How to Choose a Singing Bowl
What do the ancient Greeks, monks, nomadic shamans, and Aboriginal people of Australia have in common? They’ve all recognized the power of sound as a tool for healing and well-being….and chances are you are here because you have too!
Sound healing or sound therapy, has been utilized since time immemorial. This ancient practice involves using certain sounds and frequencies to bring about physical and emotional well-being in individuals. It is believed that sound can be used to balance the body’s energy fields, helping you attain a more harmonious state of being. If you ask how our clients feel after walking away from a Mirosuna Sound Meditation, these benefits are frequently experienced by the majority.
In recent years, this type of healing has become increasingly popular in the west due to its effectiveness in relieving stress and helping people heal from their emotional pain. If you are struggling with sleep, overthinking or going through a challenging time, Mirosuna’s Sound Meditations can really help.
When your body is out of equilibrium, it can result in the emergence of disease, pains, aches and tension. This is because blockages manifest which impede the organ from resonating at its traditionally healthy frequency. To restore balance, sound meditations can be used to send healing frequencies throughout the body and mind. Through this method, harmony is achieved through both oscillation and resonance, thus eliminating any problems caused by an imbalance. By restoring the equilibrium of your body’s systems, you create an environment to facilitate your healing process.
Singing bowls are frequently employed in sound meditation sessions but every practitioner will play differently. While there are a plethora of musical instruments employed for sound meditation, each having its own unique advantages, the three major types of singing bowls used in such practices are Tibetan Singing Bowls, Crystal Singing Bowls, and Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls.
To choose what singing bowl is suitable for you, we will first look at the types below.
TIBETAN SINGING BOWLS
Tibetan singing bowls are used by many monks and nuns around the world in temples and monastery’s. They range from tiny bowls that fit into your palm to very large bowls you can stand in. They have a quieter and gentle hum and are so subtle and beautiful.
This ancient practice has been used for centuries as an effective way to restore and rejuvenate, providing a sense of relaxation, balance, and harmony in body, mind, and spirit. These golden bowls have a timeless heritage, dating back six millennia in the Far East. These bowls are typically made of about 7 diverse metals and create a tranquil sound and vibration when played gently. They can be machine made or hand hammered.
Tibetan bowls are the most sturdy in the sense that if you are transporting them around, because they are made of metal, conversely, crystal and especially alchemy singing bowls are remarkably fragile and can be easily broken or impaired if not handled with care; consequently rendering them unusable and the majority of the time, irreparable.
Tibetan singing bowls are amongst the most affordable types of singing bowls on the market but if you are buying one, do watch out as some may be damaged and to an untrained ear, it may be hard to know which one is of good quality or not.
CRYSTAL SINGING BOWLS
Crystal singing bowls are crafted from the finest pure quartz, which is composed of 99.9% clear quartz, in a process that requires heating the mixture to an incredibly high temperature of around 2200 degrees celsius. This unique approach produces bowls with excellent harmonic qualities that produce a loud and strong resonance. These bowls are all machine made and generally can be made to the perfect pitch/note you are seeking.
Crystal singing bowls, are usually the white frosted bowls you have seen around. They do come in other colours also but are not as common as the traditional white ones. They are the most commonly used due to their affordability vs sound pay off for practitioners. They come in a wide variety of sizes and dimensions. These bowls are heavier in weight due to their thickness. These singing bowls are great for practitioners who are starting out on their journey with these instruments as they are relatively easier to play and are not extremely expensive compared to Alchemy Crystal singing bowls.
ALCHEMY CRYSTAL SINGING BOWLS
Alchemy Crystal singing bowls are amongst the most superior form of singing bowls, where the clear quartz is combined with vibrant crystals, precious gemstones, and opulent metals like 24-karat gold, sterling silver, and platinum which have been heated to fuse perfectly within the bowl, instilling a whole new dimension of healing frequencies and uses into the bowls.
These exquisite bowls are truly one of a kind, each one crafted with meticulous care and created through a process that is impossible to replicate. Crystal Tones owns the patent for Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls and therefore the only genuine ones you can source are via them and their distributors like Mirosuna. Alchemy bowls command the highest price point due to its unparalleled quality and healing abilities with no two alchemy bowls ever being identical.
Alchemy crystal singing bowls provide a unique ethereal auditory experience. Anyone who has been in their presence can attest to their soothing yet powerful resonance. The mesmerizing and melodious, tranquil tones of the alchemy crystal singing bowls has an ability to have a deeply profound effect on you, luring you into a deep trance and opening you up to healing on deeper levels.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SINGING BOWLS
Are you feeling excited and keen to select your own singing bowls, but simultaneously uncertain as to which one would be the best fit for you?
