For many things in life, I love to have a default way of doing a certain thing and try a new way of doing that thing every now and then. For example, I usually have lunch in the exact same restaurant eating the same food item in the menu, usually selecting one of three to four items that I basically loop to be exact. Yet, there is may be one day or two every months that I feel I need to have some new food to feel more refreshed and excited. For some people, they may want to eat something new everyday. Anyway, my point is that our human brain has the tendency of wanting to try something new. It is rational to ignore that tendency and stick to our optimal way of doing things. Yet, if it doesn’t hurt, there is nothing wrong to satisfy our curiosity by trying some new. May be there is something new to learn. Or may be you can achieve the same thing but you end up having more fun. Or may be the new method inspires you to improve your old methods. Now, let’s talk about how you can try to meditate differently by using a meditation bowl. And what is it anyway?
What is the Meditation Bowl?
First of all, let’s talk about what the meditation bowl is. I am pretty sure that you have already guessed correctly that it is a bowl-like tool that is used for meditation. That indeed is basically the answer. Still, let me provide you with more details. The meditation bowl is also known as the singing bowl or the Tibetan singing bowl. There is evidence that people from centuries ago have already been using the meditation bowl for meditation. It is a metal bowl usually has the size that equals two hands together that comes with a short and relative thick stick made of wood. It is believed that the sound that produced when hitting the meditation bowl with the stick has a range of frequency that has the ability to relax, clear or even heal the mind. It, therefore, has the capability of directly help with stress and depression. Now, let’s talk about how to select the right meditation bowl for yourself and how to use it.
What is the Right Singing Bowl for You?
If you are interested in using a singing bowl for meditation, you have to find the right one first. Like many things related to meditation, there is no “textbook” answer of what the right thing is. The “right thing” is the thing that simply works well or works naturally efficiently for you. In the case of selecting the right meditation bowl, the sound of the bowl has to sound good to you. The point of listening to the sound of the meditation bowl is to make yourself feel relaxed and help your get into the half-asleep state that other form of meditation is supposed to put you in. So, get a bowl that sounds good to you. As a minor point, get one that comes with a stick that feels good on your hand.
How to Use the Meditation Bowl?
Using the mediation bowl is simple. It is basically a musical instrument that you hit with a stick or a mallet. There are two main ways that you can use the singing bowl for meditation purpose. One is a less-formal form of meditation and the other way is more similar to how you would do a breath or mantra meditation. There is no right or wrong way of doing it. Remember that the purpose of meditation is to reset your mind or put your mind to rest for a short period of time so it can then think clearly afterward. Here are the two ways of using the meditation bowl briefly explained.
Use it Casually
Like I have mentioned in other blog posts I have previously written, meditation doesn’t have to be formal. For example, you don’t necessarily have to sit and have your eyes closed when meditating. You can use your long walk as your way of meditation, in order words way to calm down and clear your mind. Using this concept, you can simply hit the meditation bowl with the stick casually and listen to its sound. You don’t need to really hit the bowl in consistent rhythm. Just casual hit it when there is no sound and list to the sound. Since the sound itself is very relaxing, just listening to it is a great way of meditation already. It is like having a long walk. It is a form of casual and informal meditation that may takes over 30 minutes to be very effective.
Meditate with Singing Bowl like Doing Mantra Meditation
My default method of meditation, the type of meditation that I do almost every morning, is mantra meditation. Using a meditation bowl in a more formal and typical way is like doing the mantra meditation, except that you kind of replace the reading of the mantra with the hitting of the bowl. In other words, you repeatedly hit the meditation bowl with a mallet in a consistent pace, something like once every 5 to 10 seconds. Listen to the ringing of the bowl after each hit. Very soon, like when you are doing your mantra meditation, you will fall half-asleep and you will forget to hit the bowl. Once you realize you have stopped hitting the bowl, start hitting it again just like you would start saying the mantra in your mind again if you find that you have stopped. To some people, hitting the meditation bowl is a more natural action than repeating a mantra in the mind. I often find mantra meditation easier though and that’s why I have make it my go-to method of meditation.
In conclusion, a meditation bowl is also called the singing bowl. It is a mental bowl that comes with a stick. You simply make sounds by hitting the bowl with the stick. You can hit the bowl randomly to simply enjoy the relaxing sound or you can hit it repeatedly at a consistent speed to achieve a similar effect to mantra or breath meditation.