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Why do the bowls irritate some people?

10/3/2016

27 Comments

 
Why are some people irritated by the sound of crystal singing bowls?

​This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get. 
 
There could be numerous reasons for adverse reactions. It’s like asking, "Why do I have a headache?" One must assess the total situation. For example, one woman told me of an experience she had while shopping. The sales person came to her with a large classic frosted bowl, put it next to her head and started to play it loudly. It instantly gave her a headache. This sales person was obviously not trained in the subtleties of using sound for healing. Placing a large bowl that close to the head without warning is definitely not a good technique!
 
Another situation is when people report that the bowls make their hearing aids squeal.
They may be using lower-priced hearing aids, or not have them set properly. I use two high quality hearing aids, and I never have problems with the bowl sounds.
 
To avoid irritating people with crystal singing bowls consider:
 
1) What type of bowls are you using? Classic Frosted (white) ones have one fundamental note, and not many overtones, so the sound can be harsher. Alchemy™ bowls have pure tones with many harmonic overtones that create a richly soothing effect.
 
2) How loudly are you playing the bowls? Try playing them softly, so that there is no buzzing. In my courses I teach a variety of subtle playing techniques.
 
3) How sensitive is the person's nervous system? Some people have very sensitive nervous systems from birth. They may also be extra sensitive at times due to noise pollution in their environment, illness, or stress. When I do individual sessions, I do a thorough assessment of the client's sensitivity levels. I communicate throughout the session, and gauge the "dose". My students learn how to do this.
 
4) What emotional associations are coming up? Sometimes people burst into tears, releasing grief. Sometimes they suddenly feel connected with their True Self, and cry tears of joy. Some people don't easily talk about their feelings. Instead they just report being uncomfortable or irritated. It’s important to allow time to explore feelings, if the client is receptive to that.
 
5) What’s happening when discomfort arises in the body during a session? Sound penetrates the whole body and goes through the nervous system, acting like an acupuncture treatment. Stuck energy may cause discomfort. Usually the sound energy will release it and the discomfort will go away.
 
In short, there are many reasons crystal bowl sounds could be irritating. A trained sound therapist will take a holistic approach to finding solutions for each client.
27 Comments
Julie
12/24/2017 09:11:29 pm

I went to a meditation group, but the singing bowl used is extremely painful to my hearing. Then it revibrated through my sinus cavities. I have never had this happen before.
I usually love the sounds/vibration of a singing bowl. No emotional associative issues. I can be sound sensitive but it has never happened before with a singing bowl.
Is it just my physiology,?
Is it the bowl, can they get ‘out of tune’?
Or can I ask for the technique to be changed, if so how?
Regards Julie

Reply
Kaasay
3/26/2018 12:33:10 pm

Hi Julie, Yes, you should ask for the technique to be adjusted to accommodate your nervous system condition. Nervous system sensitivity can vary from day to day, due to many factors, such as health status, inflammation, emotional state. A trained therapist will know to accost the sound "dose" by playing softer, allowing silent spaces, using pitches that are soothing for each individual (eg, higher or lower).

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Stephen
12/6/2018 05:17:35 am

You may have had a blockage in possibly your throat to 3rd eye chakras and may have released it. But it’s possible that the sound healing was a bit too loud or too abrupt for you. This can happen in individual or group settings when the practitioner playing the bowl is not receptive to the receiving folks.

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Nina
3/24/2018 04:12:51 pm

Me too! Exact same feeling . Don’t know why....

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Kaasay
3/26/2018 12:33:45 pm

Hi Nina, Please see my comments to Julie.

Reply
Lucy
3/29/2018 04:20:56 am


Hello Kaasay,

I have had a recent experience of crystal bowl therapy that I cannot make sense of. Only this article has seemed to demystify some of it, and perhaps you could expand a little, if you have the time? I would be enormously grateful if you could. Your experience and knowledge in this matter would be so welcome to me and so appreciated.

I am recovering from Lyme disease and so far I have attended five hours of healing therapy with crystal bowls. During this therapy the bowls have been placed against my head. Since starting the therapy however I have started to experience neuropathic pains beginning at my ear and radiating across my head and neck, I am also having breathing difficulties.

I was feeling healthier before I started treatment. Yet am assured that this is not at all related to the bowls as the practitioner has helped many recover from cancer with great success.

Your statement about nervous system condition is very interesting to me, could you expand on this please? What are you looking for as far as information from your client, and would you place bowls close to the face and head, or on the torso during treatment?

And in your opinion can the frequency of the vibration of the bowls loosen muscles and bones? As I have also pulled my neck severely following a treatment. And my mother, who also went for therapy, has pulled her hip.

The bowls are also being played along the left side of my body and it is my left ear and side of my head and neck that is experiencing the neuropathy pains.

Your thoughts would be so greatly appreciated as I do not wish to injure myself further and would like to understand what has happened to me from a professional perspective.

