In the world there are a lot of interesting and at the same time mysterious objects which came to us from antiquity. Some of them are stored in the museums, and others became a sample for creation of new, modern copies. Such product is the Tibetan singing bowl which makes extremely positive impact on the person. Certainly, for its use it is necessary to know several secrets about which the speech will go further.
What is it?
The singing bowl (Japan calls it to sudz or рин) is a kind of the bell which is used for creation of music. However, unlike it, it is the stationary tool (it is not suspended to a ceiling and does not fasten on the handle).
Music helps to be loaded with positive mood and even to cure a hypertension.
Emergence of a sound is explained by vibration of walls and edges of a product which the person touches by means of a special stick — a stik. In days of old the given tool was widely used across all Asia, participating in various religious actions (in particular as a part of Tantric Buddhism).
Whether you know? Traditional Tibetan bowls make of 5-9 various metals, as allows to receive a clear sound. According to the legend obligatory for a component there has to be a meteoric iron.
History
Unfortunately, written certificates which in details would describe how our ancestors used the singing bowl, today not. However it is possible to judge its existence in those days on a large number of sculptures and images at which there is this tool.
It is possible to find the samples dated the X-XII century in an arsenal of private collectors, but there are bases to assume that the first of them appeared even earlier: for example, in Asia the bronze bells began to make in the 9th century BC.
In traditional option such musical instruments were created from alloy of 7 different metals which in Hinduism carries the name panchalokh and rather long time had sacral value for the Himalaya countries. Copper to which were also added iron, tin, zinc, silver, gold and nickel formed its basis.
That is as a result the brass or cast bronze complemented with precious metal turned out. However many collectors consider that it was not the gold standard, and often bowls were made of other alloys (they could include about 12 different metals).
Important! The uniqueness of ancient products consists in simultaneous sounding of several harmonious overtones that is connected with individual sounding of each metal entering alloy.
Today traditional technicians of creation are considered lost though from different parts of Nepal the products made by traditional manual forging are still delivered.
Certainly, the quality of the alloy used in this case falls short of the level of material of ancient tools, however in the course of their aging the sound will change all the same, becoming softer and warm.
Ancient bowls were quite often decorated with ornaments and abstract patterns which were applied not only on edges of a product, but also on its bottom. It is no wonder that the real samples X-XII of century with the unique singing qualities so are appreciated by modern collectors.
Read also about different technicians of yoga: Simkhasana, Kundalini, Ayengara.
Present
Buddhists still use the singing bowls as the auxiliary tool at meditation, a prayer and immersions in a trance. In the Chinese Buddhist practice they are applied together with moktaky (a type of a wooden box) in the course of the chants. The blow about a surface of a product accompanies singing of a concrete phrase in a mantra, the anthem or a sutra.
In the Vietnamese cities and in Japan by means of such objects note time in the course of a prayer and also report about change of a type of activity. In Europe this musical instrument is not so widespread and in most cases acts only as the souvenir brought from abroad.
Such interest in it caused increase in production of bowls which besides are more often decorated with spiritualny motives and religious symbols (Buddhist mantras, Hindu ashtamangala and Buddha's images).
Usually modern version of so surprising tool is manufactured of bronze, but already without addition of precious rare metals that, naturally, affects also sounding. Often it is possible to meet bowls from Nepal and a northern part of India, however the worthy products are turned out by producers from Korea and Japan (it is to a lesser extent directed to export).
Important! Unlike handmade results which are in certain cases capable though a little to approach ancient samples the singing bowl produced in the machine method differs in quite bad musical qualities that does it unsuitable for use in the musical purposes (it is limited to only two harmonious overtones).
Impact on the person
Various impact of the Tibetan singing bowl on a human body was noticed soon after the beginning of its active application, that is one hundred years ago.
So, ancient Buddhists noted its influence on consciousness, a body and even power of people thanks to what and today it is possible to raise the level of vital energy, to restore the immune system, to normalize arterial blood pressure, to get rid of stressful factors and clips caused by them at the physical level.
If you learn to use correctly the tool, then it will help to relax not only emotionally, but also physically, saving you from insomnia. Its sounding also synchronizes work of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, improving creative abilities and harmonizing breath process (this already in itself can save the person from many problems).
Improvement of hearing and recovery of skeletal system is in certain cases noted. Certainly, nobody suggests you to do massage by bowls, but sound vibrations have not less strong effect, especially if to place tools directly on different parts of a body of the lying person.
After the unlucky working day it is important to restore an organism after loadings.
One of good options of such sound massage is placement of the singing bowls around the person in the following sequence: large products which make deep sounds — closer to legs and small, thin-walled tools to high, joyful sounding — are closer to the head. Having finished with arrangement of the place for a similar relaxation, it is possible to begin to elicit serially from products sounds easy blows of a stik.
