Among the various popular items often used for the purpose of feng shui, the singing bowl is unique in that it also touches on the sense of sound like wind chimes and water fountains.
Yet it still stands out as the power that this item harnesses comes from the use of sound to interact with the surrounding environment rather from physical placement.
To clarify various sources of information found online that creates confusion, the singing bowl has the ability to purify energy around a space to create a harmonious balance of yin and yang.
This does not necessarily mean a 50/50 make-up of yin and yang. But rather states that has balanced energy.
Spaces that has been cleansed by sounds of the bowl will have it’s energy influenced like how a folded blanket straightens out when you hold two corners and fling it in the air.
These energies that has been balanced out makes it easier for people to draw on them. Just like how certain medications are better taken orally, via a nasal spray, physical application, etc.
Even though not using singing bowls will not mean an inability to benefit from feng shui, the use of it is regarded as an incremental improvement than without.
They are most often used for meditation rooms, zen rooms, spiritual rooms, and other living areas such as the living room and bedroom when required. While these are all indoor spaces, they are sometimes used in outdoor areas as well depending on it’s capabilities and range.
Choosing the right singing bowl
The specifications of a singing bowl has to conform to certain standards. Otherwise, any rice bowl or salad bowl can be used as one.
One that is used for space cleaning is said to be made of an alloy consisting of 7 types of metal:
- Gold
- Silver
- Zinc
- Copper
- Iron
- Tin
- Lead
Gold represents the sun. Silver is a reflection of the moon. Zinc is associated with Mercury. Copper symbolizes Venus. Iron is linked to Mars. Tin is related to Jupiter. And lead is the stands for Saturn.
For normal residential use, the dimensions of the bowl should also be approximately 4 inches in diameter and about 1¾ inch in depth. Bigger ones for larger spaces are often fabricated with diameters of 5 inches, 6 inches and 6.5 inches, with a depth of about 2 inches to 2½ inches.
Because these items are not fully machine-made, different bowls can have varying degrees of differences between them. This means that different bowls can produce different harmonics, giving them their own personality. Even so, they still serve the main purpose of cleansing the energy within a space.
While there is a default design for patterns on the surface that is used very often, they are often designed with symbols and ancient inscription.
The best singing bowls are after all, supposedly forged by master craftsmen of Kathmandu. Many stores also advertise their bowls of a Tibetan origin.
The pitch and sound of a bowl is highly influenced by it’s depth. rim size, and the sturdiness of the bowl.
Using the singing bowl
To use the singing bowl for space cleansing, first wake up the bowl by striking it once with the wooden mallet that comes with it.
You can continue with this gentle striking as you move about the room or house in a clock-wise direction. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the different methods to create sound from the bowl.
As the bowl is vibrating, try touching or rubbing different areas of the bowl with the mallet and let your ears tell the harmonic changes. Touch the rim and feel the change again.
You can also go around the rim in a clockwise circular motion with the mallet to create a different wave of sound.
The point of all this is for you to get familiar with your singing bowl, learn about it’s capabilities, and slowly get in tune with it. As you use it more often, you will be able to control it just like how you drive a car. You’d instinctively know how to maneuver it and produce the types of tones that you connect with.
You might eventually be able to use it as a melodic musical instrument as you get better!
Rubbing is a more advanced technique which few people can get good at from the start. So in all likelihood you are going to start using it from striking and slowly move on to rubbing (or a combination of both) as you learn how to cajole it into obeying your commands.
Mastery takes time. So be patient.
It’s also not surprising for different people to hear different tones of sounds coming from the same bowl.
A way to enhance the chime of the singing bowl, many users swear by the improvement in clarity and sound quality when a soft cushion is set under it as support when carrying it around during cleansing rituals.
Another add-on that can be incorporated in your ritual techniques is by filling the bowl with some water. This will again change the tone of it’s sound. You can then sprinkle water in the room as your cleanse it’s space as a symbolic gesture.
However, take note that not all singing bowls are suitable for use with water. You will only be able to tell it’s suitability from experience in listening to how the tone resonates with water. Some might sound perfect with a certain amount of water, but singing rhythm degrades drastically when certain amount of water is used.
It must be said that modern uses of the singing bowl is no longer limited to living spaces. They are sometimes used for ridding display items of negative energy before they are actually placed on the intended locations.
For example, some people might use it on the 3-legged frog, victory banner, or even the wealth vase before setting them up for placement in the house.
They can also be used for activation of of specific spaces. For example, if your personal noblemen star enters the southeast this month and you want to awaken and tap on this symbolic star while it is in play, then you can use a singing bowl at this space at an auspicious day and time to do it.
While instruments such as the guitar can lose it’s tone and require tuning after a while, the singing bowl actually gets more refined the more you use it.
When not in use, wrap it in soft material before keeping it.
Saying that, some homes choose to use the singing bowl as a display item itself. And grab it straight from it’s display location when there is an intention to use it.
When this is the case, it is best to locate it at an auspicious sector of the house determined by 8 mansions or flying stars. Otherwise the bowl could be corrupted by negative energy which you would inadvertently spread to the rest of the house as you perform your cleansing rituals.
