Tibetan singing bowls - ancient meditation! Singing bowl - what it does and what effect it has.

Singing or Tibetan bowls are a unique musical instrument. They are used for meditation and various spiritual practices, for the purpose of relaxation and religious ceremonies. The amazing properties of the bowls help to restore the energy of the chakras and cleanse the subtle bodies.

The sound of Tibetan bowls is somewhat reminiscent of the ringing of a bell. But if the bells move when playing sounds, then the singing bowls remain in place. The bowl master can use two different techniques:

1. Use a special stick (stick) to drive along the inner edges of the bowl, creating a long, as if “singing” sound. It resembles humming bells.
2. Apply light blows with the stick on the outer edge of the bowl. If you hit the lower part, then the sound is born lower, deeper. Up to a low-frequency rumble, introducing into a trance.

Tibetan singing bowls first appeared in the Himalayan region. Although the name contains the word "Tibetan", it is not known exactly where they were created.

Then these musical instruments began to be used in India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Then they spread along with Buddhism across Asia to China, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and other countries. For today healing music singing bowls is also known in Europe and America.

In ancient times, they were made from a special alloy of 5 metals, called "panchaloha", which includes:

• copper (as a base);
• zinc;
• tin;
• iron;
• gold, or silver, or nickel.

In this way, brass or cast bronze was obtained, in which the precious metal was added.

There is a beautiful legend about the origin of singing bowls. In ancient times, the main religion in Tibet was shamanism. Lamas regularly got in touch with the Higher Spirits. One fine day, the Spirits reported that extraordinary objects of the Force would soon appear on Earth, allowing people to talk with the Cosmic Mind.

The lamas began to meditate in order to understand the message of the Spirits. They found out that the objects of the Force will be similar in shape to bowls, while they need to be smelted from a mixture of 8 metals. Among these metals: copper, gold, silver, iron, etc.

But the last eighth element remained a mystery to Lam. Bowls that were smelted from a mixture of 7 elements did not bring the promised results.

After that, the Lamas again asked the Higher Spirits how they could find the missing element. In response, they were sent a meteor shower.

Tibet is located high above sea level, so meteorites that fall on its territory pass through a thinner layer of the atmosphere, therefore, they have different properties than meteorites in other parts of the world. The ore from these meteorites became the final 8th element.

Chalices in our time

The popularity of singing bowls is growing day by day. Modern models are usually much simpler in execution than their ancient counterparts. These musical instruments are made from copper or bronze, to which precious metals are not added. Of course, this affects the reproduced sounds - their "richness" and depth.

There are also products made:

• manual method - they are more expensive;
• and machine method - cheaper.

The best products are those made by hand forging using an alloy of 3 or more metals.

The singing bowls of Tibet have become not only an attribute of spiritual and religious practices, but also souvenir products. Travelers carry from Nepal and India contemporary designs. They are usually decorated with images of deities, various ornaments, good luck symbols or mantras.

Operating principles

Man in the modern world is surrounded by all sorts of vibrations. And since our body is 90% water, the human body is able to sensitively respond to them. Remember how vibrations from a stone thrown into the water give rise to circles on the water... Similarly, an internal movement, a resonance at the cellular level, is born in the human body.

Distinguish between harmonious and disharmonious vibrations. The latter often surround a person - this is technological noise, high-voltage wires, and much more.

The harmonious sound of singing bowls helps to resist the negative influence of modern technogenic civilization.

The singing bowls of Tibet in the process of sounding give rise to two waves that go in a spiral:

• a wave diverging outward - takes all the negative away into the surrounding space.
• an inward swirling sound that attracts pure cosmic energy for the benefit of health and well-being.

Meditation

There are two main ways to get acquainted with the extraordinary influence of Tibetan bowls, which I will discuss below.

1. Most The best way is attending a concert or meditation session with singing bowls. They are held, for example, in yoga clubs or Buddhist centers. Typically, such a session looks like this:

Yoga mats or mattresses are laid out for participants in the hall. In front of the hall there is a musician and several singing bowls. It is possible to decorate the hall with candles and incense sticks in order to create a meditative mood.

When the participants take their seats, they are invited to close their eyes, relax their whole body and immerse themselves in the music. At the same time, many experience a deep sense of harmony with the Universe in Divine love.

1. If the first option is not available, then you can watch videos on the Internet. There are a wide variety of videos of singing bowls. Of course, the effect from them is not as strong as from a live concert. But still, a general idea and a meditative effect can be obtained. Here is an example of such a video:

Meditation has a healing effect on a person. By listening to the singing of these musical instruments, we help the mind to calm down and become temporarily silent. Inner silence is very important in the process of spiritual growth.

Amazing and bewitching sounds help to establish a connection with the Cosmic energies and to know your true essence. Perception becomes more subtle, and feelings become deeper.

Massage

Sound massage with singing bowls is a unique healing method that allows you to balance the energies of the entire human body.

Exist different techniques such a massage. In one of them, bowls are placed around the human body. At the same time, larger bowls are placed in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe legs, which emit deep sounds. And closer to the head - small ones with thin walls, the sound from which is high and joyful.

The master begins to strike alternately on different bowls. Where the sound changes, a person has a problem area. Here the master will stay longer to harmonize the energies. Thus, the energy comes into balance.

Before the start of the session, the master will definitely warn you about contraindications.

The healing music of Tibetan bowls helps in the treatment and prevention of a number of problems of the human body, these are:

• difficulty concentrating;
• depression and stress (read the article about);
• phobias and fears;
• muscle tension;
• instability of the emotional sphere;
• insomnia;
• hyperactivity;
• chronic fatigue.

With the help of massage with singing bowls, you can engage in recovery. Before the start of the session, the master selects a suitable bowl for each chakra. It is important that there is resonance from the extracted sounds. Next, the master holds the bowl over a specific chakra and extracts sounds, the sequence - from to the upper chakras.