If to strike blows to a bowl, moving it over a human body, then it is possible to notice as in some areas its sounding changes. Experts claim that so problem places react to a sound. On them it is necessary a few to be late and continue to strike blows to a product until sounding does not become the same, as well as over other parts of the body.
The unhealthy area will absorb vibrations of the tool until, the power of the person will not equilibrate yet. Such influence can quite be considered symptomatic treatment as after a while the problem will return again if you do not remove its cause.
How it is correct to play?
To achieve the most effective sounding of the singing bowl from Tibet it is necessary to know about rules of the game on it. Actually there is nothing difficult in it, there are only two ways of extraction of a sound.
Friction of a rim
In this option everything that from you is required - it is to carry out by a wooden stack on edge of a bowl, causing the repeated repeating vibrations which allow to receive several overtones. The appeared sounding will remind buzz at once of several bells which will merge in a whole over time. The uniqueness of the singing bowls also consists in these interacting overtones, so any tool in the world does not sound any more.
Potirany bowls with internal and from outer side makes active a power spiral and allows to receive harmonious sounding. Compare sounding in both options.
Principle of a bell
The second way of impact on a bowl is based on the principle of a bell: supporting a bowl by finger-tips in the lower part, strike blows to an outer edge of a product with a stack that allows to receive long vibrations.
In any of options pledge of a successful game — the provision of the singing bowl. Most often it is strengthened on a small horizontal surface (the it less, the will be more beautiful a sound), established on a special small pillow or held fingers. Sliding of a stik at the edges of a cup has to be carried out continuously, otherwise the sound will also be interrupted. When pressing a stick the vibration accrues therefore to hold one rhythm very difficult.
How to choose and what sounding depends on?
Ability to handle the singing bowl — it is good, but the sounds made by it in many respects depend on individual characteristics of the tool. Therefore when choosing a product it is so important to consider its amount, material of production, feature of a stik and fullness. Each of these criteria plays the role in its application and is in own way important.
Size
Diameter of a bowl varies ranging from 10 cm up to 1-2 meters, and there is a certain regularity: the less this indicator, the will be higher its sounding. However a sound of too small tools not such strong, and it is much more difficult to its vibration to feel.
Traditional option it is considered to be products with a diameter of 20 cm especially as this value significantly facilitates a game on them, and bowls do not take a lot of place in the room.
Surface
As we already noted earlier, for receiving optimum sounding when carrying out by a stack on a bowl surface it has to be made of several metals gathered in the correct proportions. Otherwise sounding of a product will not have the necessary quantity of overtones, and the sound will not become such clean as it would be desirable.
Certainly, independently very few people manage to define authenticity of purchase therefore try to play on the tool. And it is good if before you hear as the real product correctly has to sound. It is unlikely after that you will be able to confuse sounding of the original Tibetan singing bowl with a fake.
Today alloy for such products is not so rich, so, it is not necessary to expect full sounding from a similar souvenir. However try to find a handmade bowl which part 5 metals are at least.
Important! It is more difficult to play small thin-walled instruments, but their sounding will be cleaner.
Stik
Influences depth of sounding of the described tool and stik to which blows are struck. Metal sticks or products from strong breeds of wood give a clear and sharp sound while felt flow down allow to take the soft sounding possessing the pacifying impact on the person.
It is also important that stik corresponded to the sizes of the bowl and material of its production (on hardness and on weight). That is for thin-walled big products it is better to select heavy flow down which will allow to receive rich and powerful sounding, and for small bowls the small stick from an easy tree which will allow to take rather poor overtones, but beautiful sounds will be ideal option.
Fullness
It is simple to guess that the empty bowl will sound not as filled therefore to diversify the sounds proceeding from it, it is possible to pour in water. With growth of intensity of a sound water will be sprayed, and you will hear characteristic murmur. If to fill a product to the edges, then instead of ringing manifestations it is possible to hear deafer.
Whether you know? Thanks to high-speed shooting it was succeeded to record the birth on a water surface of the concentric waves caused by vibration of walls of a bowl. With increase in amplitude these waves begin to be torn, flying up in air in hundreds of small drops. Such levitation differs in sufficient duration, and water particles freely move along all surface.
Use of the singing bowls
The different people differently use the singing bowls. For Buddhists of various countries they are a part of religious rituals, for healers act as the instrument of definition of illnesses and their elimination, and for most of Europeans are just unusual and exotic souvenir.
However in the same Europe the singing bowls quite often are used in feng shui where on them practically the same function, as well as is assigned to usual hand bells. The open form of a product introduces additional energy, and in certain cases its use is more appropriate, than application of the mentioned hand bells.
became widespread in music new age and ethnic music thanks to which they also found an essential part of the popularity. Today they are quite often applied also in other musical directions: from rock music and neoclassics to ambient.
In a word, so interesting and unusual product simply could not remain unaddressed societies therefore at an opportunity surely listen to sounding of the singing bowl.