Culture Blog » Singing Bowls http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog A blog on all things cultural... Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:08:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Chakras and Singing Bowls http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/chakras-and-singing-bowls/ http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/chakras-and-singing-bowls/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:15:47 +0000 Gary http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/?p=200

Many people have contacted us regarding the use of singing bowl for healing work. The most common questions have been, ‘Can I use a singing bowl to heal?’, ‘Which note is related to a particular chakra?’ and, ‘Which of your singing bowls plays the correct note for my desired chakra?’ In fact, they are questions we get so frequently that I thought it would be a good idea to share the answers with a wider audience!

Can I use a singing bowl for healing work?

Absolutely! Singing bowls have been around for centuries and used for healing work for much of this time. And today, even those practising ‘modern’ healing techniques use the bowls alongside their treatments; We have provided many bowls to the National Health Service within the UK for this purpose. In relation to chakra work, it is believed that the pure tones created by the vibrations from the singing bowl penetrate through the body to stimulate the chakra that corresponds with the note associated with that bowl.

Which notes relate to each chakra?

This is probably the most common question we are asked. Those using singing bowls will know that they need their singing bowl to play a particular note to stimulate the chakra they need to work upon. Hopefully, the table below will answer these questions.

Chakra Note Colour Location Association
Root C Red Base of Spine Lymph system, skeleton system, prostate gland, bladder, lower extremities
Spleen D Orange Sexual Organs Reproductive system, sexual organs, lumbar plexus
Solar Plexis E Yellow Naval Area Solar plexus, muscular system, skin, large intestine, stomach, liver, eyes
Heart F Green Heart Heart, blood circulatory system, cardiac plexus, lungs and the entire chest area.
Throat G Blue Throat Throat and the neck, and the arms and the hands.
Third Eye A Indigo Forehead Pituitary gland, lower brain, left eye, ears, nose
Crown B Purple Top of Head Top of the head, the brain, and the entire nervous system


Which Singing Bowl do I Need?

Finding a singing bowl tuned to the note you need for your desired chakra can be done in only one way…playing it! Although bowls of similar sizes are likely to have similar tuning, the handmade nature of singing bowls means that there are variations in the notes each bowl plays. As a rule, the larger the singing bowl the lower the note it produces. If you need a singing bowl tuned to a particular chakra then please contact us and we will find one for you and send you a quote.

Please check our site again in the future for an article exploring how to use a singing bowl for healing work.

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]]> http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/chakras-and-singing-bowls/feed/ 0 How to Play a Singing Bowl http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/how-to-play-a-singing-bowl/ http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/how-to-play-a-singing-bowl/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:46:52 +0000 Gary http://www.handcrafteduk.com//blog/?p=75

I’ve finally done it….gone and done a tutorial video!  It’s something I’ve been meaning  to do for a while but have only just got around to doing.  Anyway, here is the first video titled ‘How to play a Singing Bowl’.  I hope you find it useful.  Gary.

As usual, here’s a shameless plug for my singing bowls!

]]> http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/how-to-play-a-singing-bowl/feed/ 2 Origins and History of Singing Bowls http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/origins-and-history-of-singing-bowls/ http://www.handcrafteduk.com/blog/origins-and-history-of-singing-bowls/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:17:16 +0000 Gary http://www.handcrafteduk.com//blog/?p=51

Where it all started

Although no one can be sure as to when the singing bowl first came into use there is evidence to suggest that they did not originate, as many would assume, in Tibet. Countries on the Asian continent were using metal bowls to produce sounds as far back as 1100BC. Over the years that followed the study of sound and vibration had grown so advanced that by 500BC China was producing ‘fountain bowls’. These bronze bowls had two handles and could be filled with water. When the two handles were rubbed together a fountain of water would rise up and the bowl would produce a humming sound.
singing bowl
An example of a hand-beaten singing bowl


The knowledge of singing bowl production would have spread throughout Asia along established trade routes. Many believe that the Buddha, Padmasambhava, crossed the Himalaya mountains from India into Tibet. He bought the teachings of the Buddha into the country and also the knowledge of singing bowls. Contrary to popular belief, singing bowls were not used during any religious practices but were used instead as begging bowls and for food. During this period monasteries only used the singing bowl as a chalice.

Why were they produced?

If the singing bowl was not produced for religious practice then the obvious question is: what were they used for? There are accounts of travelling smiths who would make the bowls with materials gathered during their travels. Other theories suggest it was the monks themselves that produced the bowls. If so though, why were they used for eating and not meditation? What was the reason for having the bowls ‘sing’? The fact is no one can be entirely sure who produced the earliest singing bowls as there is no concrete evidence to support either theory.

However, there are theories that the monks did in fact use the bowls for religious purposes. But, rather than being used during mediation the bowls were used instead as sacrificial dishes. The singing from the bowls was to reinforce them message that each sacrifice was being offered harmoniously. Therefore, even though the bowls would never be rung they still had to be pure in every respect.

How were they made?

Ancient singing bowls were traditionally made of seven various metals, each one symbolising a different planet in the solar system. The sound produced by the singing bowls would vary depending upon how the different quantities of metals were mixed together. The metals would be  combined to form an alloy which would be left to cool before being beaten into the familiar bowl shape. However, each of these ancient bowls varies and can have more or less than the seven traditionally used metals. This would support the theories that it was the travelling smiths who produced the bowls as, during their travels, not all the metals would have been available which explains why each bowl might be of a different composition.

Today’s singing bowls are either made by machine or are hand beaten into shape. Here is our collection of Tibetan singing bowls.

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