Singing bowls are healing in nature, when using them, there is a quick change of nervousness to a peaceful state, a surge of creative insights is observed, the mind calms down, and pain, if you put the bowl in the place of its projection in the body and make a sound, gradually disappears.

Tibetan singing bowls

The singing bowls of Tibet are the most mysterious musical instrument, which is a kind of bell. The appearance of the bowls is shrouded in legends. It is believed that the bowl itself is a symbol of the uterus, and the stick is a phallic symbol. The sound that is born from the contact of the stick and the bowl is a child. The deep sound of the bowl is achieved due to the fact that the alloy of the bowl contains up to 7 different metals, and the ancient bowls stored in the museum contain up to 12 metals, but the technology for making such a bowl has sunk into oblivion.

Benefits of Tibetan singing bowls

Many effects from the impact of the bowl on the human body are not revealed immediately, gradually, and this is the magic of the bowls. During the session there is a transformation of consciousness. Singing bowls benefits:

• regulated blood pressure;
• if it is a massage with bowls, spasms disappear, muscle relaxation occurs;
• mental state changes, neurosis, depression disappear;
• sleep is normalized;
• metabolism improves;
• in women, the menstrual cycle is normalized;
• all mental processes of the body are improved;
• on the subtle plane - energy rises, chakras harmonize.

Singing bowl - what does it do?

A singing bowl for what it is needed - this question is asked by people who first learned about this type of therapy. Even 10 centuries ago, bowls were used by Tibetan monks to enter a trance state and detach the mind from worldly worries, enter the cosmic stream and feel unity with the entire universe. Nowadays, singing bowls are widely used in massage, nidra yoga, meditation, exerting their healing properties on the body.

Singing bowl massage

Passive gymnastics or massage with Tibetan singing bowls is carried out after complete relaxation and immersion of a person in a light trance. The sound massage technique itself is performed as follows:

1. The patient assumes a supine position on the floor.
2. Singing bowl how to use for massage? A sound-resonant therapist either massages the energy centers with one bowl, or exposes the bowls to the projections of the chakras, diseased organs.
3. In turn, the specialist extracts sound from each bowl by means of a pestle or a resonator stick, passing along the edge of the container.
4. The vibration of the sound of the singing bowls penetrates all the cells of the body and sometimes a very deep hyptotic trance occurs during which it occurs.
5. The patient changes position, lies on his stomach and the whole procedure with the bowls is repeated.

Singing bowls - sound therapy

Singing bowl treatment is practiced in many alternative medicine centers today. The sound-resonance therapy specialist selects bowls for the patient so that the sound causes relaxation and peace, and this is an individual work. It happens that the sound of one bowl causes anxiety in a person, this should not be. When choosing bowls for independent sound therapy, it is important to interact with them, listen to whether there is an attunement, and only after that purchase.

Tibetan singing bowls are magical in many ways, it is believed that the sound they generate can travel through time and space. Useful sound therapy exercise using bowls:

1. Take a comfortable position.
2. Let go of all thoughts, relax completely.
3. Draw a pestle along the edge of the bowl, tune in to the sound, feel how it penetrates into every cell of the body.
4. Attune to the tonality and begin to sing vowel sounds in turn to the tone of the bowl: A, I, O, U, OUM.
5. Finish the exercise with deep breathing.

Cleansing the space with singing bowls

Healing music - singing bowls, the sound of bells have the ability to harmonize the space, clean it from stagnant energy. This happens due to the fact that the extracted sound creates a whirl or spiral in the center of the bowl, invoking the cosmic beneficent flow, and negative energy leaves. In order to cleanse the room, you need to take a bowl, light incense and go around the room clockwise, extracting sound, special attention should be paid to the corners. Walk 3 to 7 times. If the sound is dull it is important to leave the bowl in the center of the room for a while.

Meditation - singing bowls

Meditation "Tibetan singing bowls", like all meditations, is performed subject to the following points:

1. It is important to take a comfortable sitting or lying position.
2. Relax.
3. Make several breathing cycles: inhale slowly for 2 counts and exhale even more slowly for 4 counts.
4. Direct your inner gaze to the area of ​​the body with which you need to work, if this is an audio recording, then allow yourself to dissolve in the sounds of the bowl being removed, if there is a bowl, then you can start extracting sound from it with your palm or stick and start listening to this sound passing through your body.
5. Return consciousness to external world, inhale-exhale, thank yourself, the bowl for a wonderful meditation.

Yoga - singing bowls

Psychic sleep yoga, or yoga nidra with singing bowls, is a meditation for deep relaxation of the mind and body. The sounds of the bowls help to achieve "wordlessness" of the mind, there is an unhindered flow through the body, and all energy centers are harmonized. Sometimes, a person falls asleep in meditation and 20 minutes of sleep seems like several hours after the end of the practice. Yoga nidra with the use of bowls rejuvenates the body and allows you to direct the focus of a person's attention inward.

Singing bowls for chakra harmony

Eastern spiritual currents coming from antiquity considered the human body as a very perfect mechanism, breakdowns, the troubles of which occurred due to the imbalance of one or another energy center (chakra). There are a huge number of such centers in the body, even a single cell is a chakra, but there are 7 main energy boilers, they are located along the spinal column and head.

