You might recall from our June 19th post, that acquiring a wind chime, or a singing bowl was on CC Sedona wish list. CC) often listen to an online recording of Tibetian singing bowls in preparation for painting. The harmonic vibrations serve to help her push aside all the noise in her head, and focus her full attention upon the task at hand i.e. painting. Knowing that Sedona is a mecca for those searching spiritual enlightenment, peace, and/ or healing she thought that a singing bowl would make a useful memento of our visit to the Sedona area.
Our Tibetian Singing Bowl (shown above) 'sings' in throaty F and G chord harmonics.
What is a singing bowl you ask?
Singing bowls (also known as Himalayan bowls, rin gongs, medicine bowls, Tibetan bowls or suzu gongs in Japan) are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, standing bells sit with the bottom surface resting. Singing Bowls are struck with a padded mallet or rubbed around the sides and rim of singing bowls vibrate to a fascinating blend of harmonic resonance's and rich overtones.. Singing bowls were traditionally used throughout Asia as part of Buddhist meditation and ceremonies. Today they are employed worldwide both within and without these spiritual traditions, for meditation, trance-induction, relaxation, healthcare, personal well-being and religious practice.
Historically, singing bowls were made in Tibet, Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, Japan and Korea. Today most singing bowls are made in Nepal, India, China. Each region's bowls are different
Hand hammering is the traditional method of creating singing bowls. The method is still used to make traditional type singing bowls today. The best known antique and new traditional type singing bowl come from the Himalayan region and are often termed Tibetan singing bowls. Creating a hand hammered bowl is a labor of love and each one in unique! The artisan starts with a thick piece of metal and, by heating and hammering, shapes it gradually into a bowl. Most hand hammered bowls have a uniform thickness, another testament to the crafts-persons skill. The surface of the bowl will feel smooth but in all cases, the hammer marks, as are seen in the picture above. These relatively plain looking bowls are often the ones that produce the most lingering sound. Their tone is often lower, more complex and more prolonged than the molded bowls.,
The majority of the singing bowls on eBay are cast. These bowls are easier and cheaper to produce and can often be offered at a price.The modern method of manufacturing metal singing bowls is by sand casting and then machine lathing. Machine lathing can be done only with brass, so machine lathed singing bowls are made with modern techniques and modern brass alloy. Sand Cast bowls may be plain or decorated, but are always perfectly even with no hammer marks. India is a large producer of these types of bowls.
China produces a large number of quartz / crystal singing bowls. Frosted crystal singing bowls are the most common type of quartz singing bowl. Referred to as frosted bowls, or classic frosted they represent the original quartz singing bowl. Adopted from the semiconductor industry, they are heavy, rigid and generally uniform. They are called frosted due to the rough exterior, which is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. The surface is rough and readily provides friction against a suede striker or rubber tool used on its surface.Sound is more easily produced on crystal bowls than on brass The sound produced from crystal bowls is very pure, but can be overshadowed by the sound the striker tool makes against the bowl. (To prevent the striker noise a rubber ball tool works well with the texture of the bowl to make a great tone with very little other noise.)
Spiritually oriented souls are drawn to the bowls for their ability to assist one in naturally enter into a meditative state with the ultimate goal being enlightenment. In addition to their traditional usage for meditation, Tibetan singing bowls are used for deep relaxation, stress reduction, holistic healing, Reiki, chakra balancing, and World music. Many people find that the rich blend of harmonic overtones which the bells produce have a direct affect upon their chakras. ( Each Bowl corresponds to a specific note which is believed to interact with a specific chakra and provides a clearing of any stresses of blockages to the chakra one is working on.)
Singing bowls produce sounds which invoke a deep state of relaxation . Playing the bells usually causes an immediate centering effect. The tones set up a "frequency following response" that creates a balancing left/right brain synchronization. Meditating on the subtle sounds of the Tibetan singing bowl tunes one in to the universal sound within and without. (BJ and I will be attending a free Crystal Singing Bowl meditation at tour resort's activity center later this week)
To listen and play with the online singing bell application CC uses to prepare for painting
click here SINGING BOWLS
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