Tibetan Singing Bowls: An Introduction

The origins of singing Tibetan bowls are as mysterious as the otherworldly harmonies the bowls produce when we play them. There are more questions than answers: Where did they first come from? What are they made of? How have Tibetans and other cultures used them through the centuries? Why are they known as Tibetan singing bowls?

What we do know is this:

• Tibetan singing bowls are not Buddhist in origin, but more likely date back to the pre-Buddhist Tibetan Bon Culture. Although there is no hard evidence to indicate the origins or use of the bowls, it is commonly thought that they were traditionally used both in rituals and, more mundanely, as food bowls.
• Singing bowls are actually a type of bell known as a “standing bell.” The bowls are played either by rubbing a mallet around the rim (as one might play a crystal glass with your finger), or striking the side of the bowl with the mallet. The two playing methods produce quite distinctive sounds.
• Though they are often referred to as Tibetan Singing Bowls, they are more accurately called Himalayan Bowls, as they are present throughout the Himalayan regions of Tibet, Nepal, India. They can also be found in various manifestations in Japan, Korea, China, and Mongolia.
• Today, singing bowls are used to aid meditation, religious practice, relaxation, and healthcare.
• When used in sound healing, singing bowls are sometimes referred to as healing bowls or chakra bowls. In sound healing, or “sound massage,” the bowls are played around and sometimes placed on the body of the receiver of the treatment. The practitioner uses the resonance of the bowls’ harmonic vibrations within the human body for balancing and relaxation. Some sound healers seek to activate or balance the body’s chakras, or energy centers.
• The “singing” sound is remarkable, a powerful, long-lasting harmonic hum that can be both invigorating and calming at the same time.
• The traditional methods of producing the bowls have been lost for at least 50 years, but the manufacturing methods used today can produce bowls with beautiful tones. Today, bowls are both hand-hammered and machine-made, or a combination of the two. The best modern bowls are considered to come from Nepal.
• Modern bowls are most likely to be made of a type of bronze called “bell metal,” composed of a mix of copper and tin.
• Antique bowls were also typically made of high-quality bronze, with combinations of various other metals, including gold, silver, and even highly-prized meteoric iron, which the Tibetans call “sky-metal” or thogcha. The presence of multiple kinds of ore is thought to be the source of the multiphonic overtones of some antique bowls, and along with the mellow tones created by age, accounts for the high value placed on antique singing bowls.
• It can be very challenging to tell the difference between a true antique singing bowl and a new bowl, as it is relatively easy to “age” the appearance of a new bowl so that it closely resembles an antique. High-quality new bowls are capable of beautiful tones, but only age can produce the richest, mellowest tones. Only a handful of experts in the world can authenticate the age and value of singing bowls, so you should use caution with sellers who offer “antique” or even “old” bowls without evidence of authentication.

And if you’re interested in experiencing Tibetan culture in Lhasa, you can learn how to travel to Tibet here.

Tibetan Singing Bowls: What and How to Play Singing Bowls in Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan music bowls, often called “singing bowls”, are a kind of bell used in Tibetan Buddhist meditation. Instead of hanging upside down and being struck, the bowl sits upright, and a wooden puja stick is used to vibrate the rim of the bowl, making its unique “singing” sound.

These bowls have been used in Tibetan Buddhism for centuries, and are an integral part of learning the Buddhist teachings as well as being used in meditation to attain enlightenment.

Origin and History

The origin of the singing bowls is lost in the mists of time. There are many debates on where they first came from, and many say that bowls made of the same materials came from ancient Mesopotamia. Similar bowls made from the same seven metals that have been unearthed in Persia (now Iraq) have been dated to be as old as 3,000 BC. However, since there are no written records of their origins, one can only speculate on the mystery of their beginnings. Some say that the great master, Padmasambhava, brought them to Tibet from India in around 800 AD. What is known is that the bowls could not have originated in Tibet, since the precious metals that are used in the making of the bowls are not found in the region.

One thing that is known is that the bowls have been made in Nepal for over a thousand years, with Nepali artisans hammering the seven metals into one alloy by hand, and shaping them into the bowls that are seen in the monasteries of Tibet. Therefore, the name Tibetan Singing Bowls does not denote the makers but are named for the peoples who used them. However, while the bowls are definitely Himalayan made, they were never Himalayan in origin, and this technology came to the Himalayas very late in Tibet’s history.