American musician Jonathan Goldman, a specialist in overtone singing, researching Tibetan singing bowls, came to the conclusion that each chakra responds to a certain sound and healing with singing bowls occurs when a person focuses on the area that needs healing, and the sound extracted by the bowl affects the chakra healing body. Therefore, Jonathan selected singing bowls for each chakra, the sounding note corresponding to the energy center causes the chakra to vibrate in unison:

• muladhara- note DO, the chakra is responsible for the basic survival instinct, the level life force, health, harmonization with the help of a bowl helps to strengthen the overall energy, endurance;
• svadhisthana- note PE, associated with fertilization, motherhood, sexuality, singing copper bowls with the sound of the note Re harmonize sexual energy, reveal creative abilities, treat female and male infertility;
• manipura- note MI, nervous cauldron, solar plexus, power and strength, charisma, high will - all this gives a developed manipura, the bowl helps to balance this center if there is nervous exhaustion, lack of will, diseases of the digestive system;
• anahata- note FA, heart center, acceptance and love in all its manifestations, meditation with a bowl with the sound of the note FA helps to cope with insults and look at loved ones and at the world again with love;
• vishuddha- note SALT, creation through voice, expression through emotions, balancing this chakra helps to remove the stuck feelings and emotions at the throat level, very often during meditation, a person may start to cry - this is a healing process;
• ajna- note LA, meditation with bowls helps to awaken intuition and extrasensory abilities;
• sahasrara- SI note, this energy center connects a person with the divine, with cosmic energy, the sound of the bowl in the SI key makes you feel your involvement with the Creator.

How long do singing bowls last?

Singing bowls of Tibet - treatment by the impact of sound on all systems of the human body is always individual. The session itself can last from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Much depends on the task with which the person comes and the willingness to trust the process. For some, severe migraines and insomnia go away after the first session, others need more sessions so that long-standing psychotraumas and psychosomatics go away. The transformation of consciousness happens already during the session and accompanies the person for a long time, thoughts change, the mind calms down, anxiety disappears.

Singing bowls - training

You can get training to work with Tibetan bowls in yoga centers, as well as centers that exist in many cities and very often courses of singing bowls are conducted in such centers by specialists who have been trained in Tibet. In Nepal, there are several centers of sound-resonance therapy, for example, V. Surikov's Center for Singing Bowls and Gongs, and there is also such a center in Moscow. International School"Sound Yoga" conducts training seminars both abroad and in the CIS countries, Russia.

Many people are familiar with the sounds of singing bowls, but sometimes questions arise about this. In this article, we will outline the history of singing bowls and explain the basic principles of their design and operation.

Origin of singing bowls

The birthplace of metal singing bowls is the countries of the East. Despite the fact that their origin and original purpose are still shrouded in mystery, it is still known that once, long ago, these bowls were used in rituals and ceremonies that included working with sound. Singing bowls were first brought to the West from the Himalayas only in the second half of the 20th century, after the Chinese invaded Tibet in the 1950s.

We call singing bowls differently: musical bowls, sounding bowls, Tibetan bowls, singing bowls of Tibet. They are not designed to store liquids or bulk materials, they create sounding energy fields that saturate the space with positive energy.

In addition to Tibetan bowls (originating from the Himalayas), there are also Japanese and Thai singing bowls, and each variety has its own special sound, form and function. However, it is the Tibetan bowls that produce the purest sounds and overtones. The amazing skill of ancient artisans, who many centuries ago were able to create works of art endowed with such extraordinary power and sonority, deserves great respect and careful study.

There are also crystal, quartz singing bowls. They are made in the USA. They look very nice and make a very peculiar sound. Such a bowl can be precisely tuned to a certain tone.

If you are using multiple singing bowls, place rock crystals between them. Rock crystal purifies and enhances the energy of interaction between the bowls, and the resonance produced by the bowls, in turn, purifies the crystals.

Tibetan singing bowls are a meditation tool that has long been used in spiritual practice. These bowls are made of a unique alloy of metals, which allows you to get an unusual sound that is significantly different from the sound of any other musical instruments. If we put several bowls in a row, we will see how they differ from each other. The bowls will still be different, even if they have the same diameter. This effect is achieved by the method of forging the bowl, as well as by different metal alloys used in the manufacture of bowls.

singing bowl shape

The sound and timbre of a singing bowl depend not only on its size, but also on structural features, for example, on the width of the rim, wall thickness, the ratio of the diameters of the bottom and rim, on the profile of the bottom, and so on.

In the manufacture of most of the Himalayan singing bowls used today, special rules were observed that determined the width, profile and decoration of the rim, the angle of the walls to the bottom. A good singing bowl certainly has the correct shape: all its curves are harmonious. When extracting sounds from a singing bowl, the performer usually places it on a cloth mat or holds it in his hand. If the bottom of the bowl is too flat, it will not produce enough resonance on a flat hard surface. The overtone range of the bowl depends on the wall thickness and on the composition of the alloy. The surface of genuine handmade singing bowls is covered with small dents - traces of the master's tool that molded the alloy. These recesses must be in harmony with the shape of the bowl as a whole, otherwise there will be dissonance in the overtones. The thicker the walls of the bowl, the more clearly the undertones are heard; the thinner the walls and the smaller the bowl, the more audible the overtones. When hit with a hammer, the bowl should not rattle or make any overtones. Genuine, well-shaped bowls sound clean and clear.

There are many legends about the origin of singing bowls, Although true story their origin is as mysterious as the Himalayas themselves and Tibetan monks.

According to first legend The emergence of singing bowls is associated with the spiritual ruler of Tibet, the Fifth Dalai Lama, who built his first palace in Drepung and gave it the name Kungar Ava. The throne of the ruler was created in the form of a singing bowl. Many believers come to the monastery in Drepung to bow to the sacred singing thicket. According to their beliefs, a person who hears her singing will never fall into their Tibetan hell, which they call "narak".

The second legend suggests that the singing bowls of Tibet came from wandering monks. They roamed the world with begging bowls where money or food was put for them. The monks had to gratefully accept any, even the most meager offering. Through this acceptance, they achieved the highest spiritual enlightenment, and through it - a sense of unity with the whole world, love for all living things.