Selecting a singing bowl is an individual and momentous choice, as each bowl has its own distinct and incomparable sound especially when placed with other bowls. Every singing bowl is special and unique in its own way as you want to ensure you pick bowls that align to you and your purpose of having them, making it understandable why this can be such an important decision for some people.
When selecting a singing bowl, you can either try to select your own bowls or we recommend going through a Singing Bowl Consultant like Sally Kellett – Founder of Mirosuna and Certified Sound Practitioner who can help you choose and source your set of bowls. Given singing bowls are a costly purchase, it is certainly something you want to do right the first time instead of being stuck with bowls you do not use or like later down the track.
Here are some things to consider when choosing your singing bowls:
1. Know your purpose
When considering what singing bowl to purchase, it is important to take into account the purpose for which you will be using it. Many bowls are designed with particular practices in mind; for example, some may be better suited for chakra work or energy healing than others. Even if a singing bowl is not specifically tailored to these types of activities, many people still find that it can be used quite effectively for such purposes. Ultimately, it is up to you to choose the best type of bowl based on your intended use and preferences.
2. Consider Transportability
Tibetan singing bowls are incredibly sturdy and can withstand a great deal of manipulation and shifting. Conversely, Alchemy Crystal singing bowls are remarkably fragile and can be quickly broken or impaired if not handled with care; consequently rendering them unusable. If you are looking to use your singing bowls in public environments and off-site then you’ll need to consider weight, bulkiness and how it fits together and performance. A complex criteria needing to be balanced.
3. Quality Matters
When selecting a singing bowl, it is important to choose from a trustworthy source in order to guarantee you are obtaining an exceptional bowl. We have come across many instances where people have ended up buying broken bowls (which go undetected) or ended up with pitches that did not match what was originally sold.
Additionally, the materials used and the manufacturing process can dramatically impact the sound quality and resonance of the singing bowl. Consequently, it is essential to select your singing bowls with care so that you may benefit from its full potential and that you are getting what you pay for.
Depending on whether a singing bowl is machine made or hand-made, it may vary in how it produces a longer resonance and more intense vibrations. When purchasing one of these bowls, it is important to check for any signs of poor craftsmanship or particular sounds that indicate a broken bowl leading to subpar sound quality and resonance.
You obviously do not want to purchase a bowl that is cracked. However singing bowls may have hairline cracks that are undetectable by the naked eye. Don’t confuse these cracks with some scratches in hand-made bowls as those may only be natural due to the production process. Therefore, it is important to carefully inspect both the inner and outer parts of the bowl for any cracks before making the purchase but a trained ear and a singing bowl consultant should be able to tell if a bowl is not ‘singing’ properly as there are certain things they are listening/looking for.
Tune In and Listen Closely
Singing bowls are often linked to specific musical notes, primarily belonging to the C major scale. This well-known scale is composed of seven distinct notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Practitioners of singing bowl meditation frequently work with these tones in order to enhance their practice. It is important to know that a good Singing Bowl Consultant will be able to work beyond just these 7 notes and help you choose bowls of more complex notes.
Singing bowls, particularly crystal singing bowls, can be tuned to a single musical note. We call this a ‘true tone’ bowl. This is beneficial for those who wish to buy one that produces a particular sound, or if they intend to buy multiple singing bowls and need them to produce the same note in order to play along with other instruments. Another significant reason why you might be interested in singing bowls with specific notes is worth mentioning: they resonantly align with the seven major chakras in the body.
Singing bowls are believed to activate and open these energy centers, helping a person achieve greater physical, mental, and spiritual balance. The seven primary chakras have a correlation with the notes of the C major scale. By playing singing bowls tuned to these notes, you can practice meditation and restore balance and recovery in your chakras.
Set a Budget
Singing bowls come in a wide array of shapes, sizes, quality and prices, so it is important to have an established budget before making a purchase. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, the range of singing bowls available can be quite broad; from more affordable options for those who are just starting out with this type of instrument, all the way up to more expensive models that offer professional-level sound quality. Make sure to take your time and choose ones that fits both your needs and your budget. A Singing Bowl Consultant can help you maximise your budget so that you can get the most singing bowls for the budget you have.
next step in Getting Singing bowls
If you’re interested in delving into the depths of singing bowls and their healing abilities, we highly recommend getting the help of a Singing Bowl Consultant. A specialist with expertise in this area can assist you in selecting the ideal singing bowl that aligns with your requirements, as well as provide invaluable guidance on how to effectively use your chosen bowls.
If you need a Singing Bowl Consultant, reach out to us via hello@mirosuna.com. Mirosuna takes a consultative approach to selecting your bowls. We take time to listen to what you are looking for, create a bespoke set of notes/tones then source these bowls for you. We often have bowls custom made for our clients so that each set is unique.
We are based in Melbourne, Australia but we can help people all over the world and do our consulting with you via video online and have the singing bowls sent to your door.
We look forward to hearing from you and supporting you on your journey.
