Singing Bowls

Author: Anup Poudyal
Publisher: The Middle Way Publications
Edition: Authorised Machine Accessible Edition
Section: Chapter 9
Chapter Title: Cleansing Homes and Spaces
Copyright: © 2026 Anup Poudyal. All rights reserved.

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Chapter 9
Cleansing Homes and Spaces

In the last chapter, we explored how sound can be destructive, sometimes in practical ways, like breaking down kidney stones or shattering tumours under precise medical guidance. But destruction is not always about damage. Sometimes, the very same principle of shaking something loose can be used gently to shift what is stuck or stagnant. That is where cleansing comes in. The process of cleansing a space taps into this lighter side of sound’s “destructive” force, not to break, but to clear, refresh, and reset.

Unlike the previous chapter, what follows is not grounded in lab results or clinical trials. Cleansing practices come to us from traditions that are thousands of years old, passed down not because they were measured, but because they were meaningful. Sometimes we have to set science aside and lean into the human need for creativity, symbolism, and ritual. It is the same instinct that makes us fall in love, bring children into the world, or take leaps of faith. This chapter connects us with those ancestral ways of renewing a space, reminding us that not everything valuable must be proven on paper.

Across human history, cleansing spaces has always been more than just sweeping floors or tidying up. It is about refreshing the unseen energy that surrounds us. It is also about clearing away heaviness, stagnation, or emotional residue left behind by events, people, or circumstances. In every part of the world, cultures developed their own ways to “reset” the atmosphere of a place, often blending spiritual, practical, and sensory elements. This was not only for times of distress or after illness, but it was also for beginnings. It was done before a celebration, during a change of season, when moving into a new home, or before important ceremonies.

From ancient African villages to mountain temples in Asia, the tools and methods varied, but one constant was that sound, smell, and movement were often part of the ritual. Rhythmic drumming, bells, chanting, incense smoke, fresh herbs, or saltwater were used to shift the feeling of a space. The aim was both physical and energetic: to invite lightness, harmony, and clarity. In some traditions, this was tied to religious belief; in others, it was simply understood as part of living well. Even today, when we might not openly speak of “energies,” we all notice the difference between walking into a room that feels fresh and one that feels tense or heavy.

Let us explore how you can use singing bowls for space cleansing in a way that respects ancient wisdom yet fits naturally into modern life. Before we look at the practical steps of using a bowl, let us take a brief journey through some cultural traditions, not as a history lecture, but as an inspiration. These methods remind us that we are part of a long human story and that what we do with a singing bowl today is connected, in spirit, to rituals that have been passed down for centuries.

Cultural Inspirations for Space Cleansing

• Indigenous Australia: Among many Indigenous Australian groups, cleansing rituals often take place before important gatherings or initiations. The didgeridoo, clapsticks, and rhythmic chanting are sometimes used not only for music but also to guide spiritual energy. There is no single Indigenous Australian tradition that represents all groups, and each community maintains its own unique customs and practices. Nevertheless, sound often plays a role in welcoming beneficial spirits and warding off disruptive forces. The vibrations of the didgeridoo, in particular, can be felt deep within the body and, when played in a ceremonial context, become more than an instrument; they become a connection to the Dreaming, to Country, and to ancestors.

• Viking and Norse Traditions: In Viking times, before warriors entered their homes after long voyages or battles, there were often purification rituals. While fire and water were common symbols, sound also featured in certain rituals. Horns were blown to mark the end of a raid, and communal chanting took place around the hearth. In a more domestic and symbolic act, Norse families sometimes welcomed men back by acknowledging their return before the home’s sacred fire. The aim was to symbolically separate the energy of war from the safety of home.

• African Traditions: In many African cultures, drumming is not only music but also a tool for communication, healing, and spiritual work. For cleansing spaces, the rhythms of drums, rattles, or even hand-clapping ceremonies are believed to drive away stagnant energy and invite positive spirits. The beat is steady and persistent, filling the space with life. In some villages, fermented herbal drinks or traditional medicines are shared during these events as a way of blessing the space and the people in it. Sound, smell, and taste were combined to signal a fresh beginning.

• Ancient Egypt: Ancient Egyptian cleansing rituals often blended scent, movement, and sound. Sistra (metal rattles) and small hand-held drums were sometimes used in temple rites to purify sacred spaces before ceremonies. Incense, especially frankincense and myrrh, was burned to clear the air and to please the gods. The sound of the sistrum was said to dispel negative forces, its jingling metal disks creating a shimmering wave of resonance. These acts were both symbolic and sensory, engaging all the senses to shift the energy of a place.