The third legend is older than the others. She talks about the times when the main religion in Tibet was still shamanism, and supreme lamas received knowledge from communication with the Higher Spirits directly. Once they were promised to be given such objects of power with which any person could communicate with Supreme Intelligence directly. After deep meditation and trance, the priests saw that the objects that the spirits spoke about were bowl-shaped and made from an alloy of eight different metals: tin, iron, copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, and the eighth element remained unrecognized. At first, the lamas tried to make bowls from the first seven elements, but the resulting bowls did not connect them with the Cosmos. And they again turned to the Higher Spirits, having performed a special ritual, so that he would help them get an answer on how to properly make bowls. After that, a meteor shower began in the region of Mount Kailash - so the spirits sent them the missing element, which turned out to be the ore of this meteorite. The bowl, made of eight elements, emitted an unusual sound in terms of strength and vibration. Thousands of monks participated in religious ceremonies in which singing bowls were used. They cleansed the space and sent streams of life-giving positive energy into it.

Vibration

Nada brahma: the whole world is sound.

Modern science confirms this ancient Indian saying: everything in the world, not excluding even the densest matter, produces vibrations. The human body consists mainly of water, and water is an excellent conductor of vibrations: from a stone thrown into water, waves arise that diverge evenly over the surface and under water. External vibrations, be it light, electromagnetic radiation or sounds, cause a wide variety of reactions in our body - not only through auditory perception, but mainly through resonance at the cellular level. Our bodies readily respond to all sorts of vibrations in environment, including sounds. The sound and vibration of the singing bowls have a balancing and harmonizing effect.

In the modern Western world, we are surrounded by sources of vibrations that are dangerous to health: vehicles, high-voltage wires, fluorescent lamps... They disturb the balance of the body and exhaust the body and mind.

The overtone-rich sounds of singing bowls successfully resist this destructive influence. They are so pure and harmonious that they are able to restore order even in the midst of the chaos of negative vibrations. It is enough just to sit or lie down, relax and open up to these sounds - and everything will happen by itself.

Tibetan singing bowls are used as an auxiliary tool for meditation, but they also purify and harmonize the space, they are used to purify water and give it healing properties. This is a unique subject of spiritual practices that brings harmony, goodness and tranquility, and even in inept hands will not bring harm.

Singing bowl resonators

Singing bowls are a kind of resonator bell that spreads waves of sound and energy, charging the surrounding space. The bowl can be of any origin, there are bowls from Tibet, India, Nepal, the kingdom of Mustang. The main thing you need to know is that a real singing bowl must be forged, not factory-made, so that its “voice” has its own individuality, correlates with your inner state, and is tuned to your aura.

Singing bowls create vibration, extracting overtones of divine sounds from themselves. They purify and calm the soul, fill it with harmony, prepare space for meditation practices, and change negative energy.

Two techniques are commonly used to produce sound from Himalayan singing bowls: striking and rubbing. To make the bowl sing, special resonator sticks are used. When you rotate it around the edge of the bowl, it makes a sound that resembles a vibration or hum. It is important that the voice of the singing bowl is right for you, so that it does not irritate you, but, on the contrary, calms you down.

The resonator stick is most often a short and thick wooden stick, shaped like a mortar pestle. It should be noted that it is important to correlate the diameter, length and weight of the resonator. Often if the bowl does not sing, then the point is not that it is faulty, but in the wrong stick or in its incorrect use.

It should be matched to the diameter of the singing bowl. You must understand that, for example, a stick with a diameter of about 25 mm. unable to produce sound from a large diameter singing bowl, but it works well with small bowls. For massive forged singing bowls with great depth and surface volume, a stick with a diameter of 4 centimeters or more is suitable.

In order to produce sound from the bowl, it is important to keep your wrist in the same position when you rotate the stick as you move your hand around the circumference. In this case, the contact angle of the resonator with the bowl does not change. It is also important not to change the pressure on the walls of the bowl in different parts of it. All of these components—pressure, contact angle, and uniformity of movement—should be given equal attention, especially if your bowl has high rims.

A singing bowl with a predominantly overtone sound can change tones as pressure changes on its walls. If you use, as usual, a right contact angle, perpendicular to the walls of the bowl, then it will make low sounds, if you increase the angle of inclination, then the sounds will be higher.

There are also various types of singing bowl resonators, which are also important in producing musical sounds. Resonator sticks can be made from various types of wood, they can be solid wood or covered with leather, they are carved or carvings. For small, thin-walled bowls that sound high enough, a metal hammer can be used to help produce high-pitched sounds from them.

With wooden resonators, the degree of sound produced depends on the type of wood from which the resonator is made. Nepalese sticks are mainly made from hardwood. Such a stick is considered more naughty and in an inexperienced hand can slip out of the palm, hit the bowl, causing it to make rattling and squealing sounds. It is best used by more experienced and advanced singing bowl players. For beginners, a resonator stick made of softer woods, which are taken not from the core of the tree, but from the upper, softer woods, is better.

The wooden stick is most often used to extract high tones. However, it is also believed that the skin evens out the resonator, and the sound is clearer, without any side sounds. However, there are small singing bowls that can only be fired with a wooden resonator.

Any additional figurines on the resonator may interfere with the extraction of a clear sound, however, masters use these as well. As for the carved rings, which are often present on the sticks, they usually do not interfere with the formation of sound.

Small bowls and their small hammer resonators are usually used in conjunction with large volume bowls. This rising sound effect can be used, for example, for sound massages or folk music performances.

In any case, it is important to understand that the bowl and the stick are two unified parts of one harmonious musical process, and they must ideally fit each other, be co-tuned, that is, tuned to each other. Therefore, when choosing a singing bowl, you should also carefully choose the resonator stick, because it is no less important in extracting sound.

To do this, use special hammers and sticks of various sizes, made of various materials. The most commonly used smooth wooden sticks, sometimes with a rubber nozzle; there are also small metal sticks and large felt hammers. Confidently, but smoothly rubbing the rim of the bowl with a stick, you can extract sounds of various tones from it with undertones and overtones - depending on the position of the stick and the speed of friction.

