Meditation is widely practiced, for its ability to calm your mind.
But do you know how meditation accomplishes this? Through the decrease in frequency of your brain waves.
In the same way, you can use the sounds of tuning forks, singing bowls, drums, or chimes to feel calm, relaxed, awake, alert, creative, and more.
How to use Tibetan singing bowls to slow brain waves? Do singing bowls alter brainwave states? What’s the science behind it?
Our brain switches from Alpha to Beta, Gamma, theta, and Delta during meditation to waking hours, sleep, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. Singing bowls can slow alpha and theta brainwave states to help you relax or focus effectively.
We’ll talk about the meaning of slowing down brain waves, its effects, and how to do so with the humble singing bowls.
Altering Brainwaves: Meanings and Science
Our brain goes through different brainwave states throughout an average day. Slowing the brainwave states may mean relaxation, agitation, or alteration of the mind.
Slowing down the mind references shifting your brainwaves to an Alpha brainwave state.
Let's go a bit deeper into these brainwave states...
While the Greek number system starts with Alpha, the lowest brain wave state is Delta, where you experience dreamless sleep.
Alpha brain state is described as a slowed-down state of mind where you’re peaceful, calm, and grounded. This state is the same as the feeling after meditation, yoga, hikes, and exercise. It’s when your mind is clear, and you absorb all of nature without negativity or negative thoughts.
Followed by Alpha is the Beta brainwave state, where you’re completely focused, alert, and awake. In the beta state, your mind doesn’t get distracted.
Beta brain wave state is when we burn brain fuel for complex thoughts, plans, actions, problem-solving, and critical analysis. It can make you feel excited or anxious.
The Gamma state is a brainwave state where you’re completely focused and joyful.
High Gamma frequencies may enhance your understanding and critical thinking skills but may also overwhelm people or make them anxious. Simply put, your brain absorbs all the information it’s fed in the Gamma brainwave state.
Counted as the first or the last brainwave state, Delta is the meditative state of awakening, alertness, or focus. Monks and yogis are believed to switch to a delta brainwave state quickly during meditation with sounds, aromas, and prayers.
A low brainwave state, the Theta state prepares your brain for meditation. Here, your thoughts turn into shut-eye visualizations and hyper-awareness. Some feel sleepy or extremely relaxed in the theta state. It’s excellent for visual meditation.
How to use Tibetan Singing Bowls To Slow Brainwaves?
In a phenomenon called "brainwave entrainment," the brain is stimulated with sound, light, or EM fields to alter the brain into specific brainwave states.
Tibetan bowls also affect the brainwave states in similar ways.
Moreover, singing bowls are ancient brain entrainment instruments. One or more Tibetan bowls can switch your brain to alpha or theta wave states. Meditation or your inward focus will help you slow brain waves and enter a meditative or relaxed state.
PsychCentral says sounds, mantras, breathing cycles, and visualization are excellent for altering brainwave states into theta and Alpha. Both these states are great for relaxation, creativity, and focus.
A recent study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrated Medicine showed that it took 40 days of Yoga Nidra for students to turn alpha waves into their dominant brain waves.
When your alpha and beta states relax, beta waves also slow down.
To practice with singing bowls to slow brainwaves, here's a few steps you can take:
I suggest exploring meditation further to be able to actually feel what different brainwave states are like.
Using different playing techniques with singing bowls, you can use the power of sound to switch your brainwave states. Such a technique requires you to play two or more singing bowls of a significant size difference to create unique frequencies that switch brain states.
Using Singing Bowls To Switch Brainwave States
Singing bowls, music, essential oils, lights, and incense are different ways of stimulating the brain or switching it into different states.
We learned how Alpha is a state of relaxation, while Gamma is when your brain absorbs everything. Singing bowls are excellent tools to awaken your mind in the morning or lull your mind to sleep at night.
You can combine soft mantras or positive affirmations with singing bowls in consistent cycles to manipulate your brainwave state for focus, memory, retention, learning, relaxation, and creativity.
Want to get your first singing bowl? You can read our article about how to choose.
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