• India: In India, fire has long been seen as a great purifier known as agni. During rituals, offerings such as ghee, grains, and herbs are cast into the sacred flames. This is done with the belief that the smoke carries away impurities and delivers prayers to the divine. Alongside the fire, sound plays an equally vital role. Bells (ghanta) are rung to clear stagnant energies; their high chime is said to invite an auspicious presence. Mantras, chanted in rhythmic repetition, act like sonic flames, burning through distraction and dullness of mind. In this way, fire and sound together cleanse not only the space but also the hearts of those who gather around it.

• Tibet: In Tibetan Buddhist practice, cleansing and protection rituals often involve powerful, resonant instruments. Long horns (dungchen) are sounded across valleys, their deep, unearthly tones believed to disperse obstructing forces and summon blessings. Cymbals (rolmo) clash in sharp, ringing bursts, cutting through the unseen like lightning across a sky. In monasteries, these sounds are woven into chants and ritual movements, aligning the space with harmony and intention. To those who hear them, the instruments may seem overwhelming, but within the tradition, they are understood as a necessary force. They are used to purge negativity and open a gateway to clarity.

Fig. 9.1 Tibetan Trumpet, African Drum, Egyptian Sistrum, Viking Horn, Indian Diya

Bridging the Past to the Present

As we sit here in modern times, imagining these rituals, it is worth remembering that sound cleansing is not a new-age invention. What we do today with a singing bowl has deep historical echoes. The principle of using sound to clear and renew a space belongs to all humanity. While our tools might differ, a singing bowl instead of a drum, a tuning fork instead of a sistrum, the intention remains the same: to refresh, to reset, and to invite a better atmosphere into our homes, workplaces, or gathering places.

With that inspiration in mind, let us move from the history to the practical: how you can bring this timeless practice into your own life using the singing bowls you already own.

Choosing a Singing Bowl for Space Cleansing

Since 2009, I have had countless conversations with customers who wanted to buy “the perfect bowl” for space clearing. My advice is always the same: if you already own a singing bowl, use that first before rushing to buy another one. Whether it is metallic or crystal, if it works for you, there is no need to change anything. Often, people are surprised by how well their current bowl performs when used with focused intention.

That said, there are qualities that make some bowls better suited for cleansing than others. I often compare it to using a sharp knife versus a blunt one in the kitchen: both can cut vegetables, but a sharp knife does so with less effort and greater precision. Similarly, higher-pitched bowls tend to “cut through” stagnant or heavy energy more effectively. These tones travel well through the air and can quickly shift a room’s feeling. If you do not yet own a bowl and are looking specifically for space cleansing, I usually recommend starting with one in the medium-to-high pitch range. Choose something that is comfortable for your ears and light enough to carry around.

For home use, spend around two minutes each day on cleansing, ideally in the morning. In Nepali culture, there is an old saying: you do not turn away shelter seekers at night; you let them stay and see them off in the morning. In the same way, if negative energies, entities, or emotional heaviness have been lingering in your space for years, one more night will make no difference. Be compassionate, and begin your cleansing in the light of day.

For clinics or studios, I recommend a quick 30-second cleanse after each client session. It is not about being obsessive; it is about keeping the environment fresh and ready for the next person. Just remember that if you are unhappy, angry, or depressed, space cleansing alone will not fix the problem. This is because you are continually feeding that energy back into the space. In that case, focus on caring for yourself, adopting healthier habits, and bringing more joy into your life. A vibrant inner state will naturally make your outer space feel better.

Preparation Before Cleansing

Before you begin, take a few minutes to prepare both the space and yourself. Open windows and doors to invite in fresh air and natural light. This is not only for ventilation, but also as a symbolic gesture that change is about to take place. Ensure pets and small children are safely out of the way, as they can be sensitive to sound. Have your singing bowl and mallet ready, and settle into a comfortable rhythm as you move around the space. If you are right-handed, walking clockwise around the room often feels smoother and avoids brushing your elbow against the wall; if you are left-handed, counter-clockwise may feel more natural. These are not mystical directions, just simple, practical choices that support ease and flow.

Setting the Intention

Sound cleansing is not about filling a room with random noise; it is about playing with focus and presence. Before you strike the bowl, pause for a moment and form a clear, simple intention, such as: “May this space feel light, fresh, and harmonious,” or “I release heaviness and welcome peace.” The more grounded and centred you are, the more your playing will carry that quality into the room. Intention shapes experience. Even if you view this process in a purely practical way, your state of mind will influence the tone, rhythm, and movement of your sound. The space will absorb that quality, and the people within it will feel the effect.

