How to Play a Crystal Singing Bowl
Are you a new crystal singing bowl player? Or are you looking to get back to the basics?! Let’s chat about getting started in a mindful, clear way so you can become the best bowl player and sound healer you are called to be!
How To Play A Crystal Singing Bowl
Simple and easy to play, the sound of a crystal singing bowl is made by softly chiming the side of the bowl with a silicone or suede-covered mallet and then circling outside the rim of the bowl with a steady, even-handed pressure. The tone builds in clarity and intensity with continued pressure and movement around the rim. All crystal singing bowls have a clear, pure-toned resonance. The larger bowls give off a deeper, more reverberant ring. The medium and smaller bowls have a higher pitched, bell-like clarity and chime.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind when playing your Crystal Bowls:
Place the O-ring on the floor or table, and set the bowl on top of it so that the bottom surface of the bowl is centered on top of the O-ring. This will give you the best sound and keep the bowl in an optimal balanced position for playing.
Every bowl has a “sweet spot” about an inch below the rim. This is the perfect place to gently tap or chime your bowl to make it ring.
Never use your mallet to play inside of your bowl, as this may cause the bowl to break. Play only the outside surface.
Do not chime or tap on top of the rim of the bowl. There's a very good chance you could break your bowl by doing this.
Pay attention this… is really important!
A Good Reason Not to Overplay Your New Bowl …
When you get your first crystal bowls, the tendency for most people is to want to play a LOT. Of course you do! They are irresistible! They've just arrived at your home. You take them out and put them on a table or sit them in a safe space on the floor. Every time you walk by them, they call to you: “Play me! Play me!” You smile and indulge them, over and over. Sometimes, you feel like you're drunk on sound!
But there is a flipside to all the peace and expansiveness you feel … and it’s good to be aware of it.
The sound frequencies of crystal bowls are powerful medicine. These potent vibrations can (and do) help to break up patterns of congested energy throughout the body. Once these energies are free to move, it's possible to experience emotional release, discomfort, agitation, anxiety, and irritation. There may also be more physically oriented releases as blockages and contracting muscles or organs begin to clear, release and realign.
Many, if not most, new bowl players are unaware of this “shadow side” of bowl playing. It can take them by surprise. Their experience of bowls and private healing sessions is usually filled with sensations and feelings of peace, calmness, and deep relaxation. However, when you begin to play your bowls on a daily, regular basis…deeper layers of healing can surface and emerge.
This is why I recommend that for the first month or two of bowl playing, you limit your playing to 10 to 20 minutes a day. Trust your body’s innate wisdom. If the thought arises that you don't want to play, don’t feel guilty or worry that you're not making the most of having a crystal bowl. One of my most beloved friends and mentors has a beautiful saying. She taught me this many years ago, and I continue to keep these words close to my heart. “Let your slowest self guide you.”
There is no rush to heal. Take your time with the bowls. Allow the sound to integrate gently. Be kind to yourself. Drink a lot of water. Take a bath. Rest when you need it. If for any reason you cannot manage the feelings or sensations that are rising, stop playing. Reach out to a trusted guide, friend, or healing practitioner for support.
Remember that sound healing is only part of a comprehensive healing approach. It is not the be-all, end-all. Sound healing was never meant to be practiced to the exclusion of professional medical support, whether that is allopathic Western medicine or complementary alternative approaches. After all the years I have been playing bowls, to this day, when issues arise for me, I use sound in partnership with personal coaching and mentoring, bodywork, allopathic and alternative medicine and more. Healing is organic and holistic. It truly is about the inspired integration of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Let your slowest self guide you as your wisdom leads the way. Use all the tools, methodologies, practices, and expertise at your disposal to create a superb healing support team that is right for you.
As you become more comfortable with the basic techniques of droning and chiming your bowl, begin to turn your awareness within. Explore shifting your focus to the sensations you feel in your body. Breathe and follow your breath. Spend time playing as you chant or pray. Focus on your intentions. Listen deeply to the evolving stillness within. And when the moment is right, let go of the sound and sit in the silence, the Nada Brahma, “the sound of the sound that is God…The eternal music that is sounding in the Divine heart.” And rest. Simply rest. Rest deeply in a love such as this.
This blog is an excerpt from my book “Crystal Singing Bowls: The Angelic Sound of Healing, Relaxation and Spiritual Awakening,” available on Amazon or in the Sound of Ashana online store. Be sure to stay tuned for the AUDIOBOOK which includes beautiful healing crystalline music and sound! It’s an audiobook like no other, and will help elevate your spirit and inspire you to deepen your relationship with sound healing and crystal bowls!
