Singing Bowls

Author: Anup Poudyal
Publisher: The Middle Way Publications
Edition: Authorised Machine Accessible Edition
Section: Chapter 12
Chapter Title: The Healing Power of Sound
Copyright: © 2026 Anup Poudyal. All rights reserved.

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Chapter 12
The Healing Power of Sound

For most people, the journey with a singing bowl begins in solitude. A quiet room. A few minutes of stillness. A sound that somehow feels larger than the object creating it. Over time, a different question often emerges. If this experience can affect me so deeply, could it help someone else as well?

The chapters that follow explore that possibility. But before discussing bowls, techniques, or treatment spaces, we must first understand what healing through sound might actually mean.

What is sound?

Sound is not an abstract idea. It is a physical event. At its core, sound is the movement of vibrational energy through a medium, such as air, water, or a solid. This movement occurs as pressure waves. These waves are measured in hertz, which indicates how many vibrations occur each second. Lower frequencies produce deeper tones. Higher frequencies create sharper, higher-pitched sounds.

Frequencies and Healing

Before asking whether particular frequencies have unique effects, it is worth beginning with a more fundamental question: can sound itself influence health and wellbeing?

This chapter explores the effects of sound and vibration more broadly. The question of special frequencies such as 432 Hz and 528 Hz deserves its own discussion, and we will return to it in the next chapter.

The Other Side of Noise

Scientific studies have shown that sound can affect the human body in very different ways. Long-term exposure to persistent environmental and occupational noise, such as industrial machinery or heavy traffic, has been associated with increased stress and a higher risk of elevated blood pressure [Ref. 12.1]. This raises an important question. Can the opposite also be true? Can certain sounds bring the body into balance rather than strain it?

Music: More Than Entertainment

Music takes the basic building block of sound and organises it into patterns of rhythm, melody, and harmony. These patterns engage the brain more fully than isolated sounds. Functional MRI scans have shown that listening to music activates multiple regions of the brain simultaneously, including areas involved in emotion, movement, and memory.

A comprehensive meta-analysis examining 22 quantitative studies found that music can reliably reduce stress-related arousal and anxiety while improving mood [Ref. 12.2]. These effects were observed across different genres and cultures. This suggests that the benefits of music are not tied to a specific style, but to the way sound interacts with human physiology and psychology.

Even passively listening to your favourite song can produce measurable changes in the body and mind. A randomised controlled trial published in 2009 found that patients awaiting surgery who listened to relaxing music for just 20 minutes experienced significantly greater reductions in anxiety than patients who received oral midazolam, a commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medication [Ref. 12.3].

Active Sound Creation and Brain Engagement

The benefits of sound and music increase when a person actively participates in creating them. Playing an instrument involves physical movement, fine motor skills, focused attention, and auditory feedback. Together, these elements engage both hemispheres of the brain and help strengthen neural connections.

Research suggests that learning to play a musical instrument may support cognitive function throughout life. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that older adults who learned an instrument showed improvements in attention control, mental flexibility, and processing speed compared with control groups [Ref. 12.4].

These effects are not limited to professional musicians. Studies involving complete beginners have shown that active music making can improve mood, strengthen social connection, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This has been observed in activities as simple as striking a drum, strumming a guitar, or playing a basic wind instrument, often within just a few weeks of regular practice. In one controlled study, participants taking part in weekly group drumming sessions showed reductions in anxiety and depression together with improvements in social resilience and overall wellbeing. Some of these benefits were still present three months after the sessions had ended. Researchers also observed measurable changes in immune signalling molecules associated with inflammation, suggesting that the effects of making music may extend beyond psychology alone [Ref. 12.5].

Research on Vibration and Wellbeing

Singing bowls, whether traditional Himalayan bronze or modern crystal bowls, produce a unique combination of sustained tone and layered harmonics. When played, the bowl’s surface vibrates in complex patterns. These vibrations produce not only a primary tone but also multiple overtones that blend into a rich, resonant sound.

In 2017, researchers affiliated with the University of California, San Diego examined the effects of a 60-minute Himalayan singing bowl meditation involving Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls, gongs, and bells. Participants reported significant reductions in tension, anxiety, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood immediately following the session, together with increased feelings of spiritual well-being. Many participants who entered the session with physical pain also reported reductions in discomfort afterwards, with the strongest effects observed among individuals who were new to singing bowl meditation. While the observational nature of the study and absence of a control group prevent firm conclusions about cause and effect, these findings suggest that sound meditation involving harmonically rich instruments such as singing bowls may have measurable effects on mood, relaxation, and subjective well-being [Ref. 12.6].