Playing the Bowl — Step by Step

Start at the Entrance: Begin at the main entrance. Strike the bowl a few times here; the sound serves as a clear announcement that the cleansing has begun.

1. Move Around the Room: Walk slowly along the walls, keeping the bowl at a comfortable height. If the sound fades, check your technique before attributing it to anything mysterious. Most often, the cause is uneven pressure, or fingers or thumbs brushing against the rim or wall. The bowl should rest only on the base of your palm; avoid cupping it. Think back to the horse analogy: the palm stays so flat that the fingers almost curve downward.

2. Corners and the Flow of Energy: Unlike traditional Indian huts, African huts, and tipis, which are often round or curved, Western-style buildings typically contain many sharp corners. Many traditions regard these corners as places where stagnant energy can accumulate, much like dust gathering in neglected spaces. For this reason, strike the bowl a few times in each corner when clearing a room.

3. Consistency and Pace: Apply steady pressure to the mallet, keep your hand flat, and move at a slow to medium speed. Let the tone resonate fully before striking or circling again. This is not a race; give the sound space to work.

4. Whole-House Cleansing: If you are cleansing an entire home, do all the rooms in one session. It is like painting a wall; if you stop halfway, the energy shift might seem uneven.

When the Bowl Stops Playing

Occasionally, you might find that your bowl stops singing in a specific part of the room. If it happens once, assume it is a technique issue. But if it occurs in the same spot repeatedly over several days, trust your intuition. Perhaps something about that area, such as the atmosphere or the memory of past events, needs extra attention. You can play longer there, bring in another instrument, or simply pause and allow silence to do its work.

Adapting for Different Situations

The same method of playing applies across different scenarios; what changes is your intention. For example, if someone asks you to clear a space where there has been sadness or conflict, you might approach it gently, focusing on bringing warmth and comfort. If it is a room being prepared for a new business venture, you might play with a more uplifting and energising intention.

Clearing with Compassion

This part does not rest on science, nor even on the kind of everyday logic we have learned so far. It belongs instead to the quiet space of faith, culture, and story. From time to time, people ask me about clearing “bad spirits.” There is no logical answer to such a question, so I approach it with reverence rather than proof. Alongside playing the singing bowl, I often suggest simple acts of goodness such as giving to charity or offering food and gifts to temples, churches, or monks. You can then dedicate the fruit of your kindness to those spirits that cannot be seen. Whether or not there is a direct cause-and-effect, something always shifts. Hearts feel lighter, the mood of a room softens, and a sense of peace returns. That is the point: the combination of sound and kindness, echoing outward, is itself a clearing.

Personal Stories

Clearing a Heavy Room

A friend once asked me to clear a room after someone had moved out. The space felt dark and heavy, though perhaps that was due to closed windows and poor lighting. I played a singing bowl for about two minutes, then advised opening the windows and burning incense to combine fresh air, scent, and sound. I had to leave straight after the clearing, so I do not know if it truly helped at the moment. A few days later, she found personal notes in the room, suggesting the previous occupant had been struggling deeply, both mentally and emotionally. So we concluded that the heaviness we had felt was not just due to poor lighting.

When I returned a year later, she was sleeping peacefully in that same room, which now felt calm. I do not know if the singing bowl made a real difference. However, I do know that listening to my friend and treating her concerns with care likely helped more than anything else.

I realise now that I should have asked whether her three cats and one dog wandered into that room as freely as they did the rest of the house. That thought only came to me much later. Animals often have an instinct for sensing subtle changes in energy, and their behaviour can sometimes reveal what we humans overlook.

An Animal’s Intuition

Let me share a heartwarming story from a dear friend, one that has stayed with me ever since she told it. She had a beautiful female dog who was full of energy, joy, and boundless affection. Every day was a celebration of life for this little creature. She would leap, spin, and dash around the house as if the world existed purely for play. At times, her enthusiasm could be a little too much, so my friend would send her outside to run and explore just to let some of that wild energy settle.

Then, one morning, everything changed. The same dog who could never stay still became calm and unusually gentle. The shift was immediate, almost uncanny. Instead of jumping and racing about, she began to follow my friend quietly from room to room, sitting nearby with a watchful, protective presence. She nuzzled more often, rested her head softly on my friend’s lap, and seemed to radiate a kind of knowing tenderness. It was not a gradual mellowing with age or fatigue; it was an overnight transformation, as if she had received some invisible message that no one else had heard.