Smooth circular movements give an almost continuous fundamental tone; the intensity of the sound can be changed by slightly varying the speed of friction. Sometimes the work with the bowl begins with a strike on the rim, which gives the main tone. Subsequent friction maintains this tone and produces other sounds. But it is better when the singing of the bowl begins without a preliminary blow, when the sound does not “knock out” from the bowl, but grows gradually.

You can also make sounds from a singing bowl with a regular violin bow. Sometimes the performer will pour some water into the bowl, which will obviously change the sound. When the sound reaches a certain intensity, the water begins to splash (which is why singing bowls are sometimes jokingly called "splashing").

By varying the angle of the stick and the pressure on the rim, you can get a wide variety of sounds: new undertones and overtones are woven into the music, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes separately. Each stick angle has its own specific sound range. Up to five or six audible undertones and overtones can be extracted from a single bowl. In addition, the performer can emphasize any one tone, muffling the rest.

Using several bowls of different sizes, you can create a complex musical composition, in which the undertones and overtones of various tones harmoniously support and complement each other.

Sticks made of metal or hardwood produce a sharp, clean tone from the bowl. Felt hammers give a much softer sound, cozy and peaceful. Some performers accent certain tones by bringing their lips closer to the rim of the bowl - the sounds are completely unusual!

And finally, according to some experts, the therapeutic effect of sound largely depends on which direction the stick moves when rubbing against the bowl - clockwise or counterclockwise.

Patterns on singing bowls

A real singing bowl must be forged, not factory-made, but blacksmithed, and it is especially important that it be created from an alloy of several metals: there must be an odd number of them, from five to nine. The main metals are gold, silver, iron, tin, mercury, copper, lead. It is possible to use only five metals, without gold and silver. Bowls made after the 19th century also had zinc and nickel added. It is important to strike a balance between the amount of metals and their volume in the alloy.

Tibetan singing bowls are often adorned with Buddhist symbols that invoke good luck. It can be the text "Om Mani Padme Hum", crossed vajras, eight Tibetan symbols of good luck or special Tibetan ornaments.

The six-syllable mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” literally means “Oh, the pearl shining in the lotus flower!”, but in fact it has many meanings. The totality of its syllables conveys the purity of the body, mind and speech of the Buddha. The second word "mani" - "jewel" symbolizes compassion and love, the desire for awakening, for the transition to a new higher level. The word "padme" - "lotus flower" personifies wisdom. "Hum" denotes the indivisibility of wisdom and action.

Vajra is a special Buddhist rod, an instrument of the gods. It looks like a scepter, the head of which is located at both ends. It is believed that this is a special weapon capable of cutting rocks, strong as a diamond and indestructible as lightning. Their tips resemble flower buds or cones. The more complex the structure of a vajra, the more powerful it is. The image of two crossed vajras is often placed at the bottom of a Tibetan bowl, which symbolizes strength.

As for the symbols of good luck applied to the bowls, they vary greatly depending on the group into which they are divided. Each of the groups carries a certain meaning and shade of happiness and good luck.

Eight symbols of good luck are the gifts presented to the Buddha by the gods after he gained Enlightenment. The first of them is a precious white umbrella that protects from suffering, illness and evil spirits, the second is a pair of golden fish, symbolizing spiritual liberation, the third is a white shell that frees from ignorance and helps in gaining knowledge, the fourth is White flower lotus, a symbol of Enlightenment, wisdom and spiritual growth, the fifth is a precious vessel that fulfills desires, the sixth is an endless knot, personifying endless time and the interconnection of all things, the seventh is a victory banner, indicating the victory of Buddhism over ignorance, the eighth is the Golden Wheel of the Teaching.

The designation of all eight items at the same time is called. They are often depicted on the walls of temples, houses, monasteries, as well as on curtains and doors.

Small symbols of good luck are also depicted on singing bowls. Eight precious substances in the form of eight different objects. They are correlated with the steps that make up. These are images of a mirror, a medical stone of gheewang (stomach stone of a magical elephant), curdled milk in a vessel, a bilwa tree apple, a shell, red sindhur powder, kush grass and white mustard seeds. They symbolize wisdom and right view, longevity, common sense, power, wisdom, good luck and virtue.

The Miracle of the Singing Bowl

Singing bowls are the most positively filled musical instrument. It's hard to imagine a way to use them for bad purposes. Therefore, the patterns on singing bowls cannot make them worse or better, they can only strengthen the message sent by vibration into space and charge it in a certain way: for wisdom, for health, for enlightenment, or for good luck. In any case, it will be a harmonious and healthy flow of energy, cleansing and helping in all endeavors.

The singing bowl makes unique, unique sounds. It cannot be confused with any other musical instrument.

But this is only one of the reasons why singing bowls should be recognized as a true miracle. The complex healing effect of singing bowls was revealed and began to be investigated in the West only in last decade XX century.

There are excellent sound therapists who can use singing bowls to bring harmony to the very foundations of our lives. In the hands of a talented specialist, even a single carefully chosen bowl can work wonders.

Resonance plays an important role here. The vibrations of the bowl enter into resonance with the internal vibrations of the human body and restore their balance. Thanks to this, a person plunges into a calm, serene state, and the sounds of a singing bowl penetrate the level of brain waves, transferring them to a more harmonious frequency. None of the other musical instruments used in sound therapy has such an effective effect.

Each individual singing bowl either suits you or it doesn't - there is no middle ground. To find out if a particular bowl is right for you, test it properly: listen carefully to its sound and to your own feelings. If you do not feel anything special, or if the sound of the bowl seems unpleasant to you, then working with it does not make sense. When choosing a cup, don't settle for less, don't settle for "almost fits" and don't let things that you don't really like be imposed on you - otherwise you will just throw money away. But if the sound of the bowl gives satisfaction, helps to relax or clears your thoughts, then this bowl has touched some deep strings in you.

In the same way, recordings of the sound of singing bowls should be checked and evaluated: choose those compositions that are in this moment seem pleasant to you and suit your mood.