How Sound Waves Interact with the Human Body

The subject of circulation, and how it can be supported, is one of the most important topics in medicine and healing. Its influence is so wide that entire libraries could be devoted to it and still fall short of capturing its depth. Healthy circulation affects every organ, tissue, and system in the body, including the heart and brain, wound repair, immune function, and emotional well-being. Because the subject is so vast, this book cannot explore every detail. Instead, I will touch on a few areas where improved circulation is widely recognised as beneficial, while leaving deeper scientific discussions to more specialised texts.

At the same time, it is important to approach this topic with balance and care. Human health rarely follows a simple cause-and-effect formula. Wellbeing arises from many interwoven layers, including biochemical, physiological, emotional, behavioural, and environmental influences, many of which are still only partly understood by science. Within the context of this book, it would be misleading to suggest that sound and vibration alone are responsible for the positive effects sometimes reported by practitioners and clients. Sound may play an important role, but it should be understood as one influence among many rather than as a cure in itself.

Even so, sound offers an entry point that is both fascinating and significant. Research has shown that low-frequency sound and mechanical vibration can pass through the human body and produce measurable effects in soft tissues. Modern research into mechanical vibration has shown that controlled vibration can influence blood vessels and blood flow, while studies are also investigating its effects on biological signalling involved in circulation and tissue repair. Some studies suggest that these effects may be mediated in part through the release of nitric oxide, a molecule involved in the regulation of blood vessel dilation and blood flow [Ref. 12.7].

One particularly interesting observation made by researchers is that, at the level of tissues and cells, the body may respond in broadly similar ways whether the vibration originates from sound waves in the air, a vibrating surface in contact with the body, or mechanical oscillation from a therapeutic device [Ref. 12.7]. In other words, from the perspective of the cells themselves, sound is not merely something we hear; it is also something we physically experience.

This helps explain why deep bass tones in music are often felt as much as they are heard. It may also help explain why larger, lower-toned singing bowls are frequently described as creating a sensation of being massaged from the inside. Over many years of working with thousands of people, I have repeatedly observed that the vibrations produced by singing bowls are not confined to the bowl itself. When a bowl is placed on the hand or body, the vibration can often be felt clearly within the tissues beneath it, and in some cases can even be detected by others who are in physical contact with the person holding the bowl.

Whether these particular vibrations improve circulation directly has not yet been studied scientifically. However, given that mechanical vibration in other therapeutic settings has been shown to influence blood flow and tissue responses, the possibility is both scientifically plausible and consistent with the experiences reported by many practitioners and clients. At the very least, it suggests one possible pathway through which singing bowls may contribute to relaxation, improved circulation, and conditions that support healing when understood as part of the broader picture of human health.

To give a sense of the scope involved, here are just some of the many areas where improved circulation plays a crucial role in health and healing:

• Healthy circulation supports heart function, helps regulate blood pressure, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular and arterial disease [Ref. 12.8].
• Healthy circulation supports brain health and reduces the risk of stroke and vascular cognitive decline [Ref. 12.9].
• It supports wound healing and accelerates recovery from cuts, burns, ulcers, and surgical procedures [Ref. 12.10].
• It is particularly important in diabetes, where impaired blood flow contributes to delayed healing, infection, ulcer formation, and, in severe cases, amputation [Ref. 12.11].
• Healthy circulation supports muscle repair, tendon and ligament healing, and recovery following injury by delivering oxygen, nutrients, and reparative cells while helping remove inflammatory waste products [Ref. 12.12].
• It supports immune function by transporting antibodies and immune cells throughout the body, while the lymphatic circulation helps remove excess fluid, inflammatory substances, and other waste products from tissues [Ref. 12.13].
• Cancer research suggests that improved tumour oxygenation may enhance the effectiveness of certain therapies, particularly radiotherapy and some forms of chemotherapy [Ref. 12.14].
• Overall vitality depends on the efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, supporting cellular function, energy production, physical endurance, and general wellbeing [Ref. 12.15].