My friend was puzzled. She could not explain why her dog’s behaviour had changed so dramatically. The affection felt deeper, more purposeful, as though the dog was responding to something unseen. And then, a few days later, my friend found out she was pregnant. In that instant, everything made sense. The mystery lifted, and what seemed strange became astonishingly clear. Her dog had sensed it long before she did, perhaps not through sight or smell alone, but through an awareness that we humans have largely forgotten. It was as if the animal could feel a subtle shift in her warmth or hear a new rhythm in her heartbeat, recognising a change in her very presence long before it became visible to the world.

Animals possess an intuitive sensitivity that bridges the visible and invisible worlds. They feel the tiniest shifts in our energy, including changes in mood, emotion, and even biology that often go unnoticed by us. This story reminds me that their awareness is not mystical or magical, but deeply natural. It reflects their attunement to life itself. Sometimes all it takes is a moment of stillness to see that our animal companions are not just pets, but gentle mirrors quietly reflecting back what is stirring within us. Now, let us return to singing bowls.

After the Cleansing

Once you have completed the whole space, return to the spot where you first began. Give the bowl a final, steady ring, allowing the sound to rise and then fade naturally into silence. This closing tone acts like a seal, marking the end of the cleansing and offering you a moment to pause before returning to ordinary activities.

As the sound fades, take a moment to notice how you feel. Whatever positive emotions are present, such as gratitude for the safety of your home, care for the objects you cherish, or kindness toward the people who share the space with you, let yourself experience them fully. Then, imagine gently projecting those feelings outward, as though the walls, the floor, and the air itself could absorb them. In this way, the cleansing becomes more than just the removal of heaviness. It also plants new qualities into the space: warmth, gratitude, and peace.

Cleansing Crystals

Cleansing crystals with a singing bowl is a simple yet meaningful practice, and you do not need any special type of bowl to do it. Use whichever bowl you already have. If you own a large bowl, place a soft cloth inside and rest your crystal gently on top. The fabric acts as a cushion, preventing delicate crystals from cracking while still allowing vibration to pass through. Play the bowl steadily and let the resonance wash over the crystal for a few minutes. If your bowl is smaller, simply hold it close to the crystal and play it, allowing the rim to almost “touch” the stone. The principle here is much like clearing a room with sound: your intention guides the process. Think of it less as a laboratory method and more as a cultural practice, playing the bowl as a ritual, with sound, presence, and intention as cleansing.

People often ask which direction to play when cleansing crystals. In truth, it does not really matter; the bowl will sing either way. But sometimes it helps to give the motion a symbolic meaning. If you are right-handed and circle clockwise, you can imagine it as releasing or sending energy out. If you circle anti-clockwise, it can feel like drawing energy in. Neither is better than the other; it is about what feels natural in your hand and meaningful in your heart. If the symbolism supports your practice, use it. If not, simply play in whichever direction feels steady and present.

Looking After Yourself

On a slightly different note, people sometimes ask how to cleanse themselves rather than their space. My own method is simple, though not always easy. I sit in meditation and allow myself to feel a negative emotion fully, as if it were present in every cell of my body, without pushing it away. I stay with it for as long as possible. Gurdjieff, one of the most influential teachers of the nineteenth century, described this process as digesting negative emotions so they can be transformed into inner strength.

This is not about wallowing in the feeling. It is about being fully present with it until it changes form. The process can be challenging, but I have found it to be deeply freeing. It reminds me that cleansing is not only for rooms but also for ourselves. In many ways, this is the same principle found in Vipassana meditation within Buddhism, where sensations are observed without clinging or resistance until they naturally pass. It also echoes the letting go technique taught by Dr David R. Hawkins, which invites emotions to surface fully so they can dissolve on their own. Whether in meditation, sound work, or daily life, the practice remains the same: stay present, stay open, and allow transformation to happen.

Conclusion

Space cleansing is not only about removing what is unwanted; it is also about making room for what is to come. By setting a clear intention, playing with focus, and combining sound with other elements like fresh air or scent, you create an environment that supports your life, your work, and your relationships. Over time, these small acts of care add up to create a home that feels lighter, a workplace that flows better, and a studio that welcomes each client with a fresh start. Whether you do it daily, weekly, or only during times of change, space cleansing with a singing bowl is an act of attention. It serves as a reminder that the spaces we live in are part of our lives, and that caring for them is a vital way to care for ourselves.

Reflection Exercise

Cleansing Your Home: Walk slowly through your entire home with your singing bowl, playing for at least two minutes in total. Keep your intention clear and your attention steady as you move from room to room. Notice how the sound changes, how your body feels, and how the atmosphere around you shifts. When you have finished, sit quietly and reflect: How does your home feel now? How do you feel?