The power of setting intentions in sound healing

Where intention goes energy flows. This catchy phrase means more than looking on the bright side of life. What we believe in and what we choose to focus on creates our reality because we are directing our attention, energy and even bodily processes towards it. 

Singing bowls amplify our energy so it’s good practice to set an intention for what we’d like to experience in the session. It maximises the impact of the sound healing and supercharges your intentions, whether you’re playing for yourself, playing for others or just receiving. 

Intentions of the receiver

Think of something you’d like to accomplish. It could be a change in your health, wellbeing, personal life or work life. Imagine what it will be like to achieve this outcome. How will you feel? Really connect and tap into it.

Your brain doesn’t know the difference between real memories and visualisations. So as it processes the visualisation and the resulting feelings, it will treat them as your reality. In your brain, your intention isn’t just a possibility. It’s a given because it’s already happened. 

This sets off neurological changes such as filtering incoming information to look for patterns related to the intention. For example, you’re more aware of your strengths and times you’ve made a positive impact because your focus is to build your confidence in yourself. It can also result in physiological changes like calming your nervous system or switching on your immune system. Your brain redirects your attention, energy and behavioural patterns, drawing the intention towards you. 

The beginning of a sound healing session is a great time to set an intention and visualise the outcome because the vibrations of singing bowls let your conscious mind switch off and unlock your unconscious mind. This is where amazing stuff happens as your brain makes new neural connections that help you to do what you need to do to achieve your desired outcome. By setting an intention beforehand, your brain is primed to work on that intention when the sound waves take you to deep relaxation. 

Intentions of the practitioner

As the player, the energy you bring to sound baths affects how the vibrations are received and the overall experience of the sound bath. This is partially due to the singing bowls being made of quartz. It’s a fascinating material structured in a way that amplifies energy. How it receives and transmits energy including sound and electricity is so uniquely powerful that it’s used in computers, phones and other electronic devices. It’s just as transformative on the universal energy and us because it’s believed we have quartz structures in our bodies. 

Quartz crystal can amplify the energy of the singing bowl as well as the energy of the player, driven by their intentions. The player is so influential that even if you don’t have ‘the right bowl,’ you can set an intention to work on a certain body part, chakra or issue and use whatever bowl you have to achieve the desired effect. 

So I always set intentions for myself at the beginning of a sound bath. I focus my energy on how I want to feel and allow myself to be guided by the singing bowls. I also set an intention for how I want the group to feel, thinking about the theme or purpose of the session. 

Then before I get started, I invite the group to set their own intentions. It could be something simple like relaxing or recharging or a bigger goal they’re working on such as tapping into their intuition or building their confidence. We choose a focus and then let the singing bowls do their thing!

How are you going to bring intentions into your sound healing practice? You’re an active participant in the healing power of singing bowls even if you’re not playing them. Be mindful of your energy and bring any goals you’re working on to sound healing sessions to do the internal work that will make it happen. 

If you’d like to learn more about how to use singing bowls and harness their transformational abilities, book a workshop. We’ll meet at my showroom to practice techniques and share knowledge that will help you build your confidence and capabilities whether you’re a beginner or want to advance your understanding.