Are you thinking about buying a Tibetan Singing Bowl? Or any singing bowl for that matter?
Do you buy what you can afford? or buy the trendy Crystal Singing Bowls? or buy the first thing you see?
Those criteria tend to be the ones people use when picking out a bowl but aren’t there more and better things to consider when selecting a singing bowl?
Yes, absolutely and you need to understand what you’re getting and why you’re getting it just like any other product.
Assumption: Let’s assume you aren’t getting one to become a Sound Therapist but rather to enjoy it for your personal enjoyment. Perhaps for self-healing or to calm you as it leads you into meditation. If you are planning on becoming a Sound Therapist, you can certainly keep everything I’m about to say in mind but you’ll have additional considerations as well.
Crystal or Tibetan (brass)?
It’s not clear to me why Crystal or Glass bowls have become so trendy. I personally don’t prefer them because I’m biased, and I think they have limitations people don’t recognize about them. I’m going to outline the limitations:
- The sound is intense. Whether striking or “singing” (rubbing the edge to emit a sound) the sound these bowls produce is seriously loud and very hard to control even for an experienced person. Loud is not relaxing and it’s not healthy for you or anyone. I’ve been to sound baths where the person couldn’t control them, and it left me dizzy and queasy- so were the people I was with. I personally think these are best left for big spaces so the sound can disperse.
- They emit one singular note. They have no harmonics like a hand-hammered Tibetan bowl. At some point, it gets boring.
- While you can place them on yourself for self-healing, they really aren’t structured well for that kind of placement or handling. They are very much about staying in one spot and using it from that spot until you are done playing and then you can reposition it – usually on a hard surface.
- They can break or crack like anything that’s glass, so you have to keep that in mind when moving and handling.
Pros of crystal bowls:
- You will find a ton of them on resale sites, which might also be a con because you must ask yourself the question about why many people are selling them.
- As a Sound Healer doing Sound Baths, I do like to use one in large spaces occasionally when I’m in the mood and I think if you’re outdoors, it’s a great place to use one.
Tibetan singing bowls.
Limitations (to be fair):
- Don’t buy 100% manufactured, these ones that have been poured and then turned to make it smooth. Generally, they are seriously cheap. They don’t have harmonics/undertone, they lack depth.
- Don’t buy “Chakra bowls”. It’s a scam.
Pro’s:
- Buy hand-hammered, they have “dimples” or slight ripples in the metal that you can see or feel. This is what creates the undertone which gives it richness.
- There is an almost infinite number of sounds/notes/frequencies with an infinite number of undertones and sometimes 2 undertones.
Things to know or do when buying:
- Never buy without trying out or listening to the sound. If you are buying online from a reputable site, they will have sound clips.
- Size does not always dictate a high or low tone. I have small bowls with very low tones so it can be surprising. That’s why you always listen to a bowl before buying. Generally big dictates lower tones but the small ones can surprise you.
- Size does dictate price as does the thickness of the metal used. Price is also determined by things like artwork on the bowl. A thick bowl that is big, with artwork, will be more expensive than a small plain one.
Last but most important. The bowl you buy picks out you. It picks out you because you are going to have an emotional reaction to it. “You’ll know it when you hear it and feel it.” So, as you are listening to these bowls, listen fully. Listen not just with your ears but with your heart and your soul. Wait until you are moved because that means you have found a bowl that is in resonance with you. It will be worth waiting for. It’s not a decision based on money, it’s a decision based on a vibration you can’t ignore. The relationship will begin then.
#soundbath #soundhealing #soundtherapy
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