Singing Bowls
What does Singing Bowl mean?
A singing bowl is a particular kind of standing bell that is inverted and played by rotating a mallet around the outer rim in order to create a resonant, musical note. Singing bowls are used in some Buddhist religious practices to accompany periods of meditation and chanting. Singing bowls are widely used for music making, meditation and relaxation, as well for personal spirituality. They have become popular with music therapists, sound healers and yoga practitioners. Most standing bells are manufactured substantially of bell metal (an alloy of copper and tin), sometimes with impurities or additions, although variability can be inferred from the variety of alloy colours. They are generally bowl-shaped, and exist in a wide variety of sizes, from a few centimetres to one metre in diameter. It is sometimes stated that singing bowls are 'traditionally' made of an alloy consisting of various metals, often seven, each associated with a heavenly body. Those commonly mentioned are gold, silver, mercury, copper, iron, tin and lead (or antimony).
