While thinking about the enthralling sounds of singing bowls that might help you relax, are you confused about which singing bowl meditation you should look forward to? I am happy to tell you that you are in the right place!
Singing bowls have been around for thousands of years, and they are a common fixture in sound healing practices. But I know how hard it can be to choose the right one for yourself. And that’s exactly why I am here to help!
What is a Singing bowl?
If stress makes you anxious, tense, and worried, a “sound bath” can help you relax! This sound bath or sound healing is an ancient history of humans. Our ancestors have practiced it for I don’t know how many years!
What Are Metal and Singing Bowls Used For?
Singing bowls are instruments that produce different sounds and tones, depending on their size and material. You play them by striking them or swirling their perimeter using a wooden mallet.
They are typically made up of various metals found in The Himalayan areas – the place from where they originated. But now they are also widely available in beautiful crystals that work exactly the same way and in fact, they are at times more beneficial.
Crystal bowls vs Metal bowls
Because it is true that sound vibrations reverberate through our entire being, and impact us in fundamental energetic, psychological, physiological, and emotional ways. People from around the world have come across sound healing properties which they practice through singing bowls.
Well, there are 2 major singing bowls used – Metal singing bowls and crystal singing bowls. Each one’s application is similar but the element they are made up of creates a significant impact on the effect it has on the body.
Metal Bowls
Talking about metal bowls, they are also called Tibetan Bowls in the East. Tibetan singing bowls are the classical singing bowl we all know and love. Made from 5-alloy metals, the classical Tibetan bowl is used for its variability and traditional meaning. Buddhists, Hindus, and other cultures used this type of bowl, to create the perfect device for sound healing. They come in a size that’s large enough to fit in your hand. Tibetan singing bowls are usually played while meditating or in similar practices.
The vibrations they emit are discovered to be the same as the Alpha waves produced by the brain that helps to relax you and bring you back to the right headspace.
One feature about these bowls that even the crystal bowls don’t have is that you can pick your own note while meditating- playing with a crystal bowl will never give you variable notes but more of a fixed tone!
Tibetan singing bowls are one of the strongest musical instruments for healing with sound therapy and vibrations – their exotic sound continues to float for a long time after we have played on them.
But at times exposure to these strong vibrations can give you more headaches than relax you.
Crystal Bowls
Crystal singing bowls are just a variation of Tibetan singing bowls. The major difference lies in the material the bowl is made up of. Crystal singing bowls are often made from quartz crystals.
The quartz crystals amplify and enhance the frequency, helping you to balance and ground your emotions, which explains their popularity among the bowls in recent years.
Earlier the typical bowls made up of metals were used – this is the only option available. But now when the healing properties of Quartz have been discovered people prefer the latter.
“Not all sound affects our systems the same way,” says Beverley Wilson, owner of Mt. Shasta’s Middle Earth Crystal Room. While Tibetan bowls “are absolutely wonderful,” she says their sound “doesn’t penetrate our bodies in the same way because we have very little metal in our bodies.” She also points out that we are primed to receive the sound that crystal bowls make in our bodies because “we are water and our bones have a crystalline structure that creates an entrainment between sound and body.”
But I guess stating the facts has made you more confused than before. Wait. Let me assist you!
low budget shouldn’t get a crystal singing bowlt get a crystal singing bowl as they are much more expensive. You could instead get a Tibetan singing bowl and a crystal stone or pendant and combine them with the bowl.
But if your budget is high and you want the full luxurious experience you should get an adequately sized crystal bowl. If one of your chakras is greatly suffering from negative emotions, you should get the right crystal bowl for it.
If you ask for my verdict on it, I would say that the crystal bowls are the perfect way to cleanse the chakra of your choice. If you are also willing to look out after your crystal bowl, getting one is more worth it. If you enjoy a clearer tone and don’t mind the fixed tone, I recommend getting the crystal bowl.
Especially if you love the color and form of the bowl. But if you like the engraved or painted markings on a regular bowl more, you should get the Tibetan singing bowls. Finally, if you want the traditional experience, stay with the natural bowl, if you want a more spiritual experience, get the crystal bowl. Or else the Tibetan bowls would be the best option!
Conclusion
Singing bowls are believed to promote relaxation, relieve stress, and produce other healing effects. Originating in the Far East thousands of years ago, these bowls have become increasingly popular in the West over the last few decades.
Now there are even a variety of singing bowls available in metal and crystal for users.
It totally depends on the person, which one of these singing bowls finds one his desired state of mind. But studies have suggested that crystal bowls have their own healing powers too, other than the basic sound healing- the reason why the world has started talking about the bowls now!
