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The Art of Crystal Bowls for Meditation, Healing, Balance, 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 specialits 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. We can speak to these
others at a later time. (Watch future newsletters, or join our
trainings!)
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.The nature of specific pitches, colors, or gems, and their use, will have to be reserved for a future article, or in our sound healers' training. (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.
Training in Use, or Purchase of Bowls
You will find in depth training regarding the nature of, and use of, the crystal bowl in next weekend's Sound Healers Trainiing, Jan 14-16, in Vermont, as well as our March training the Bahamas, and our Fall Full Sound Healers Training, 8 months long. We,
also, have extraordinary skill, with decades of experience, at helping
you select a bowl that will be comfortable, easy on your pocket book,
and useful for you to generate your own personal healing practice, or
professional practice, at our World Instruments Site, Sunreed Instruments.
Contact us if you wish further information.For those close enough to us to travel, you can call for personal demonstration and purchases in our display area, or personal training sessions with Zacciah.
We can, even demonstrate some over the phone, to give you an idea of their differences and qualities of tone or pitch.
Join
us in our practices for in depth training, and understanding principals
of personal wellness, healing, and growth, for oneself and to assist
others as a professional therapist.
Learn how to integrate sound into your established wellness practice, such as Reiki, Massage, Psychotherapy, and more!
The Center of Light Institute of Sound Healing and Shamanic Studies Contact: Zacciah Blackburn, PhD Director, The Center of Light Institute of Sound Healing and Shamanic Studies Ascutney, VT 05030 USA e-mail: info@sunreed.com 802.674.9585 You may contact us if you wish to use any of it in edited form. ©2010 Zacciah
Blackburn
Zacciah Blackburn is a gifted intuitive, therapist, teacher, and sacred sound channel, trained in classical healing and shamanic traditions, and sacred sound cultures. He teaches internationally, and practices in Contact: Zacciah Blackburn, PhD Director, The Center of Light Institute of Sound Healing and Shamanic Studies www.thecenteroflight.net 802.674.9585 ©2010 Zacciah Blackburn ______________________________________________________________________________
Our practices embody these principals of sound and consciousness. We welcome you to ask about our work and practices which might benefit you. Our Our Egyptian practices, and other esoteric programs, embody these principals, such as our upcoming Horus and Golden Body Practices. And, they are part of our Earth Energies classes. The Illumination of Consciousness Series: Egyptian Mysteries & other Esoteric Studies ****************************************************************** The many realms of Zacciah's trainings into the Illumination of Consciousness, including the Egyptian Mysteries, the Earth Mysteries, with Indigenous trainings, and other program formats, and the Professional Sound Healers Trainings, will provide ever more revealing journeys in both professional explorations and more personal transformational opportunities, for those wishing to pursue the Mystery as revealed through use of our own awareness, guided exercises, esoteric energy practices, and Sacred Sound Initiations. We
welcome your requests for additional information
regarding these programs. Zacciah,
and Staff
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