In order to buy a singing bowl, you must first focus on yourself. It is desirable to see it, take it in your hands, try to work with it, make it make a sound. Not only is it necessary to make sure that you can make it sound, the sound must also resonate in your soul so that you understand that this is your cup.

Our health largely depends on how often we rest, relax and whether we can maintain normal emotions. But, despite the many ways to achieve harmony and peace, most of us do not know how to maintain peace in our own inner world. You can endlessly enumerate all these methods, but I would like to focus on Tibetan meditation, namely on "singing bowls".

Many of us find ourselves in situations where everything around is not going well. Problems in personal life begin, health deteriorates. All this soon leads to the fact that it is no longer possible to live in peace. I once found myself in such a situation. For a long time I was nervous over trifles, I could not concentrate on something. Constant headaches, insomnia began. I was close to being depressed.

Before, I heard about meditation, about Tibetan techniques, thanks to which internal energy and harmony are restored. I can’t say that I was skeptical about them, I just didn’t have time. But at that moment I realized that my own health is more important than other worries. Therefore, I began to allocate first 30 minutes a day, and then an hour for meditation. By the way, for relaxation, I chose the Tibetan meditation “singing bowls”. At first she listened to audio recordings, and then she began to extract sounds herself.

During meditation, miraculous changes occur with the body. You feel light and free, the body is saturated with energy, and bad thoughts go away forever. It took me 1.5 weeks to recover. The mood improved, the strength immediately appeared to live on. Now at least once a week I meditate in order to prevent that dead state of the body again.

Features of Tibetan meditation

Most of us, when we hear about Tibet, imagine a distant and mysterious place. Oriental sages appear before your eyes, knowing the answers to numerous questions and keeping the secrets of health and longevity. However, they are willing to share their knowledge with us, including the practice of meditation.

Meditation is mainly aimed at knowing one's own soul and revealing the possibilities of the body. Tibetan monks believe that all diseases are not due to a disease of a particular organ, but due to unhealed mental wounds. Therefore, the meditation of Tibetan monks is aimed at gaining inner harmony and happiness.

I would like to point out how important it is to ask correct installation before starting meditation. In Buddhism, concern for others and compassion for them is a priority. Take this idea as an installation, then you will succeed.

Before starting, free your mind from extraneous thoughts. Focus on your breath, paying attention to each inhalation and exhalation. Do this about 20 times, during which time the tension will decrease, the mind will calm down.

The practice of meditation includes many exercises. Here are just a few of them that are especially popular among different segments of the population:

1. Dream Yoga - meditation is aimed at spiritual growth and personal development. Thanks to her, the monks learn to analyze and correct the events that they saw in a dream.
2. The practice of tummo is a rather difficult exercise, but once you master it, you will be able to control the energy fields. This will allow you to control your own body temperature.
3. "5 Tibetan Pearls" - the practice includes 5 simple tricks with which you will achieve good health and longevity.
4. Developing Self-Love – Tibetan monks believe that without self-love, it is impossible to develop such qualities as empathy and mercy. Without them, the path to enlightenment is closed.
5. Practices for the dead - with their help, a person is cleansed, and the consciousness of the deceased is prepared for a better rebirth.
6. Yantra yoga and trul-khora were created with the aim of bringing students to a state of "natural mind".
7. Meditation "singing bowls" - it is about them that we will talk in this article. They are familiar to many people far beyond Tibet. Due to special sound vibrations, our body is structured, health is restored and consciousness is awakened.
8. Herbal Therapy - This practice involves the use of herbs from the Himalayan mountain ranges, which are known for their unique healing properties. Tibetan recipes are aimed at improving the body, preserving youth and beauty, with their help, consciousness is cleared. However, few manage to execute the recipe correctly.
9. "Colored breathing" - perfectly relaxes the body, helping to find peace and harmony. The practice is to create a balance between internal energy and the energy of the universe. In addition, during meditation, self-healing, self-healing and regeneration of damaged body structures occur.
10. Tibetan pulsations - through the use of a person's pulse, this practice helps to free the body from mental and bodily diseases.
11. Dance "Mandala" - based on Tibetan pulsations and work with mandalas. Especially useful for women, because it awakens and reveals the feminine nature. Dance also acts as a prevention of many female pathologies.

Naturally, there are a lot of practices, there are about 3000 of them. Their listing will take for a long time, so it's easier to just list the basic principles that unite them:

• treat not the disease, but your own lifestyle;
• strive to cleanse the body of dirt, eat only healthy and healthy foods;
• drive away dark thoughts, envy and arrogance;
• be kinder to yourself and to others;
• live in love, share joy and inspiration;
• let the morning begin with joy, and the evening end with a smile.

Tibetan practices will help you develop inner world, reveal its inner nature and its own capabilities, which you may not have suspected. Thanks to meditation, we have a unique opportunity to heal without the use of expensive medicines. In addition, in the bustle of the modern world, it is so important to maintain harmony and peace, which are easily achieved when performing Tibetan practices.

The monks see meditation as a kind of medicine for our body. Starting to study today, you will notice how your view of the world and the meaning of life will change. You will easily find joy, happiness and freedom from everyday worries.

Even simple meditation before going to bed promotes health, good rest and accumulation of energy.

Indications and contraindications

Of course, meditation can be practiced regardless of whether you have any pathologies. However, it is worth noting that the music of Tibetan bowls will have a beneficial effect on the body with some problems:

• concentration disorders;
• depression, stress, anxiety;
• phobias, obsessive fears
• headache;
• muscle tension;
• unstable emotional state
• Bad mood;
• sleep disorders;
• hyperactivity;
• fast fatiguability.

The practice of singing bowls will help in the shortest possible time to get rid of these disorders and restore energy in the body. The quality of life, the immune system and the body's defenses will improve.