The studies discussed in this section examined the effects of vibration and circulation in a variety of medical and therapeutic contexts rather than singing bowls specifically. However, one observation requires no specialised equipment or scientific training to verify: the vibrations produced by singing bowls are not merely heard but physically felt within the body, often extending well beyond the person holding the bowl. At the level of cells and tissues, these sensations are experienced as mechanical vibrations regardless of whether they originate from sound waves, direct contact, movement, or another source. Research has shown that mechanical vibration can influence circulation and tissue function, and it is from this combination of scientific findings and many years of practical observation that I believe singing bowls may support these processes.

Brainwave Frequency Bands and Their Functions

Much of the discussion so far has focused on how sound and vibration may influence the body through pathways such as relaxation, circulation, and tissue response. Yet sound does not interact only with muscles, blood vessels, and organs. It also interacts with the most complex organ of all: the brain. To understand this relationship, we first need to look at the natural rhythms of brain activity itself.

Human brain activity can be described in frequency ranges known as brainwaves. These are not rigid categories, but overlapping patterns that shift dynamically with changes in consciousness, activity, and environment.

Delta (0.5–4 Hz)
• Associated with: Deep, dreamless sleep; unconscious bodily processes
• Functions: Restorative healing, immune function, cellular regeneration
• Notes: Most prominent in infants and during deep non-REM sleep

Theta (4–8 Hz)
• Associated with: Light sleep, deep relaxation, daydreaming, meditation
• Functions: Creativity, intuition, emotional integration, memory consolidation
• Notes: Common during transitions into and out of sleep

Alpha (8–12 Hz)
• Associated with: Calm wakefulness, relaxed alertness, reduced stress
• Functions: Relaxation response, integration of body and mind
• Notes: Strongest when eyes are closed, and the person is awake but at ease

Beta (12–30 Hz)
• Associated with: Active thinking, focused attention, alertness
• Functions: Problem-solving, decision-making, mental concentration
• Notes: Often subdivided into:
1. Low Beta (12–16 Hz): Calm, focused attention
2. Mid Beta (16–22 Hz): Active mental engagement
3. High Beta (22–30 Hz): Intense alertness; often linked with stress, anxiety, or restlessness

Gamma (30–100 Hz and above)
• Associated with: High-level information processing, insight, peak focus
• Functions: Conscious perception, sensory integration, working memory, learning
• Notes: Still an area of active research. Gamma activity (especially above 40 Hz) has been linked with states of heightened awareness and the brain’s ability to bind sensory input into a unified experience.

The Brain on Sound

Research using EEG has shown that music can produce measurable changes in patterns of brain activity. A 2025 study found that instrumental classical music produced EEG patterns that most closely resembled relaxed brain states, while faster, louder, and more complex music tended to have the opposite effect [Ref. 12.16]. These findings support a growing body of evidence suggesting that sound does not merely accompany our mental state but may actively participate in shaping it.

This is where I believe singing bowls become particularly interesting. Unlike much of modern music, the sound of a singing bowl is typically slow, sustained, and remarkably stable. Rather than rapidly shifting melodies and rhythms competing for attention, a bowl often produces a single tone that unfolds gradually, accompanied by gentle harmonics and long decays. It is my observation that this simplicity encourages the mind to settle rather than to chase, analyse, or anticipate.

While research in this area remains limited, early EEG studies are beginning to produce findings consistent with these observations. A 2021 study involving sixty-five participants measured brain activity before and after singing bowl practice and reported increases in alpha brainwave activity, a pattern commonly associated with relaxed wakefulness and meditative states [Ref. 12.17].

The study was relatively small and should not be considered definitive. Nevertheless, it provides an intriguing scientific counterpart to what many practitioners have observed for years: that the sustained, resonant, and slowly evolving sound of a singing bowl seems to encourage calm attention rather than mental agitation. Whether this occurs through brainwave entrainment, attentional mechanisms, or processes not yet fully understood remains an open question. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that sound does not merely accompany our mental state. Under the right conditions, it may help shape it. And because the mind and body are deeply interconnected, these changes in mental state are often accompanied by measurable changes throughout the nervous system.

Sound and Stress Response

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates the body’s functions we don’t consciously control, such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It has two primary branches:

1. Sympathetic nervous system (SNS): Activates the “fight or flight” response.
2. Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS): Promotes “rest and digest” states.

A simple way to picture this is to think of the body as a car with an accelerator and a brake. The sympathetic nervous system acts as the accelerator. It primes us for action, stress, or danger, preparing the body to fight or flee. The parasympathetic nervous system acts as the brake. It allows us to slow down, recover, and restore balance through rest, digestion, and healing. Both systems are essential, but problems arise when the accelerator is pressed too often, and the brake is not used enough.

