| There are two questions my students and clients ask | | | | they are if inferior quality because they probably did |
| all the time. One is 'How do I choose a good bowl" and | | | | not hand select them or have a long term relationship |
| the other is 'How do I know which bowl is good for a | | | | with the supplier. These things DO make a big |
| specific chakra'. People also call to obtain a bowl with | | | | difference. |
| a certain musical note. My answers to these questions | | | | Usage: It is useful to determine what you will use the |
| are founded in the Eastern philosophy rather than from | | | | bowl for: ie meditation, grounding, physical healing? Do |
| a Western mindset, because this better reflects the | | | | you want to integrate a few bowls into an existent |
| nature of the instruments as they were intended: | | | | modality or use them with other instruments in a |
| Choosing a good bowl requires a few things. | | | | musical vain, or become a sound healer? The answers |
| Quality: Either an eye and an ear for excellent quality- | | | | to these questions will also impact on your choices. |
| or knowing and trusting someone who knows the | | | | Tone: The tone of the bowls should linger for quite |
| bowls and can help you. Many people sell bowls and | | | | some time when struck producing several layers of |
| most are new and machine made to look old. There | | | | tones you can hear that in turn create overlaying |
| are several signs of age in a bowl including the shape, | | | | harmonics and overtones. When you sing a bowl (rub |
| the markings inside and out, the thickness of the metal | | | | the rim with the wooden or leather part of a stick) |
| especially on the bottom (thinner is usually older), and | | | | there are several things to consider. How 'awake' the |
| the tone. Most lay people will not be able to tell the | | | | bowl is: some bowls sing right away, and some need |
| difference between an antique and a good | | | | to be played for a while and 'broken back in'. This is |
| reproduction. It takes a trained eye. But you should be | | | | neither good or bad but it is important to know so you |
| able to hear the difference. Often even the people | | | | don't dismiss a potentially great instrument just |
| who sell bowls in shops and on the internet are not | | | | because it doesn't sing right away. When you hear a |
| very knowledgeable, so ask a lot of questions. When | | | | bowl, listen to your body. If it opens your heart, or |
| someone says a bowl is old in this country old can | | | | moves you deeply in some manner; if you feel tingling |
| mean 50 years. That is new by my standards. A real | | | | all over, or the tone directly impacts one area of your |
| old bowl it will be at least 100 years old and more | | | | body or grounds you- these are all good signs. Bowls |
| often hundreds of years old. If the vendor doesn't | | | | were created for consciousness transformation and |
| know the region the bowls were made in, and how the | | | | healing. You should feel their effect on you. |
| markings help distinguish the type of bowl, they | | | | If you have more than one bowl then it is good to play |
| probably don't know much. Bowls were made in a | | | | them together so that their tones harmonize. |
| variety of regions of Tibet and their shape and | | | | Eventually, they will anyway, because that is their |
| markings are telling. Some of the bowls have | | | | nature and magic, but why not help the process by |
| consciousness transformation as their primary intention, | | | | starting with bowls that sound great together right |
| and some have physical healing. This can be | | | | away? Note that with several bowls, playing them in |
| determined by their shape. There is more about this | | | | one pattern may sound very good and another |
| and photos in my home study course available on my | | | | pattern may not! |
| website. A high quality, ancient bowl is an investment. If | | | | Bowls and Chakras. In the west we work with seven |
| it is inexpensive and old, then it was probably obtained | | | | chakras. The Tibetans work with five regions of the |
| in a less than honorable manner...A good bowl is an | | | | body. The bowls were created to bring us back to our |
| investment and the price can range from $110 for a | | | | experience of the interrelationship of all things; thus |
| very small bowl to thousands of $$ for a huge bowl. | | | | they are not calibrated to work on any one chakra to |
| On the other side of the coin is the seller who hikes up | | | | the exclusion of the rest. Their very nature |
| the price claiming that a bowl is from the 16th or 17th | | | | encompasses our wholeness. In this way they are |
| century. If you really want to determine the exact age | | | | very different instruments then the western |
| of a bowl, you have to melt it down- thereby | | | | counterparts- tuning forks and crystal bowls. However |
| destroying it. Ask where and who authenticates the | | | | there are some bowls whose tone and size lend |
| bowls and how the age was determined and tune into | | | | themselves more naturally to certain areas of the |
| your intuition about the story you are being told. | | | | body. Lower tones for grounding, largest bowls by the |
| In Asia, the only way to establish a good and | | | | feet, soothing mid tones around the head, and higher |
| trustworthy relationship with a supplier is over a | | | | tones over the 3rd eye, etc. There are too many |
| number of years, and eyeball to eyeball. So the few | | | | variables to discuss here but you can get some basic |
| people who go over themselves to select instruments | | | | principals in my home study course. Having several |
| over a period of years will get the best bowls. If your | | | | bowls is wonderful but understand that even if you |
| bowls come from a wholesaler somewhere, w ho | | | | have only ONE bowl, it will impact all of you, and not |
| purchases large quantities of things you can be sure | | | | just one chakra. |