However, in some situations it is undesirable to listen and put the bowl. For example, some people get headaches from its sound. But let's list the contraindications in more detail. They can be divided into absolute and temporary.

Absolute contraindications:

• malignant diseases of the blood, disorders of its coagulability;
• malignant tumors;
• vitamin C deficiency;
• gangrene;
• vascular thrombosis;
• inflammatory and allergic skin diseases;
• aneurysm of the vessels of the brain, heart, aorta, peripheral vessels;
• psychical deviations;
• active tuberculosis;
• purulent-necrotic bone pathologies;
• venereal diseases;
• serious violations of the cardiovascular system;
• increased risk of stroke;
• serious head injuries;
• epilepsy;
• nephrolithiasis, cholelithiasis;
• endocrine system disorders.
• problems with blood circulation, pulmonary heart failure of the 3rd degree;
• AIDS.

Temporary contraindications:

• severe agitation, overwork, psychosis;
• purulent pathologies, various skin disorders;
• cold, high fever;
• acute inflammation;
• inflammation of the lymph nodes, blood vessels;
• enlarged lymph nodes, discomfort in the area of ​​their localization;
• bleeding, bleeding;
• numerous allergic rashes with possible bleeding;
• increased blood pressure;
• causalgia syndrome resulting from damage to peripheral nerves;
• nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain;
• first trimester of pregnancy;
• alcoholic, drug intoxication.

With temporary contraindications, it is enough to wait for the disappearance of pathological phenomena.

How to do singing bowl meditation

Lay a yoga mat or mattress on the floor, and place some singing bowls around it. If you doubt that you will be able to extract the necessary sounds on your own, turn on the audio recording. Luckily, there are many singing bowl sounds available on the internet. To create the right atmosphere, candles and incense sticks come in handy.

Take a seat, close your eyes, and relax as you try to immerse yourself in the music of the singing bowls. If you still decide to use the bowls yourself, then let's figure out how to do it right.

1. How to hold a bowl in your hand - put it in your palm. Make sure that the fingers and hand are stretched out so that the vibration passes freely and unhindered. Small bowls should be placed at the fingertips, again making sure that their edge vibrates without problems.
2. How to choose a tool for extracting sound - a small wooden mallet or stick is suitable for this purpose. A hammer is useful for hitting small bowls. The stick will do just fine for this purpose. It is advisable to give preference to tools wrapped in suede or covered with felt. It should be borne in mind that the larger the bowl, the thicker you need to take the stick.

Before you start meditating, practice making sounds a little. Try to do it as gently as possible, gently hitting the bowl. It is necessary to strike with medium force: too strong blows produce an unpleasant sound, and weak blows reproduce useless emptiness.

When hitting, you need to hold the stick parallel to the edge of the singing bowl, just below the rim. To play the desired sound, simply touch the stick to the bowl and quickly move it away.

The technique of extracting sound by friction requires patience. Some bowls are easier to rub than others, so you will need time to master this technique. Start exercising with a wooden stick or suede-coated stick. Place the tool against the rim of the bowl and gently press the rim. Slowly, gradually move it until the bowl "sings".

When you learn how to properly handle the bowl, proceed to meditation. But do not forget about their correct location! Put the big ones at the bottom of the legs, and the small ones closer to the head. After that, you can start the practice of relaxation, alternately causing "chanting".

Continue self-development

As you can see, it is not necessary to visit doctors in order to maintain normal health. Through meditation, you will achieve enlightenment and harmony with your own body. And "singing bowls" are the simplest and most popular method of mediation. However, nevertheless, first make sure that such therapy is not contraindicated for you. After all, mediation should be aimed only at improving your condition.

Get the necessary tools and start meditation. This is an easy, pleasant procedure that will help you easily change own life. I also recommend that you read other similar articles in the TM project. Never stop in self-development and strive to become better every day.

Dmitry Mustaev is a psychologist, sound therapist, traveler. Some time ago, he devoted all his time and creative efforts to the development of a new and unusual direction in psychology - sound therapy.

It has long been known that sound has a very strong effect on the human psyche. Since ancient times, people have used rhythmic music to relax and to enter hypnotic trance states. However, research on the effect of sounds on the psychological state of a person is still in its infancy.

But even the results that we have to date are encouraging and clearly indicate that sound therapy in psychology has a good future.

A special trend in this area is the use of Tibetan bronze bowls, which are usually called "singing". This name is not at all surprising, because the sounds they make are truly alive.

Dmitry Mustaev is one of the first psychologists in Moscow who used playing these musical instruments to correct the psychological states of his clients; moreover, he conducted a whole series of studies on the effect of sounds on the human body.

We offer his article in which he tells the history of the development of the method.

Tibetan singing bowls are a new sound therapy tool.

Singing bowls (also known as Himalayan bowls, Tibetan bowls). The sound is born from the vibration of the walls of the bowl and its edges. Historically, singing bowls were made in India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea and Japan. IN Lately the main production is located in the Himalayan region and is more commonly known as "Tibetan singing bowls".

Singing bowls are used in various fields as a tool for relaxation, meditation, various practices related to yoga, bioenergetics, for the so-called "sound massage". Increasingly, bowls are used in the activities of SPA-salons, mainly in the West.

Singing bowls in Russia are becoming more and more active, providing a wide field for psychophysiological research and application for the benefit of the physical and mental health of a person, especially a modern city dweller, to whom the environment generously supplies reasons for inharmonious states.

How did my work with singing bowls begin? From two unobtrusive, in general, events. The first took place when in 2008 I brought the first samples from Nepal, one bowl for myself, the other as a gift. And I noticed that two people close to me reacted to the sound of one of them diametrically opposite. From "full delight filled with air in the house" to "iron hoop, squeezing the head"! Excuses that these people listened to the sound in different moods and states, that they are at different levels spiritual development and different degrees of acceptance of myself and the world, were no longer accepted by me ...

Dmitry Mustaev. bowling session.