Research shows that calming sound environments can help release the accelerator and gently apply the brake, reducing excess sympathetic nervous system activity while supporting parasympathetic activity. Slow and gentle music is often associated with reductions in heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and anxiety, although the effects vary considerably between individuals and situations [Ref. 12.18].

Sound, Pain, and Emotional Processing

Sound can also modulate pain perception. Part of this effect comes from distraction. When the mind focuses on a complex and engaging soundscape, attention is drawn away from discomfort. Research suggests there may also be additional mechanisms at work.

Studies have shown that listening to pleasant sounds and music can reduce the perceived intensity and unpleasantness of pain. Positive emotional responses to music appear to play an important role in this process. Rather than changing the stimulus itself, sound can influence how the brain interprets and experiences it [Ref. 12.19].

Singing bowls add another dimension to this process. Their vibrations are not only heard, but also felt. From my own observations over many years of working with thousands of clients, this tactile quality often appears to deepen the experience, providing a soothing stimulus that engages both hearing and touch simultaneously.

Personal Observations

At markets, customers sometimes ask me to play a bowl on the part of the body where they are experiencing pain, and I always comply gladly. Sometimes it is a sore hip. Sometimes a headache. Occasionally, even a hangover. Because of the time and environment, I usually play for only 30 to 60 seconds. Around 80% of the time, people report a noticeable reduction in pain. Many say this with a slight chuckle, so it is not exactly material for a scientific journal, but it is still worth noting.

The clearest example, however, has always been with my wife. She used to experience severe period pain that required two painkillers. At times, she would instead play a singing bowl on her belly for five minutes and notice a significant reduction in discomfort. To any researchers reading this, there is an open invitation. No formal research has yet explored this area in depth, and it remains an open field for investigation.

Vibroacoustic Therapy

Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT) is an established clinical practice that uses low-frequency sound, typically between 30 and 120 Hz, delivered through a chair, bed, or specialised device to stimulate the body directly. VAT is used internationally within music therapy, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and clinical care settings. Research has shown benefits for reducing pain, decreasing muscle tension and spasticity, improving mobility, and supporting relaxation in a range of chronic conditions [Ref. 12.20].

Singing bowls are not VAT devices in the strict sense, yet they share important similarities. Large bowls often produce frequencies in the same range as those used clinically, but unlike VAT’s pure tones, bowls carry layers of complex harmonics that add depth and texture to the experience. When placed on or near the body, their vibration is felt not only through the ears but also through the skin, bones, and tissues. In my own practice, playing a large, low-frequency metal bowl on the chest or back often brings an immediate response.

Personal story

This has happened to me three times since 2009. A deaf person has told me they could hear a singing bowl. Three out of hundreds is not a large percentage, but it is still worth noticing.

The incident I remember most clearly took place in 2014 at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. I had a stall there and was playing a hand-beaten bowl of about 19 cm with thick walls. It produced a wide spread of shimmering harmonics. I played the rim for about fifteen seconds, then gave the bowl a gentle tap.

At that exact moment, a couple happened to walk past my stall. The woman stopped suddenly and signalled to her partner. She said she had just “heard” something. When I learned that she was deaf, a small commotion followed. My neighbour, who was selling hand moisturiser, even came over and recorded the moment. Sadly, I lost the video over the years, so you will have to take my word for it. At the time, it felt like nothing short of a miracle.

With what I have since learned, I suspect a more ordinary explanation may have been at work. Deafness exists across a wide spectrum. Many people who describe themselves as deaf retain some hearing within particular frequency ranges while being profoundly deaf in others.

A singing bowl does not produce a single note but a complex mixture of frequencies and harmonics spread across a wide range of pitches. More importantly, unlike most everyday sounds, these frequencies can remain stable and sustained for many seconds at a time. The bowl I was playing had already been singing continuously for around fifteen seconds, allowing those harmonics to build and overlap. If she retained hearing within even a very narrow frequency band, the chances of one of those frequencies falling within that window may have been higher than with an ordinary environmental sound, which often changes rapidly from moment to moment.

Another possibility is that what she experienced was not hearing in the conventional sense but the perception of vibration itself. Strong low-frequency sounds can sometimes be felt through the body and interpreted in ways that overlap with hearing, even without direct physical contact with the source.

