Sharon’s community
Printer FriendlyCare of your Tibetan Singing Bowl
Composition:
It is believed that the Tibetan singing bowl originated within the shamanic Bon Po culture of the Himalayas possibly as early as 500BC. Some sources state that the bowls are made from seven metals: gold, silver, mercury, copper, iron, tin, antimony. Analysis done by the British Museum in London showed the presence of twelve metals including silver, nickel, copper, zinc, antimony, tin, lead, cobalt, bismuth, arsenic, cadmium and iron. Some bowls are made from fewer than seven metals. As the bowls were made from locally available materials, the composition will vary with each bowl.
Playing your bowl:
If the bowl is small enough to fit in your hand to play, make sure you hold the bowl in a way that does as little as possible to muffle the sound. We have found that the sound appears more easily if you hold the mallet (or wooden stick) straight up and down, on a bowl with a straight rim. You can vary the pressure of the mallet against the bowl to vary the volume of the sound. You can also give the bowl a gentle tap to get the sound started. As the bowl begins to sound and vibrate more, you may notice the mallet rattles against the edge of the bowl. The rattle can be minimized by slowing down the movement of the mallet around the bowl and by adding more pressure on the mallet against the bowl. To get the best sound, the mallet must be ‘broken in’. Playing the bowl will cause micro-grooves to form around the mallet, making it easier to play and giving it a richer sound. The break-in period can take from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the type of wood used in the mallet.
Cleaning the bowl:
Mild soap and warm water is the best way to keep your bowl clean. If you choose to polish your bowl be aware that polish could alter the patina, and potentially the sound.
How to use your bowl:
Tibetan singing bowls have always been treated with reverence for the power of their transformative nature. Never underestimate the power of sound and intention. Play your bowl for meditation, to calm the mind, emotions and body. Massage your body with the sound. Focus the mind. Transmute negativity. Depending on the bowl, you can use it for energy clearing of home or workspace. Explore altered states of consciousness and deepen your knowledge of yourself. Or just play.
Keeping the energy of your bowl clear:
As you work with a bowl, or any other tool, you release tension, stress, emotional energy, negativity and so on. Sometimes, this energy is absorbed by the bowl. It can make your bowl feel or sound differently. I encourage you to regularly cleanse your bowl. There are several ways to do this: smudge it with the smoke from sage; place a small amount of dry sea salt in it overnight and rinse with clear water before use; play the bowl in a counter-clockwise direction with a focused intention of clearing any negative energy from the bowl, listening for any change in the sound; place it on a picture of Jesus, Buddha, Tara, or other sacred being who has meaning for you; or follow your own intuition for a way to cleanse the bowl that feels appropriate for you. I use a “Song Pod” to clear my bowls, using it like a salt shaker to sprinkle the sound and energy of the song pods over the bowls.