Singing Bowl Experience
As a TH, I have dabbled in many “things.” One of those things was to take a Reiki Level 1 training course with a friend who is a Master/Teacher (JN). This was many years ago (I’ll have to find my certificate for the exact date). I should also note that I did not go on to practice Reiki, but I sure appreciated the experience, knowledge, and feeling that it left me with.
If you are not familiar with Reiki, you can find information on Google. Here is a little snippet though. It is used for healing and personal growth. You can also perform Reiki sessions on others. The words intuition, technique, manifest, practice, power, release, energy and consciousness come to mind. The level 1 training session also introduced me to the chakra energy systems.
Chakra
Chakras are various focal points used in ancient meditation practices (search on healthline.com for more information for “A Beginner’s Guide to the 7 Chakras and Their meanings). A basic rundown of the Chakras are as follows:
- Crown (Violet or white, very top of the head, awareness, intelligence)
- Third Eye (Indigo, between the eyes on the forehead, intuition, imagination)
- Throat (Blue, throat, communication)
- Heart (Green, center of the chest, just above the heart, love, compassion)
- Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow, upper abdomen, self-esteem, confidence)
- Sacral (Orange, just below the bellybutton above the pubic bone, sexuality, pleasure, creativity)
- Root (Red, base of the spine, physical identity, stability, grounding)
If you’ve taken a yoga class, you may have heard of chakras. When you bow at the end of the yoga class, you might place your hands near your heart center and say, “Namaste.” I have heard singing bowls used in some yoga classes. They can be very relaxing and meditative as well.
Singing Bowl
What is a singing bowl? “A Tibetan singing bowl is a type of bell that vibrates and produces a rich, deep tone when played.” (verywellmind.com) This weekend, the Hubs and I walked into a store (Henna Shoppe) and I asked if they had any of those bowls that make peaceful noises. I was reminded of how healing and calming they could be by a friend who is going through health challenges. She says listening to singing bowl videos help her relax. Peace be with those who are in need of healing.
We were fortunate to encounter an associate who was full of knowledge about the singing bowls and chakras, etc. She was very good at making the bowls “sing.” We tried the small ones, mid-size ones, and larger ones. She played the very large one. We were wowed! After about 20 minutes, the Hubs got the hang of it. It took me a bit longer. By the end of about 30-40 minutes, we were hooked. We usually invest in a vase (Indian, Southwestern) every other year or so. This year we invested in a singing bowl. Not too expensive, but expensive enough.
Our practicing continued at home. And, no, the Hubs and I are not competitive. Okay, yes, we are. All in good fun though. I asked him to take a video of me while I played the singing bowl so I could share on my blog. Then, I took a video of him, so I could share as well. His video turned out so much better than mine, so I decided to share his only. I’m just grateful he gave me permission to share. He is handsome, isn’t he.
(Apologies for the LARGE video, I am still learning how to post)
We both hope you enjoy the singing bowl experience. If you’re looking for a unique Christmas gift for someone, you might consider a smaller singing bowl. The smaller ones were about $40, the one in the video was $82. Oh, and the Hubs left a $13 tip for the store associate. We appreciated the time she took with us and the information she shared. I hope you enjoyed this too.
Take good care.