Making of Tibetan Singing Bowls

Tibetan singing bowls have been made the same way for centuries, but the art has since been lost during the move to more modern methods. Bowls are made more these days by machines, although they fail to get the perfect tone that the hand-made bowls achieve. Traditionally, the bowls were made by hand, hammering out their shape from sheets of metal alloy. Bowls that are more modern are mostly made from a kind of bronze alloy known as “bell metal”, which is a mix of copper and tin. However, traditionally, the bowls were made from very high-quality bronze, with a mix of other metals. This unique alloy also contained gold, silver, mercury, lead, and meteorite iron. This iron, which is known as thogcha, or “sky metal” in Tibet, was highly prized for its pure iron content, with minimal amounts of trace elements. This could only be obtained by meteorite iron, as the atmospheric burn-off removed many of the impurities in the ore.

The quality and composition of the bowls, using multiple metals in the alloy, is thought to be the reason for the high quality of sounds from the antique bowls. Combined with age and design, these three elements are what make the antique bowls so sought-after in the modern market. While modern bowls can produce beautiful sounds, they cannot compare with the unique quality of the antique bowls.

How Tibetan Singing Bowls Affect Our Body?

Sound therapy with Tibetan singing bowls is an ancient form of regeneration. The first bowls were made from an alloy of various metals and were used already 6000 years ago in the Far East. Tibetan singing bowls area a mysterious acoustic phenomenon, which was discovered by “spiritual tourists” in the Himalayas and after the Chinese invasion of Tibet appeared also in Europe and the USA.

The sound of Tibetan singing bowls and the gong harmonizes and allows deep relaxation of both sides of the brain. It stimulates stress relief on all levels and the elimination of toxins from the body. After sound therapy emotions are calm and the mind clearer and the sound vibrations have an effect on the body after the singing bowls have been played on it.

After sound therapy we are tuned again …

The bowl sings ”ommmmm”, which revives the basic DNA codes and activates the codes that we haven’t yet perceived or we had suppressed till now. Tibetan singing bowls are one of the strongest musical instruments for healing with sound therapy and vibrations. They are called singing bowls because their exotic sound continues to float for a long time after we have played on them.

Why are these bowls so special?

Tibetan bowls are forged with alloys that usually contain from five to seven precious metals, which are connected to the planets of our galaxy: lead (Saturn), tin (Jupiter), iron (Mars), copper (Venus), mercury (Mercury), silver (the Moon) and gold (the Sun). The size of the bowl and the ratio between the metals affect the tone, vibration, and quality of sound produced by the bowl. Bowls vary in shapes and look as they are used for sound therapy in different ways and with different accessories. The most commonly used accessory is the so-called “strikers”, which are used to strike to bowls or wooden mallets that are rotated around the rim of the bowl. Besides Tibetan bowls, there are also Nepalese, Japanese, Bengalese and crystal bowls – the latter is made out of glass.

How does sound affect our body?

The sound is undoubtedly one of the most powerful media, as it can take the human spirit in different states of consciousness.

Besides their traditional use for meditation, Tibetan singing bowls are used for deep relaxation and muscle regeneration, to relieve pain in the joints, muscles, and shoulders, to ease pain related to sciatica, the digestive system, headaches, and migraine or spine injuries, to improve circulation, release tensions or blockages, to open the energy flow, eliminate the toxins from the body. When we relax with the sounds of Tibetan bowls or the gong, our concentration improves and our emotional tensions and blockages are eased. The sound with its vibrations can ease mental or emotional pain (low self-esteem, worries, fear, anger, anxiety, depression, insomnia). Tibetan singing bowls and their unique tones are used to stabilize blood pressure, to ease asthma-related issues, to renew the functioning of the adrenal gland, to open and stabilize the meridians, and to improve the synaptic responses in our brain. They also help children with hyperactive disorders and they stimulate the immune system.

Tibetan Singing Bowls In Meditation Or Yoga Practice

Explore the history of using Tibetan singing bowls in meditation as well as research results pointing to the benefits of sound baths. Discover how the sound of singing bowls can influence your body and mind and calm your mind with popular audio singing bowl pieces.

Tibetan singing bowls, or sound baths, in which one is immersed in the sound of bowls and gongs, provide relaxation and have been shown to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. The sounds of a Tibetan singing bowl offer respite from the everyday churning of the mind, and so does meditation and yoga. Thus it’s not surprising that these practices are frequently co-mingled. Explore the benefits of using singing bowls in meditation practice.

The History Of Making The Bowl Sing

Despite marketing claims to the contrary, the use of bowls, or standing bells as “singing” instruments, by running a mallet around the bowl’s outer rim and edges, is a decidedly Western practice.

While the standing bell dates back thousands of years to the geographical regions of China and Mongolia, it was historically used as a gong, by striking the bowl with a wooden or felted mallet. Some Tibetan Buddhist monasteries used the bowls in this way to mark time or the end of a meditation.