Whichever explanation proves correct, the experience remains memorable. What felt like a miracle at the time may simply have been an unusual meeting of physics, biology, and perception. Sometimes the boundary between hearing and feeling is not as sharp as we imagine.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Most people do not come to a singing bowl session because they are curious about acoustics or neuroscience. They come because something hurts, even if they cannot always put it into words.

Sometimes it is stress. Sometimes anxiety. Sometimes grief, exhaustion, poor sleep, or the feeling of carrying too much for too long. Occasionally there is no obvious problem at all, only a quiet sense that the mind has forgotten how to rest.

Over the years, I have met people from all walks of life who arrived carrying these invisible burdens. Teachers, nurses, parents, business owners, carers, students, and retirees. Different stories, different circumstances, but often the same look in the eyes: a nervous system that has spent too long in motion and no longer remembers how to slow down.

Perhaps this is why the strongest scientific evidence surrounding singing bowls has emerged not in physical rehabilitation, but in mental health and emotional wellbeing.

A 2025 systematic review analysed 19 clinical studies from eight countries involving singing bowl therapy across a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, sleep disorders, Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, and cognitive function. The strongest evidence related to improvements in mental health and emotional wellbeing, particularly anxiety and mood, although some studies also reported changes in pain, sleep, heart rate variability, and brainwave activity. Importantly, no serious adverse effects were reported. However, the authors also noted that many studies were small and methodologically limited, meaning that larger and better-designed trials are still needed before firm conclusions can be drawn [Ref. 12.21].

Where Sound, Vibration, and Mindfulness Meet

The unique quality of a singing bowl is that it merges sound therapy, tactile resonance, and mindfulness into one seamless practice. It is not only about hearing a note or feeling a vibration. It is about sustaining sound in a way that engages the ear, body, and mind together.

The ongoing tone becomes both an external environment and an internal object of focus. This is why many people describe a bowl session as more complete than simply listening to calming music. The brain processes the layered audio signals. The nervous system synchronises with the rhythmic vibration. The body resonates physically with the sound waves.

To this, the simple act of circling the rim adds a fourth element. It introduces mindful movement. To maintain a steady sound, the player must balance pressure and speed with awareness. The technique itself becomes a form of meditation.

In this way, the bowl weaves together four elements. Sound is heard as a fundamental tone and an overtone. Vibration is felt through the skin, bones, and tissues. Movement arises from the mallet’s circling as the meditation object. Mindfulness is the awareness required to unite them. Unlike recorded music or passive listening, playing a bowl demands embodied presence.

This principle is not foreign to Buddhist practice. Meditation is not confined to sitting cross-legged and watching the breath. In Ānāpānasati (आनाापाानसति ), the breath serves as the object of concentration. In Vipassanā (विपश्यनाा), thoughts themselves may become the focus. Likewise, in bowl practice, the hand’s steady circling becomes the anchor.

The Buddha himself taught that walking meditation could, at times, be superior to sitting meditation. This was precisely because it unites body, awareness, and presence in motion. Singing bowls draw upon this same truth. Meditation can emerge through sound, gesture, and awareness in harmony.

Modern research helps explain why these practices can feel so immersive. Studies on experienced meditators have found reduced activity in the brain’s default mode network, a network associated with mind-wandering and self-referential thought [Ref. 12.22]. At the same time, regions involved in attention and cognitive control become more strongly engaged. Rather than being pulled into memories, worries, and internal commentary, awareness becomes more settled in present experience. Whether the anchor is the breath, the body, footsteps, or the sound of a bowl may matter less than the quality of attention we bring to it.

Cultural Roots and Modern Adaptations

Singing bowls have deep historical and cultural roots, particularly in Himalayan regions where they were traditionally used for ritual, meditation, and practical purposes. Their role as meditative instruments has been passed down through generations.

In modern wellness settings, singing bowls are often woven into group sound baths, yoga classes, breathwork sessions, and even clinical environments such as palliative care or rehabilitation. What stands out is that, regardless of context, the underlying principles remain the same. Vibration and resonance combine to create a sustained and immersive sound field that supports both the body and the mind.

Personal story

I will end this chapter with another story that is special in its own way. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that you may be among the first people to read about it, as it has likely never been described before, let alone documented.

The story begins with a condition known as Bell’s palsy. It is temporary, but noticeable. The muscles on one side of the face weaken or become paralysed due to inflammation or compression of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). The signs are distinctive. A drooping eyelid or mouth, the inability to fully close one eye, or the loss of natural expressions such as smiling or frowning. Sometimes taste changes, or sound becomes oddly sharp. Most cases resolve within weeks or months, but during that time, the mismatch between feeling and expression can make ordinary interactions unexpectedly memorable.