The second event happened a year later, when I was a little more consciously communicating with the bowls, already noticing the little "miracles" around them. A familiar singer and musician called one of the bowls "major", comparing it with the rest of the "minor". And I plunged with interest into the theory of music, psychoacoustics and sound therapy at the Faculty of Applied Psychology. Around the same period, I began to “timidly play along” with my spiritual teacher and supervisor Nikolai Vladimirovich Lipets on bowls during meditation classes. In 2009 we recorded the first album on CD "The Miraculous Cups Hour". Then I began to lead self-study with drinking bowls. As a result, my supervisor approved the topic of the thesis “Psychological counseling using sound therapy”.

After defending my diploma, I began to conduct group trainings, master classes, events, corporate evenings, and training on this topic. Gradually, it grew into something more, and I left office activities, fully concentrating on this wonderful occupation.

The impact of the sound of singing bowls on a person consists of several factors.

Everyone knows that a person is largely composed of liquid (according to different sources, from 70 to 85%). The liquid conducts sound vibrations well and the effect of sound on a person goes not only through the organs of hearing, but also directly - through cellular structures, nerve circuits and further - to the subconscious and consciousness.

The processing of sound by the auditory center of the brain, giving the heard sound or fragment an emotional, logical and any other “relationship” occurs with a delay of fractions of a second in relation to the sound that has reached consciousness with “ reverse side”- through the cells to the subconscious and from there to the consciousness. In this case, the prerequisites for the formation of patterns do not have time to form in the neural chains, since the body has already reacted itself and “informed” its reaction to the subconscious, thereby freeing the channels of perception.

Non-harmonic overtones, which the auditory center could not provide with any sign, deprive the sound of regularity, melodic "correctness" and habituation, the formation of a pattern of "evaluation", "categorization" of sound. It becomes possible to weaken and even destroy temporary and established neural connections, their sequences responsible for habits, automatic actions and standard reactions.

The trance state of the listener, which sometimes occurs when listening to the sounds of singing bowls, relieves most of the tension in the mind and body.

(Trans (from French transir - to become numb) is a functional state of the psyche, in which the degree of consciousness control over information processing changes. Trance is accompanied by certain changes in brain activity, in particular - beta waves.

ASC (altered state of consciousness) is recognized by medicine as a healing state in which a person receives approximately twice as much rest as during sleep. A person can spontaneously enter the ASC under the influence of fatigue, information overload, etc. This is how the body protects itself from stresses when their number and strength become excessive.

Applications of Tibetan singing bowls.

The use of singing bowls, based on my experience in group and client work, can be considered in the following areas:

1. - relaxation, including "express relaxation", when a large layer of psychosomatic stress is removed in 20 minutes,

2. - meditation, changing states of consciousness (ASC),

3. - correction of psychosomatic disorders, spontaneous healing,

4. - harmonization of depressive states, work with psychotraumas,

5. - work with dependencies of various kinds,

6. - weakening and elimination of the consequences of programmable states of the psyche,

7. - prevention and treatment of age-related and post-traumatic hearing changes,

8. - development (more precisely - awakening) creativity people of different age and social categories.

The originality of my method lies in the combination of the Eastern approach to the body and psyche with Western pragmatism, obtaining specific results using specific methods. And this is a continuous search, analysis of customer feedback. I use a well-known holistic approach, a view of the Human in the integrity of his Body-Mind-Senses.

There are more and more masters working with bowls. In this regard, the number of "sound charlatans" is growing, using a rare entourage and mystical atmosphere, not really understanding the effect of Sound on a Human.

One of my VK subscribers directly asked, they say, “tell me quickly how it works and teach me how to knock on cups, otherwise sound therapists have been making a lot of money lately, I also want to!” That's why I'm researching different forms of sound therapy. And that's why I would like to unite singing bowl makers so that clients can always check the reputation of sound therapists.

Sound therapy with Tibetan bowls.

One client who worked near my office came in for a short session at lunchtime, a couple of meetings a week gave her a supply of energy and calmness. And for my colleagues, at the time of my work in the office of a large organization, I came up with a "Sound lunch", which restored strength and ability to concentrate, increased the efficiency of daily activities.

Currently, I successfully apply several of my own methods in client work:

"Singing bowls in a hammock" (express relaxation and full version audio session)

"Track of overtones" (regression psychotherapy),

"The Sound of Letting Go" (work with psycho-traumas),

"Bowls-antagonists" (in the practices of acceptance and integration of polarities),

"Pulsing with singing bowls"

and the aforementioned “Sound Lunch” is a practice for those in the office.

I collaborate with poets, artists, tea masters, yoga instructors to combine practices with the sound of singing bowls.

Method perspectives.

Singing bowls are a bright phenomenon in the world of sound therapy, little used by psychologists. And in itself, and especially in capable hands, it can become a serious tool on the way of a person's knowledge of himself and the world.

In psychological work, I have experience of online consultations during a Skype session. In this case, synchronization is achieved by the simultaneous sounding of the same recording of singing bowls, both by the client and by the psychologist. An online session can be conducted both by voice and by chat (correspondence).

There is also experience in communicating with the sounds of singing bowls of pregnant women and their future children, at different gestation periods. This could become an extensive research topic in the field of perinatal psychology.

A separate area is autism. Children with this anamnesis are very susceptible to sound, there are methods of working with them.

My plans are simple and, at the same time, global: the production of my own singing bowls with specified characteristics for music making, psychotherapy and spiritual practices. My dream is to create my own center, to open a Healthy Lifestyle School. To do this, I conduct training, individual and group meetings, communicate with masters in the field of non-ferrous metals, bell making, I also plan to create and participate in the work of the Association of Masters of Sound.

Upcoming meetings with Dmitry Mustaev - March 18, 2017, meditation in " open world”, Moscow and March 24, 2917, a training seminar in the Moscow region. Details and contacts on the website