With enormous gratitude to you for your time…

Lucy

Reply
Kaasay
3/29/2018 05:11:55 am

Dear Lucy,

I'm sorry to hear of your health difficulties. It is hard for me to comment about the sound therapy you are receiving without knowing more about what is being done, with what bowls, notes, intentions, etc. And what the qualifications of the practitioner are. When I do treatments, there is constant communication with the client and the techniques and "dose" are adjusted accordingly. If you are experiencing negative outcomes, then I would trust that it is not the right treatment for you.

There is a lot to know about proper use of sound for healing. My 3-day training is just the tip of the iceberg. In general I hardly ever will put bowls near the head. Also, I don't play them loud and long if someone has a chronic illness. Illness makes the whole body more sensitive.

When placing bowls on the torso, I try different locations and ask the client how they feel.

Whatever techniques are used, the objective is relaxation. In that state, the body can regulate itself, come back into balance and heal. If treatments are increasing neuropathy, pain, difficulty breathing, or other symptoms, the technique needs to be changed or the treatments stopped. Continue working with your MD or other appropriate medical practitioner while utilizing complimentary treatments.

Reply
Lucy
4/3/2018 03:42:59 am

Dear Kaasay,

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to you. Your act of kindness towards me, during this, my moment of need, has touched me deeply. I have profound gratitude towards you. Unfortunately my health is compromised and I can’t express myself more than what I am doing right now, I hope you understand. But I would like an opportunity to write you a private email in a few days if that is possible. If this is okay with you then please let me know how?

In the meantime I am so sorry I didn’t not write immediately after your responded to me, I would have done so, but I was waiting for a notification of updates via email. I have only just this moment checked your website and found your very kind and thoughtful response. Wow. My gratitude really is overflowing. Thank you so much!!

I send you blessings of light and love for the person that you are. You have provided me grounded answers to what I was intuitively feeling, and you have provided me a great peace of mind. I feel an immense sense of joy knowing your dedicated professionalism and your beautiful energy is present in the world helping people like me. We are all very lucky. It must be a stunning experience having healing with you and your bowls.

Thank you so much for your time and your energy in helping me Kaasay. I wish you a beautiful week ahead.

Lucy

Reply
Kaasay
4/3/2018 09:23:06 pm

Hi Lucy, I'm glad you found my comments helpful. You can always contact me through the contact page on this website. If you look under the "Services" tab, you will find information about private treatment sessions.

Reply
Sharon
8/1/2018 01:34:35 pm

I went into a metaphysical store and had the singing bowls demonstrated to me and my girlfriends. When one of the bowls was rung I experienced sharp increased pain over an area of my artificial knee in the spot I have had pain with since I woke up from surgery. The Dr has been dismissive of this pain all along. I felt like the bowl said hey something is wrong here! Have you had clients experience anything like this?

Reply
shane chunephisal link
10/9/2018 10:52:23 pm

You should also look into adding a 440 vs 432 section of why the bowls might irritate someone during a therapy session.

In my 8 years of sharing in sound healing, and my extensive expertise, more and more people do not know about the variance in 432hz or 440hz scales. This is a major contributor as to why some bowls also irritate people, and it would also help widen the expanse of knowledge for ppl to know about this stuff.

Being someone who originally had 440hz bowls, and now has 432hz bowls, I recommend seeing which ones people are more naturally called to!

Great article!

Reply
Robin Sharp
10/17/2018 03:00:39 am

I had some energy healing 5 days ago that included singing bowls. The last bowl emitted a high pitch sound that hurt my right ear & ever since I have had a feeling that I can’t unstop my ears, my left ear is now hurting. I have also experienced extreme fatigue do you think this is a part of my healing crisis or did the frequency some how damage my hearing?

Reply
Kaasay Watters link
10/17/2018 09:14:29 am

Hi Robin,
I'm sorry to hear that. Without assessing your situation more thoroughly I cannot speculate about the reason why this happened. I would want to know what your treatment consisted of, what is the specific training and expertise of the practitioner, what is your medical history, etc. If you continue to experience these symptoms, please see your medical practitioner (MD, ND, acupuncturist, audiologist, etc.)

Reply
Kaasay
10/17/2018 09:25:58 am

Dear Sharon,
Just noticed your question. In Reiki training we were taught to ask clients if they had any metal implants. And to have clients remove any metal they were wearing (belts, jewelry, etc.). This is because metal will absorb the energy and create blockages and discomfort. Sound is a form of energy work like Reiki. Sound penetrates your whole body. It moves along the energy meridians, clearing the energy pathways. When it comes to a stuck spot, people will feel increased sensation, discomfort and possibly pain. Usually, the stuck energy releases and then so does the pain. In the case of an implant or artificial knee, this may not work. You will only know by experience. I would ask your practitioner to "regulate the dose"....play softer, shorter time, and tones that are soothing to you. Does this help?

