Crystal Bowls for Meditation, Healing, Balance and Restoration

The Nature of the Bowls

Crystal bowls have been used in healing modalities since the 1980′s. While some people speculate on the use of crystal singing bowls in ancient cultures, I am aware of no direct evidence of their use. However, interestingly enough, in a merger of new and ancient technologies, the computer industry made very high quality, pure silicon quartz crystal bowls utilized to grow pure silicon chips for their computers. If the bowls were not precise enough, they were thrown out. Apparently someone on the way to the trash bin discovered they have incredible pure sounds, also, and decided to stop discarding them! This birthed the singing crystal bowl industry. Since this time, they have become a vehicle of enormous potential for those working with sounds in both ancient and new healing technologies. Much like the ancient Tibetan Bowls, the crystal bowls can be used as sound tools. Coupling awareness and intent in their use can demonstrably increase their effectiveness. By simply listening to the rich, pure, vibrant tone of a bowl, most sound recipients find them deeply relaxing, rejuvenating, even stirring of deep emotions and states of well being. By utilizing awareness techniques, a practitioner can guide the recipient into states of clarity, balancing of chakra centers, and much more. They can be used to transport the recipient into deep meditative states, even shamanic journeys into other dimensional states, or, realms of wisdom and understanding.

Healing Properties

Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, MD, a cancer specialist of Cornell Medical Center, NY, has found using the bowls, especially with simple chant and meditative practices, assist his clients to come into marked improvement and recovery rates over those using just standard allopathic treatment. Many other practitioners are offering both studies and anecdotal testimony in their use. I find them to be an extraordinary tool for simply bathing the client in rich sounds, which generate deep feeling states of wellness and relaxation. This can lead the body into a place of homeostasis, which assists the body in self-generative healing. From this place of relaxation or restoration, one can, also, easily guide a recipient into meditative states to explore deeper aspects of emotional release and resolution, or journeying into the inner dimensional awareness of one’s greater being, and the greater Cosmos. The bowls can easily be played, by any individual, for one’s own feeling states of attunement, relaxation, or wellness, as well as a ‘drone’ for voice in chant, mantra, song, or ‘toning.’The bowls are easily struck and ‘sung’ by rubbing the outside of the bowl with rubber or suede mallets which accompany the bowls. Any novice can usually be proficient in a matter of moments, one of the unique and lovely aspects of the bowl. They do not take much training. Simple Practice One can easily use one’s own intuitive guidance as to how to enter deeper states. The rare, pure tone of the bowl is extraordinary, and allows for rapid ‘attunement’ to a clear state of awareness, or consciousness. Such states allows for deepening meditative states, or touching into unresolved emotions awating clarity or release. Just breathing the feeling states that arise, from simple use of the bowl, one can easily access clarity, release, deep feeling states of spaciousness or coherence, which bring essential wellness. With a skilled practitioner, again, one can, also, enter heightened states of awareness, to peer into the greater dimensional aspects of cosmos, or the Greater Self, or journey into deeper mechanisms of release and healing of specific memory or trauma, etc. I highly recommend the bowls for use in simple meditative or healing practice, with or without the use of voice. But, again, they greatly enhance voice practices of all kind, as a pure and coherent tone generator, or drone instrument. And, the use of awareness and voice, properly utilized, can offer extraordinary capacity to deepen one’s experience over the bowl alone. This is one of my primary choices as a vehicle for healing, and other worldly experiences as a sound practitioner. If I had three choices, it would be a crystal bowl, Native American frame drum, and a Tibetan bell.

Full Chakra Sets

Many suggest the necessity of a full ‘chakra set’ of crystal bowls.We do not. While using a bowl with a different pitch for each chakra can be a beneficial method of meditation, balance, or restoration of these sacred centers, every qualified practitioner I have ever been around can use one bowl for all practices. Having two or three bowls to generate various sounds for various reasons, mostly flexibility of voice, can be of benefit, if wanted, but a full set is not necessary. However, again, this can be useful for some. I do not demean the use of 7 or more bowls, just want to clarify, for most practitioners, it is not a necessity at all. And, some will sell you on this as a necessity. That is unfortunate when it occurs.The reality is, the work of meditation, healing, and wellness, is more about awareness and intent, than it is specific sounds or pitch. And, with proper awareness, one can do far more than by working with this pitch or that pitch. It can actually be distracting to the true nature of intent and healing.

