Answering Beginner FAQs about Crystal Singing Bowls

Discovering crystal singing bowls was a very exciting time in my life. I had been trying to manage my anxiety but clearing my busy mind through meditation was proving to be a challenge. When I first attended a sound bath, my mind went calm in a way I had never been able to achieve on my own. It was amazing! Of course, I dived into learning about crystal singing bowls and how I could bring them into my life. Almost ten years later, I’m just as excited about crystal singing bowls and their powerful effects. 

With all the knowledge and experience I’ve built over the years, I’m in a position where I can make things easier for beginners to find their way. I love helping people get started in sound healing! So, here are some of the questions I get a lot from people first exploring crystal singing bowls and my answers. 

What is a sound bath?

A sound bath is a session where a practitioner uses the power of sound for its therapeutic benefits. There’s no water involved. The only waves are the sound waves! Healing vibrations can help us relax, release stress and tension, regulate our bodies, and reconnect with ourselves and our intuition. Many but not all sound baths have crystal singing bowls at their heart. A number of other instruments can be used alongside the bowls including shakers, chimes, crystal pyramids, tuning forks, gongs and the human voice.

What will usually happen is that you’ll be asked to sit or lie on a mat and set an intention for what you’d like to experience or take away from the session. Then simply let the sound waves wash over you. Blankets and eye masks help with the immersion! The sound practitioner will play the bowls and instruments, creating a dimensional soundscape for around an hour. The sound bath might be combined with complementary wellbeing practices like breathwork or mindful movement. Each practitioner curates their own unique experience.

What is the history of sound healing?

Sound healing is by no means a new idea. We have been engaging with the simple but powerful practice of using sound to support wellbeing for centuries. In Ancient Greece, Pythagoras, believing that sound could be used to restore harmony in the human body and mind, prescribed music like medicine. One of the oldest instruments in the world, the Australian Aboriginal yidaki, which you might know as a didgeridoo, was used in ceremonies including ones for healing ailments. Ancient Egyptians used their voices for toning and Shamans held ceremonies with rhythmic drumming, rattles and chants. Ancient wisdom points to the power of sound which we are only more recently discovering scientific evidence for.

What are the benefits of crystal singing bowls?

There are many benefits of the healing vibrations of crystal singing bowls because it initiates one of the human body’s most powerful processes, rest! It gets our brain waves to slow down so we go from alert to relaxed to a meditative daydream-like state where our minds are at peace. In turn, our bodies go from fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest. In this state of mind and body, good things happen. Quieting worried thoughts, mental clarity and letting go of emotions. Regulating bodily functions, cellular repair and releasing pain. Connecting with your intuition, amplifying intentions and inner peace. Restorative rest is incredible for our wellbeing!

How do you play crystal singing bowls?

As well as experiencing crystal singing bowls in sound baths, you can play them yourself for your own personal practice at home or when running sessions for clients. If you are going to play for others, you’ll need to be qualified which I explain HERE. Crystal singing bowls are played with mallets. A suede mallet will generally produce the best sound. A silicone mallet will get the bowl to sing quickest and clearest when using the specific technique of circling around the rim of the bowl. You can also chime the bowl and circle the mallet horizontally around the side of the bowl which is called circle friction. I have videos of all three playing techniques. We can also go through it together in a foundation workshop to build your confidence. 

How do you choose crystal singing bowls?

Whether you are starting from scratch or need to match the I Know This Girl crystal singing bowls with other brands you already have, the principle is the same. We need to consider practicalities like the size, notes and cents of the bowls. Most importantly, we need to match you with bowls you connect with, led by your unique frequency and therefore your unique experience with the bowls. I have a guide walking you through both the practicalities and the connection to crystal singing bowls. Download it for free HERE before you add any bowls to your basket. We want you to make a decision you’re confident in!

At I Know This Girl, we’re more than a shop. We’re here to provide you with the knowledge, personalised advice and support to introduce sound healing, crystal singing bowls and ceremonial practices to your life, whatever that looks like for you. You’re invited to book a discovery call or an appointment at one of our showrooms in Bristol, Surrey or Hampshire for expert guidance. We look forward to speaking with you soon!