This incident occurred on 8 January 2023 at 1:54 pm at the Starlight Festival in Bangalow, near Byron Bay, New South Wales. I was running my stall as usual when a woman approached. She was warm, cheerful, and immediately engaging. For the first few minutes, we chatted easily, but then something felt off. Her words were lively and animated, yet her face revealed almost nothing. It felt like listening to a symphony while watching a still photograph.

Adding to my confusion, now and then she winked at me. But it was not the kind of wink that suggests a shared joke or hidden secret. Hers was slow, deliberate, almost mechanical. The eye closed neatly, without any movement in the surrounding muscles. I remember thinking that this was either the most refined wink in history, or something very unusual was happening.

She must have sensed my confusion, because she smiled, or rather, she tried to smile, and gently explained her situation. In that moment, the strangeness dissolved into clarity. We both laughed, and the atmosphere immediately lightened.

Now, let me add another layer to this story by describing her laughter. When we laughed together, the situation became twice as funny and unexpectedly endearing. With one side of her face completely still, the sound of laughter flowed freely while her expression barely moved. It was a joyful contradiction. Less like a laugh you see, and more like one you feel, somewhere between a warm chuckle and a soft “moo”. You will soon see what I mean when you watch the video.

As our conversation continued, she mentioned, with good humour, that she had to tape her right eye shut at night just to get some sleep. I was absorbed in her story, yet somewhere in the background of my mind, a curious question formed. What would happen if I brought a bowl’s vibration close to her face? Part of me stayed present and listening, while another part wandered into possibility. Could the sound help her in some way?

That thought stirred a mix of emotions. Nervousness about what might go wrong. Hesitation about whether it would seem odd or intrusive. And alongside them, a spark of genuine curiosity and excitement. In the end, curiosity won over doubt. I asked if she would allow me to try. To my relief, she smiled and agreed.

I picked up a hand-beaten bowl with a strong, vibrant resonance and brought it close to her face. At first, I felt awkward holding a ringing bowl just two centimetres from someone’s eye. Then something unexpected happened. Her right eyebrow began to rise. This was the side of her face that was meant to be paralysed. Slowly and steadily, it lifted higher and higher, as if it had been waiting for this invitation. Then it began to move up and down. It was the most astonishing eyebrow performance I had ever witnessed, graceful, determined, and completely out of sync with the rest of her face.

We were both stunned. I was focused entirely on holding a vibrating bowl as close to her eye as possible. In her case, the eyebrow did most of the talking. Then came her laughter again. The kind I could feel more than see. It was utterly contagious. Her unaffected eye, which I had earlier mistaken for a wink, blinked along happily, while the stubborn one refused to join in. The moment was both touching and hilarious, a reminder that joy often lives in the most unexpected corners of life.

I asked if I could share the video, and she kindly said yes. So here it is—a moment of surprise, humour, and mystery. An eyebrow lifted by vibration. A laugh shared in the middle of a bustling festival. And a memory that has stayed with me ever since.

Video link:
8 January 2023 at 1:54 pm, Starlight Festival, Bangalow,, NSW

Closing Thoughts

The truth is that while we have seen many encouraging results, research into singing bowls is still in its early stages. A growing body of studies reports benefits in relaxation, stress reduction, and mood. However, the evidence is not yet consistent or detailed enough to tell us exactly who benefits most, or how long those effects may last.

There is a significant difference between a handful of positive experiments and the level of rigour required for a practice to become widely accepted. For any intervention to enter the medical mainstream, it requires substantial funding, large-scale participation, and years of careful, repeatable testing. We are not there yet. Without these large and well-designed studies, singing bowls remain a promising complementary practice rather than a fully established clinical tool.

We are standing at the edge of something vast and largely uncharted. My hope in writing this book is that this will change. I hope more experiments are carried out, and more discoveries are made about what these instruments can offer. Future research may show that bowls can ease menstrual pain or support recovery after injury. They may be explored for their potential roles in circulation, paralysis, or conditions related to memory and aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t have a firm answer yet, but the possibilities are wide open.

If you have a singing bowl, I encourage you to use, test, and play with it. Record what you notice and share your observations with others. Do this not as proof or prescription, but as a living exploration. You may be surprised by what unfolds. I promise that along the way, it will bring not only discovery, but also joy.

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