Tibetan Bowls

Tibetan Singing Bowls

People always ask me about the Singing Bowls. How old are they, where do they come from, how long have they been used, etc.

Bowls have been used in meditation for over 2500 years. It is believed that their use began in India. The mesmerizing tones help align the mind and the body, and are felt as well as heard. The bowls I use come from Tibet and Nepal, and are from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. I have one bowl that’s modern, and happens to sound wonderful.

Most of the these bowls have more than one pitch, with some having as many as four distinct pitches. What material the bowls are played with and where on the bowl they are played determines which pitches will be sounded. Playing them with a suede covered stick produces a lower tone, a harder substance releases the higher tones.

I get my bowls from an importer and bowl master named Rain Gray. His company, Bodhisattva Trading Company can be found on the web at www.bodhisattva.com .

To see the bowls in action, click here:

http://www.omstream.com/video/TibetanBowlsMP.mov