The method of making the bowls “sing” by gliding a mallet around the bowl’s upper rim is relatively new. While musicians have been playing the rim of crystal glasses, or the glass harp, since the 14th century, historians point to New Age music recordings from the 1970s as the point in time when the popularity of singing bowls began to sharply rise.

Today, sound bowls come in all shapes, materials, and sizes to provide a range of tones and frequencies. There are crystal bowls and metal alloy bowls, the latter of which are often marketed as Himalayan bowls, or Tibetan singing bowls. While these metal alloy bowls are sold at souvenir shops in Nepal, India, and Tibet today, this phenomenon is more in response to Western demand, than out of historical context.

Using Tibetan Singing Bowls for Stress Relief

Tibetan singing bowls are a type of bell that vibrates and produces a rich, deep tone when played. Also known as singing bowls or Himalayan bowls, Tibetan singing bowls are said to promote relaxation and offer powerful healing properties.

Buddhist monks have long used Tibetan singing bowls in meditation practice. In addition, some wellness practitioners (including music therapists, massage therapists, and yoga therapists) use Tibetan singing bowls during treatment.

Uses for Tibetan Singing Bowls

People use Tibetan singing bowls for many purposes, including stress reduction and pain relief. Some people use the bowls in combination with other healing practices, such as meditation and deep breathing.

To create sound with a singing bowl, firmly press the accompanying mallet in a circular motion against the bowl's outside edge or rim. When you hear a bright, clear tone, you can slow down the motion. Use your full arm to make the motion, rather than just rotating your wrist.

You can also make the same circular motion against the outside belly of the bowl. Additionally, you can gently strike the bowl before beginning the circular motion.

Many proponents claim that the vibrations of a singing bowl can produce beneficial changes in the body by reducing stress, "harmonizing" the cells, and "balancing the body's energy system." Some also claim that Tibetan singing bowls can stimulate the immune system and produce beneficial changes in brain waves.

Benefits

Very few scientific studies have examined the potential benefits of Tibetan singing bowls, despite their long history of use. One of the available studies is a report from the Swiss journal Research in Complementary Medicine. For the study, 54 people with chronic pain originating from the spine were assigned to either six sessions of singing bowl therapy, a placebo treatment, or no treatment at all.

Study results showed that members of the singing bowl group and the placebo group experienced a significant decrease in pain intensity. The study's authors also found that both the singing bowl therapy and the placebo therapy had a stress-reducing effect on participants. Given these findings, the study's authors concluded that singing bowl therapy's effectiveness for pain relief could not be confirmed.

A preliminary study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion in 2014 examined the benefits of starting a directed relaxation session with 12 minutes of singing bowls and found a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure and heart rate compared to silence before a directed relaxation session.

Where Did “Tibetan” Singing Bowls Really Come From?

In Kathmandu’s tourist district of Thamel sits a planned outdoor shopping area called Mandala Street. Nearly every morning—around when the foreigner-friendly coffee shop Himalayan Java opens its doors—a man blows his conch shell loudly from a second-story walkway. He typically wears flowing white robes and a large turban with a peacock feather stuck in its folds, and sports a beard and mustache curled into near-perfect circles. He is a self-described “sound-bowl healer” who offers to align chakras with specially tuned metal bowls, a technique, he will tell you, that is practiced by an ancient lineage of yogis. The staff of Himalayan Java are suspicious of his sound bowl healings, but some of the visitors are spellbound by him, the picture of the Orientalized South Asian holy man, and a few find their way to his healing table each day during the peak tourist seasons.

These sound bowls, or “Tibetan singing bowls” as they are frequently called, have become nearly ubiquitous in Buddhist contexts in North America and Europe. They are used in mindfulness practices, yoga studios, and even some newer Buddhist rituals, yet a credible consensus regarding their origins is difficult to find. There is no hard evidence that the sound bowls are ancient—and even less that they are Tibetan.

The dubious claims of the bowls’ Tibetan origins have not escaped the notice of the Tibetan community in North America. A handful of blog entries by Tibetan writers in North America have appeared questioning the pedigree of the allegedly “Tibetan” bowls, and as recently as February 18, an op-ed piece by Tenzin Dheden of the Canada Tibet Committee ran in the Toronto Star entitled “‘Tibetan singing bowls’ are not Tibetan. Sincerely, a Tibetan person.” The piece garnered attention on Facebook with one commenter noting, “I’ve always wondered why Injis [foreigners/non-Tibetans] are so fond of these bowls. In the past, I’ve asked a number of Tibetans, including monks, and none of them had heard about [them].”