Singing bowls: what they are and how to use one

A singing bowl is a metal or crystal bowl that rings with a long, sustained note when it is struck or when a mallet is run around its rim. In meditation it is used in two ways: as a bell to mark the start and end of a sitting, and as a sound to rest your attention on.

Two ways to play one

Striking. Rest the bowl on your flat palm or on a cushion. Tap the outside of the rim gently with a padded mallet. A soft tap gives a warmer sound than a hard one. Then do nothing, and let it ring.

Singing. Hold the bowl on your flat palm with your fingers clear of the sides, since touching the bowl deadens it. Press a wooden or suede-wrapped mallet against the outside of the rim and move it around the edge in slow, even circles with steady pressure. After a few turns the bowl begins to hum, and the hum builds. If it rattles, slow down and press a little more firmly.

Striking is easy at the first attempt. Singing takes a few minutes of practice.

Using the sound to meditate

A bowl’s note has a clear beginning and a very gradual end, which makes it a good object for attention.

1. Sit comfortably and strike the bowl once.
2. Listen to the note. Follow it as it fades.
3. Keep listening until you are certain it has gone completely.
4. Notice the quiet that follows it.
5. Rest there for a few breaths, then strike again.

The interesting moment is step three. The sound thins out so gradually that you cannot say exactly when it stops, and staying with it right to the edge of hearing holds the mind in the present more firmly than most instructions manage to.

You can try this now. The sound garden has a singing bowl that rings every so often, and the meditation timer uses one for its opening and closing bells.

A bell for your practice

The simplest use is as a marker. One strike to begin a sitting and one to end it turns “I should meditate at some point” into a small ritual with edges. Many people find that the sound itself becomes a cue: after a few weeks, hearing it is enough to start settling.

Where they come from

Metal bowls and bells have been used in Buddhist practice across Asia for a very long time, mostly struck as bells to mark points in a ceremony. The “Tibetan singing bowl” as it is sold today, played by rubbing the rim, is harder to trace, and historians disagree about how old that way of playing really is. It is fair to say that the bowls are old and that much of what is claimed about their ancient healing use is modern.

What about healing claims?

You will see singing bowls sold with claims about healing frequencies, balancing energy and treating illness. There is no good evidence for these. What a few small studies do suggest is more modest: that listening to bowls is relaxing, and that people often report lower tension afterward. That is a perfectly good reason to enjoy one. Treat it as a pleasant sound that helps you settle, not as medicine.

Choosing a bowl

• Size. A bowl about four to six inches across is easy to hold and gives a clear, bright note. Larger bowls are deeper and ring longer.
• Metal or crystal. Metal bowls have a warm, complex tone with several notes at once. Crystal bowls give a pure, loud single tone and are more fragile.
• Listen before you buy if you possibly can. Two bowls that look the same can sound quite different. Choose the one whose note you would be glad to hear every day.
• Check what is included. You need a mallet and a cushion or ring for the bowl to sit on.
• Ignore the mysticism in the listing. Claims about seven sacred metals or specific healing frequencies tell you nothing about how the bowl sounds.

Looking after it

Wipe a metal bowl with a dry cloth and keep it dry. Store it on its cushion, and never stack other things inside it. Keep the volume moderate when you play. A bowl struck hard close to the ear is loud enough to be uncomfortable.