How Do I Know Which Bowl Works Best for My Use?

The bowls come in many sizes, colors, tones, and even infusions of gemstones.This can be very confusiong, and I am going to boil this down to the simplest, most common uses and needs, without in depth explanation, as that can take a book. (For those seeking more specific answers, in order to select a bowl for purchase, our staff is fully trained and available to help you. I only withhold for need of space to incorporate this full body of knowledge.) For those who are not educated in musical theory enough to understand the difference in varying pitches, it usually is not an issue which pitch you get, though you may find the sound of one bowl touches you for reasons another may not. Each bowl size is only available in a few various pitches, and most of these are not ‘true’ pitch. This in itself probably requires yet another article. But, it is not an issue for most people who are not working with specific pitch for specific reasons, such as playing with standard tuned instruments in performance or recordings. The gemstones, also, are another story. And while some will swear by their use, we, again, find one bowl of any kind with right intent serves far greater value than any much more expensive gemstone bowl in itself will do. (We are happy to sell gemstone bowls for those who feel the benefit outweighs the cost, and we are happy to help with more specific guidance for those seeking to purchase a bowl. We, also, offer in depth guidance in their use in our trainings. For simplicity sake, we simply state we do not find their effectiveness matches their cost, when compared to developing fundamental use of awareness and intent in practices with bowls.) Most people will find a 10-12″ frosted bowl as easy and versatile an instrument as you need. For deeper sounds, the 14″ is plenty of depth for the vast majority of practitioners. My initial recommendation is a D or C pitched bowl. However, these are not available in all sizes, and, for most, it is not essential to have one pitch or another. Choosing what simply ‘feels right’ to one is as easy a tool and reason as most others! The F is very popular, and because of this, costs more in most cases. Any of the other pitches currently available (it does change consistently over time,) will satisfy MOST people looking to use these special instruments. For those practicing and wanting to use the sounds closer to, or, even, over others, such as on a massage table, you may prefer the versatility of a clear hand held handle bowl. These are a great tool, and now my primary one. The clear bowls do have a deliciously richer tone, which extends forever, it seems, but are a little more expensive. We specifically recommend the 6″ or 7″ sizes for best tone and ease of use for most people. For deepest pitches, or for stronger arms, some may like the 8″ size. We do not recommend smaller bowls than any of these, as we sometimes find the tones not as rich or strong, or, the bowl a little harder to play. (Less than 10″ frosted, though 9″ is usually good, when available, or less than 6″ clear handle.)

I always use the singing crystal bowls at my women’s retreats as they help promote grounding and relaxation!

Check out my upcoming EAT,PRAY, LOVE women's Retreat - November 14th-17th 2013 

Retreat Details

A Simple meditation for a Better Night's Sleep

Meditation In Action: A 10-Step Mindfulness Practice For Better Sleep

It’s no secret that meditation can help us sleep better. There are some specific meditative exercises that can help us nod off when our minds are in overdrive. In the exercise below, the meditation experts at Headspace share some insight for feeling more at ease when your head hits the pillow. Remember, this is not an exercise to make you go to sleep, but rather to increase your awareness and understanding of your mind at night. It just so happens that it often results in sleep.

Step 1
Once you’re lying comfortably in bed, take five deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. As you breathe in, try to get a sense of the lungs filling with air and the chest expanding. As you breathe out, imagine the thoughts and feelings of the day just disappearing into the distance, and any feelings of tension in the body just melting away. This will help to prepare both the body and the mind for the exercise ahead.

Step 2
Begin by checking-in — how you’re feeling –in both body and mind. Remember that in the same way you can’t rush relaxation, you cannot rush sleep, so take your time with this part of the exercise. Don’t worry if there are lots of thoughts whizzing around (this is absolutely normal). For now, just let them do their own thing. Whatever you do, avoid the temptation to resist the thoughts, no matter how unsettling or uncomfortable they may be.

Step 3
Next, become aware of the physical points of contact in a little bit more detail. Bring your attention back to the sensation of the body touching the bed, the weight of the body sinking down into the mattress. Notice where the points of contact are strongest -– is the weight distributed evenly? You can also notice any sounds or other sensations. Sounds can be especially disturbing when you’re trying to go to sleep. At first it’s helpful to recognize whether it’s a sound you can change, or if it’s something outside of your control, something you can do nothing about. Then, rather than resisting the sound, gently rest your attention on it, remaining present with the sound for 30 seconds or so, before bringing your attention back to the body.

