20 Jan 2020 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
What is Chakra?
The word chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit, though these are not like any wheels we’ve ever seen. Chakra energy spins in a clockwise direction as it moves the energy of our body out into the field around us. It spins counterclockwise to pull energy from our external world (and the people in it) into our bodies. It is the frequency state of our chakras that determines the direction our energy will flow as they either draw energy into our body or release it outward. Learn Chakra Healing.
About Chakra Healing with Singing Bowl
We often see pictures and diagrams of chakras and energy centers running from the top of the head to the base of the body. Each chakra is said to have its own tone, which aligns closely with the range of singing bowls. There are many ways to interpret the relationship between tones and chakras and assign notes. Since I don’t have the sensitivity required to confirm any system, idea, or set of beliefs in this area, I don’t label singing bowls as chakra-specific.
Many systems can be found in various books from different teachers. Generally, lower tones correspond to lower chakras, while higher tones correspond to higher chakras. One of the most popular systems places the root chakra at C, with the next six notes in that octave aligning with the higher chakras. For this reason, the Chakra Sets listed in the bowl section follow this pattern. Keep in mind, however, that singing bowls are not like tuning forks, which are made to exact frequencies based on the Western music scale. Singing bowls are more versatile, and using them in chakra healing requires an open mind. When assembling a chakra singing bowl set, I focus on sound quality and the relationships between the bowls.
One limitation of the single-octave Chakra set is its relatively narrow range of sounds. To understand this, imagine how 7 adjacent white keys on a piano cover only a small portion of the total distance from left to right. Because of this, sound healing and chakra sets with both large (low tone) and small (high tone) singing bowls can spread notes across multiple octaves. If you’re interested in a healing set that spans multiple octaves, tap the blue Custom Sets button above for a tour of the process.
How to Use a Chakra Singing Bowl Set for Chakra Healing
Sound is vibration, and vibration transmits to the body through the air or directly through the skin. One common method is placing singing bowls on chakra points and ringing them, allowing the resonance to penetrate deeply. For practitioners who want to contact multiple chakras simultaneously, the best choices are the smaller Thadobati and thin Remuna bowls. These bowls are light enough not to disturb the body, small enough to place several at once, and have relatively flat bottoms for good contact. Manipuri bowls, with their rounded bottoms, can be more challenging to keep in place.
Sound healing based on the chakras can also be practiced by ringing bowls above or beside the client. Over-the-air vibrational transmission methods allow for the use of heavier and deeper-sounding bowls.