Singing bowls – for meditation and music therapy

Anyone who uses music and sounds for therapeutic purposes, practices meditation, or is looking for unusual sounds for music productions and performances will almost inevitably come across singing bowls sooner or later. As everyday life is becoming increasingly fast-paced and stressful, this is a good opportunity to dive deeper into the subject. ☮️

What are singing bowls anyway?

Traditionally, singing bowls are made from a metal alloy. Nowadays, special smoked glass is also used, whereby the materials differ in their sound character due to different overtone development and tone duration. There are also different ways of producing sound, e.g. a variety of striking or rubbing techniques with the hand, fingers, or mallets. In this respect, there are no limits to creativity. What counts in the end are the calmly resonating and gradually developing tones.

Thomann Tibetan Singing Bowl Box Set L

What are singing bowls used for?

The range of possible uses of singing bowls is extremely wide. They can be used to support meditation and yoga, promote relaxation, reduce stress, and support healing processes. And this list is by no means exhaustive. They also lend themselves to imaginative sound journeys with children and, in the field of experimental music, often provide the basis for unusual samples as well as magical concerts. Sound therapy and sound massage are becoming increasingly popular.

Sound therapy and sound massage

So how does singing bowl therapy actually work? The answer is quite simple and easy to understand. The singing bowls are usually placed directly on the clothed body, which is then indirectly and extremely gently massaged by their vibrations.

A side effect is that the massaged person has to open up their senses in order to perceive the vibrations as intensively as possible. Simply put, a manual massage by a physiotherapist treats physical tension, while a sound massage with singing bowls addresses psychological blockages.

A fundamentally different variant is singing bowl meditation, during which the singing bowls are placed on a surface or held in the hand and gently played.

Benefits and effects of singing bowls

One of the stress-reducing effects of singing bowls in sound therapy and sound massage is that concentrating on the vibrations can stimulate the production of the bodily messenger substances, e.g., the so-called happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine.

These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating physical and mental states such as appetite, mood, and restful sleep. According to Far Eastern teachings, specific frequencies activate the chakras, which in turn are said to affect specific areas of the body to harmonize body, soul, and spirit. Singing bowls can also expand your consciousness and improve your ability to concentrate.

The effects of singing bowl therapy have long been verified

These effects aren’t merely assumed. Rather, they’ve long been verified and substantiated by numerous scientific studies examining alternative healing methods. For example, it has been shown that singing bowl sound meditation can trigger physiological and psychological reactions by reducing negative feelings and increasing positive feelings, as well as improving blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate.

A randomized, controlled study by Landry et al. from 2020 shows that singing bowl therapy can significantly affect anxiety levels. This research therefore supports the use of singing bowls as a complementary therapy in the treatment of anxiety, phobias, and depression.

(Source: Landry, J.M., et al. (2020). “Effects of Tibetan Singing Bowl Meditation on Mood, Anxiety, Pain, and Spiritual Well-being.” Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine.)

Perfect tuning and long-lasting sound

A good example of high-quality singing bowls and crystal instruments is the Thomann Crystal Bowl CF Set 432Hz 6-12, which contains a total of 7 tuned crystal singing bowls in a classic frosted finish in different sizes from 15 to 30 cm. The bowls are tuned in a conventional C major scale, with the “A” tuned to 432 Hz.

Compared to metal singing bowls, their sound is brighter and more sustained, making the Crystal Bowl Set particularly suitable for meditation. One of the biggest advantages of these singing bowls is their precise tuning. The set includes 2 bags, mallets, rubbers, and silicone rings.

Thomann Crystal Bowl CF Set 432Hz 6-12

Bronze singing bowls: visually and sonically impressive

On the other hand, there are traditional singing bowls, also known as Tibetan singing bowls, such as the Meinl U-2950 Univ. Singing Bowl Set. Hand-crafted in India from a special bronze alloy, these bowls are genuine masterpieces and are primarily intended for yoga and meditation. The singing bowls are harmonized in their frequencies and are also real eye-catchers.

Thomann Tibetan Singing Bowl No2, 700 g

Try out singing bowls & get advice at Thomann

If you have any questions about singing bowls, the Thomann team will be happy to advise you with no obligation. Ideally, visit us in person at our music store in Treppendorf and try out singing bowls and other instruments in our specialist department.

Find singing bowls on thomann.de with a click on this link here.

Singing bowls for meditation and music therapy: your feedback

Do you have a singing bowl at home? Do you like the sound? Feel free to leave us a comment with your feedback!
Shanti and Namaste! 😉

Lawrence started playing the electric guitar because of his passion for rock music. Back in the day he played in a metal band, but now plays more for himself.

Show all blog posts by Larry