Step 4
Now try to get a sense of how the body actually feels. At first, do this in a general way. For example, does the body feel heavy or light, restless or still? Then try to get a more accurate picture by mentally scanning down through the body, from head to toe, gently observing any tension or tightness. Invariably, the mind will be drawn to areas of tension, but you can relax in the knowledge that you are about to sleep and that the exercise will help to release those areas. You can do this scan several times, taking about 20 to 30 seconds each time. Remember to notice the areas that feel relaxed and comfortable, as well as any areas of discomfort.

Step 5
By now you will have probably already noticed the rising and falling sensation of the breath, but if you haven’t, just bring your attention to that place in the body where you feel the movement most clearly. As always, don’t try to change the rhythm of the breath in any way, instead allow the body to do its own thing. There is no right or wrong way to breathe within the context of this exercise, so don’t worry if you feel it more in the chest than the stomach. Notice whether the breath is deep or shallow, long or short, smooth or irregular.

Step 6
As you watch the breath for a minute or two, it’s quite normal for the mind to wander off. When you realize you’ve been distracted, that the mind has wandered off, in that moment you are back in the present, and all you need do is gently return the focus to the rising and falling sensation. You don’t need to time this part of the exercise, you can just naturally move on to the next section when it feels as if a couple of minutes has passed.

Step 7
This next part of the exercise is about thinking back through the day in a focused and structured way. Begin by thinking back to the very first moment you can remember in the day, right after waking up in the morning. Do you remember how you felt upon waking? Now, as if your brain has been set to a very gentle “fast-forward,” simply watch as your mind replays the events, meetings and conversations of the day. This doesn’t need to be in detail, it’s more of an overview, a series of snapshots passing through the mind.

Take about three minutes to go through the entire day, right up to the present moment. It might seem like a lot to fit into just a few minutes, but as I say, this is only an overview of the day, so don’t take any longer than three or four minutes. After a couple of days you’ll no doubt feel comfortable with the speed of it.

As the mind replays the day, there is the inevitable temptation to jump in and get caught up in the thinking. It’s normal for the mind to wander like this at first, but obviously it’s not helpful to get involved in new thinking at this time of night. So, as before, when you realize you’ve been distracted, gently return to the film playing back in your mind and pick up where you left off.

Step 8
Having brought yourself up to the present moment, you can now return your focus to the body. Place your attention on the small toe of the left foot and imagine that you’re just switching it off for the night. You can even repeat the words
“switch off” or “and rest” in your mind as you focus on the toe. It’s as if you’re giving the muscles, joints, bones and everything else permission to switch off for the night, knowing they will not be needed again until the morning.

Step 9
Do the same with the next toe, and the next, and so on. Continue in this way through the ball of the foot, the arch, the heel, the ankle, the lower half of the leg and so on all the way up to the hip and pelvic area.

Before you repeat this exercise with the right leg, take a moment to notice the difference in the feeling between the leg that has been “switched off” and the one that hasn’t. If there was any doubt in your mind about whether anything was actually happening as you do this exercise, you’ll feel it now. Repeat the same exercise on the right leg, once again starting with the toes and working your way all the way up to the waist.

Step 10
Continue this exercise up through the torso, down through the arms, hands and fingers, and up through the throat, neck, face and head. Take a moment to enjoy the sensation of being free of tension, of not needing to do anything with the body, of having given up control. You can now allow the mind to wander as much as it wants, freely associating from one thought to the next, no matter where it wants to go, until you drift off to sleep.*

*It’s quite possible that by the time you’ve reached this point in the exercise you will be fast asleep. If you are, enjoy the rest and sleep well. Don’t worry if you’re not asleep though — it’s not that you’ve done the exercise incorrectly. Remember that it’s not an exercise to make you go to sleep, but rather an exercise to increase your awareness and understanding of your mind at night.

Want more tips on how to make meditation part of your day? Headspace is meditation made simple, accessible and relevant to your everyday life. Sign up for the free Take10 program to get the basics just right with guided audio programs and support to get your Headspace, anytime, anywhere on the Headspace app.

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