re-awakened on may last trip abroad to further my studies in Lomi Lomi massage.  A fellow student at the end of one days works,asked me if we could experiment with one of the 2 singing bowls in the studio and try to experiment with the effect of the vibrations on the body.  First, I don't think this particular bowl was very good quality, and second I had no real idea what I was doing, but it ignited a spark in my head, to learn more.

That led to me to Rain Gray, a musicologist and I think one of the foremost experts of Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowls. What I learned is that each one is unique, a delicate musical instrument that cannot be tuned.  I also learned that no two bowls are alike.  This was fascinating.  You cant just buy any bowl. Rain estimates that for every bowl he approves, he samples or listens to maybe 100.

It turns out that the origins of singing bowls is a bit fuzzy and may have been lost to time.  There has been much speculation as to what they were used for.  It is said that all bowls today originated from 3 original singing bowls - still said to be in existence and secretly guarded. 

From their lofty and magical homeland Tibetan singing bowls have traveled across the Himalayas, through valleys, and along ancient trade routes. Brought back to the west by jet-age travelers, these mysterious objects have aroused interest and curiosity about their origin and traditional usage. Their story, however, has laid hidden like the mysterious Himalayas, obscured by clouds.

Due to the communist Chinese military occupation of Tibet in the 1950's, and the subsequent, almost total, destruction of its monasteries (and 1.2 million Tibetan people, many of them monks and nuns, that perished during and after that time), the esoteric knowledge of the Tibetan singing bowls has all but disappeared. And although it has been more than thirty years since Tibetan singing bowls and their incredible sounds were first introduced to the western world, little has been written about them.

I am not an expert in Buddhism, Mediation, Chakras.  There are plenty of people who ascribe mystical properties to the bowls.  But what I offer you and describe to you is their effect on me, as a layperson.

First every singing bowl is different, and the quality varies dramatically.  My modest collection of singing bowls are of the 17th & 18th century and so I can speak particularly about those.  Each bowl is precisely tuned to a note at the rim and within the body of the bowl.  These notes correspond to Chakras.  The bowl I will present below has a rim tone of D which corresponds to the Sacral Chakra.

The Sacral Chakra is your passion and pleasure centre and it is located in the pelvic area. While the Root Chakra is satisfied with survival, the 2nd chakra seeks pleasure and enjoyment.

The sound is haunting, mesmerizing, calming.  When a singing bowl is played, you cannot help but stop and listen.  Even my dog, who is very hyper - upon hearing the bowl stops and stares in a trance like state.

I use the bowls often.  Sometimes at length, but often briefly - to bring me instantly to a place of calm and peace.  My heart rate lowers, by breathing slows and slowly the fainest of smiles washes over my body and makes it way to my lips in the form of the slightest nearly imperceptible up curl.

If you would like to experience this magic, ask me about singing bowls when you book your appointment. 

~ Aloha

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