Tibetan singing bowls can be used in a variety of ways to promote well-being for individuals and groups. One of the most rewarding is to experience a personal energy alignment session.
Why do people request sessions with Tibetan singing bowls?
❀ Seeking well-being in times of ill-heath, or care for the caregiver
❀ Desiring balance and respite from ordinary stress
❀ Searching for significant insights into life issues or persistent problems
❀ Wanting support during extraordinary times of stress from any cause
❀ Feeling strong attraction to the beauty and restfulness of the sound and vibration of the bowls.
What happens during a session with Tibetan singing bowls?
The sessions are conducted in a comfortable private space, and you will remain fully clothed. A session lasts about 90 minutes from arrival to departure.
❀ When you arrive, I will invite you to remove outerwear, jewelry and shoes (you need not remove items like a wedding ring if you prefer not to).
❀ We will talk for a bit, to agree on what wish or intention you have for the session. It you know in advance, that’s great; if not, that’s okay too. We’ll come to the simplest statement of intention that works for you. Intention is powerful. It helps me as a practitioner and people usually find that the bowls somehow ‘know’ how to work with your intention for your highest benefit, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
❀ The work and play with the sacred instruments begins with breath and includes chimes, bell (ganta), bowls, and other implements used in sacred sound meditation and healing traditions. Some of the bowls will be placed on your body so that you can feel the deep and comforting vibration, others will be placed around you. I may give occasional verbal instructions or ask a question, but your main ‘job’ is to relax, rest comfortably, and breathe. Sometimes people go to sleep–even if you do not hear all the sounds, the vibration is working to ground, clear, and re-energize your unique personal energy pattern.
❀ The very last part of the session will be when we talk briefly about whatever sensations and feelings you experienced during the session that you may care to share. This is often the time when strong conscious connections are made. I will ask questions that will help for you to gather your thoughts, or to simply return comfortably to a gentle alertness. At the very minimum, you will feel relaxed and calmly energized.
What do I have to do to prepare for a Tibetan bowl session?
You really do not have to do anything at all. The bowls and the sacred instruments and implements seem to ‘know’ what needs to be done for your well-being. Some people like to arrive having thought about an intention for the session, or have an idea of what they would like to have happen, or how they would like to feel. Whether or not you have a clear idea of what you are seeking, we will always spend a short and relaxing period of time at the beginning of a session creating an intention for the session, the simpler the better. No advance preparation is required.
Are all Tibetan singing bowl sessions alike?
No. First of all, each session, with every person, is always unique, no matter who the recipient, or who the practitioner. Secondly, different practitioners make use of different traditions from different parts of India, Tibet, Nepal and other parts of the world. Many also blend the insights they bring from other practices as well.
In my practice, I blend the Tibetan monastic traditions for meditation and healing with insights from polarity therapy I learned from my teachers, as well as principles from Chinese Wu Style t’ai chi ch’uan and qigong, together with my own knowledge, research, and experience of recent discoveries in physics and neurophysiology. I also blend decades of experience with the therapeutic psychological methods from my ongoing work as an executive and life-coach, together with my research into the power of myth, which works in subtle ways on all of us, ways that we are usually not holding in our conscious awareness. Mythic insights can arise from vibrational alignment and sound healing, and can bring surprisingly useful and applicable insights for daily life.
In all of my professional practices, I am profoundly concerned with making people feel safe from judgment. Some people find value in verbalizing their experience; others prefer to hold it quietly. It works either way. You will never be required to share with me anything you do not feel comfortable doing for any reason, and anything we may say or do during a session remains entirely confidential.
And, to be very clear: this is not a medical nor a psycho-therapeutic practice in the legally defined sense, though you are likely also aware that the helping professions are seeing the benefits of traditional mind-body wellness and integrative practices. If you choose to have a Tibetan bowl session, I will ask you to sign a brief disclaimer to affirm that you understand and agree. My ethics as a wellness practitioner are also informed by my professional coaching certifications, which honor and advocate for the client foremost, giving you my best advice and referrals if it comes up. It is my strong conviction that it is always very good to remember that if you are in need and seek healing of any kind, multiple means can be very effective and mutually beneficial. Tibetan bowl sessions are a very effective mind-body awareness and healing modality, and can blend very well with other modes offered by ethical professionals.
What if I have a physical limitation?
Everyone is different. Some people have difficulty with certain physical positions, or may have other requirements for physical comfort. We can talk about this and make adjustments as necessary and desired.
How often can I have a Tibetan bowl session?
These sessions are deep, and the bowls and other instruments continue to ‘work’ on you, sometimes for a considerable period after you receive a session. If you wish more than one session, it is best to let the effects reverberate for at least a week.
How many sessions does it take to see the results I’m looking for?
As with so many questions in life, the answer is: “It depends.” If you are seeking to purposely align yourself with positive changes in any life domain whether physical, emotional, mental/attitudinal or spiritual, you are likely to see recognizable pattern shifts after four sessions. Keep in mind, too, that your highest purpose may be served in ways that may surprise you. This is not a cop-out. What is most likely to change in a positive and discernible way is some aspect of your basic outlook, and this can be the most powerful change of all.
Can more than one person be involved in a Tibetan bowl session?
Yes. If you would like to come with a friend or family member, we can talk about how that would work best for you.
Can I do this at home, on my own?
Yes. If you are attracted by the sounds and vibrations of these wonderful instruments, I encourage you to look for a bowl or bowls of your own. Here are some suggestions for how to do that and what to do once you have found a bowl that wants to come home with you!