Reply
Ali Croy
5/15/2021 03:00:25 am

Hello and thank you for writing about this topic. It's not that easy to find an explanation online about these bowls causing irritability. I've shopped in my local china town for at least a decade. Every so often I'll be in a shop that has one and I'll suddenly hear them sound off thier bowl. I feel that sound through my entire body almost as if my whole body just woke up and went berserk. I've associated it with being a negative experience for a long time. However, you mentioned a few explanations here that are helpful and that I'm definitely going to look into. Thank you for taking the time to write about it :)

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Theresa
10/14/2021 07:22:49 pm

Is it possible for “practitioner” to use the sound bowl incorrectly? I went to my first yoga class ending in a short sound bath with a crystal bowl and it was the most disturbing thing I’ve ever experienced! It was not relaxing at all. The instructor did not let up in the bowl at all but rather kept on with revolution after revolution and seemed to be trying to play it as loud as possible. It was exactly the sound nightmares are made of. There was no relenting. Nothing gentle about the revolutions. I’ve never had a sound bath before this but I am certain this person (instructor/practitioner) was doing it wildly wrong. Is this how a sound bath normally is? I had something else in mind completely.

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Lisa
11/14/2021 07:25:23 pm

Theresa, I had the same experience! It was horrible! I have felt “off” ever since! Would love to know how to restore my positivity and calm.

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nate
12/24/2021 08:32:15 pm

my sister bought 3 larger 12" or so singing bowls that are suppose to be for Chalkra I hate them want to smash them wish a hammer but she refuses to stop using them I asked her to get lighter softer smaller ones they hurt my hearing that is hyper sensive from tinnitus that gave me hyperacusis but nope refuses to care...

Reply
Cassie
10/13/2022 10:01:08 am

Wow. Imagine feeling so entitled that you ask your sister to throw away expensive singing bowls

Reply
Kate Mabe
3/18/2022 05:23:42 pm

I practice the darker craft and I noticed when ever I get in a room with a sound bath or a noise on that same wavelength I get physically ill. I mean bubble gut and horrible migraines . I would love to know why

Reply
Hannah
3/24/2022 04:50:29 pm

Hello , 3 weeks ago I attended a yoga class , and at the end of the session we were all laying down and relaxing with our eyes close , an the. Out of the blue the teacher got a metallic bowl “singing and he keep hitting it and producing a deep sharp noise, I wasn’t expecting that part so the noise got me quiet uncomfortable anyway since that exactly day I have a non stopping sound in my right ear preventing me from sleeping during the night and also not being able to focus during the day because of the ringing in my ear. Is this normal ? I’ve had painkillers but doesn’t help , how can I get rid of this please? Has the singing bowl doing damaged my ear ? Thanks in advance for any advice

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Badia
4/29/2022 03:27:33 pm

Hello, reading the article and all the comments brought up weird feelings. Actually, I went to this tibetan bowl sound therapy class about a year ago, during the session I felt like the energy stopped (got stuck) in my throat area/chakra. Since then I have experienced the same heart palpitations and anxiety and until now an ongoing depression (even antidepressants didn’t gave results)
Never linked the whole experience with the sound therapy, until now, because reading your experiences made feel the exact same throat discomfort and palpitations as if it was yesterday; and since then the discomfort never really left me.
WOULD LIVE TO KNOW if there are any ways to clear this tension or erase this experience, I am sure my body needs it?!

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Josie
5/1/2022 06:16:56 pm

Hi there, I had my first experience and it was intense but I was told by the instructor to imagine my body as a tunnel and let the sounds travel through and not to hold on to the sound. I was told just listening is the beneficial way. Is imaging your body like a tunnel a good thing or bad thing during an experience like this. Like if the waves are passing through are they still healing or next time should I just focus on breathing and listening?

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Jean
6/6/2022 03:07:43 pm

In 2019 I took my first sound healing course with Tibetan bowls. It was 5 days of intense work with 15 people and about 50 bowls being played in the same room.
After the course, I bought my own kit with 3 bowls and started practicing. I took two more courses, one on gongs and the other on clear quartz crystal bowls. I bought two of these crystal bowls. Shortly after the first course, I began to experience tinnitus in both ears. And a slight loss of hearing in the high mid frequencies. Also, a kind of "painless migraine", with a slight sensation of dizziness and cranial pressure when I am exposed to uncomfortable noises. I've had these symptoms for almost three years now and I still haven't gotten a diagnosis. However, two old sound healing teachers with bowls told me that this hearing disorder rarely happens to some practitioners, which is not as uncommon as we tend to think. I'd like to know if you've heard of this or what you think about it. Thanks.

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Jami
10/15/2022 12:50:57 pm

I haven't encountered a singing bowl in real life, but I noticed anytime they're on my FYP on TikTok I get sick to my stomach and have to scroll away quickly. Doesn't matter what type of bowl, just if someone is playing it I get nauseas and sometimes anxious as well.

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Nicole link
12/17/2022 10:07:23 am

Does anyone know of a website or anything reputable that allows us to find out if a singing bowl is 432hz or 440hz?

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Sharon
1/25/2023 11:30:59 am

Why di ti etan singing bowls really make my heart race and pound and I end up clenching my teeth and really disturbed in my body . I hated every minute of it .I have tried it twice

Reply



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    Nancy A. Watters, MA, is an expert sound therapist, professional singer, psychotherapist and Reiki master. 

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