Singing Bowls for Healing Mind, Body, and Spirit
Guest post by Vicky Rutkowski-Dennis of Sound Wellness
Today’s post is by guest writer Vicky Rutkowski-Dennis, the co-host of the upcoming Summer Yoga and Meditation Retreat with Sound Healing!
What are Singing Bowls?
The sound medicine of singing bowls brings us back into alignment and “in tune” with our natural state of healing. It is a great adjunct to allopathic medicine for treatment of anxiety, depression and many other systemic and psychological conditions. This enriching experience enhances our intuition, and clears and focuses the mind.
I’ve been a musician for as long as the crystal singing bowls have been in existence. I cannot say the same for Tibetan bowls. The first time I experienced a singing bowl was during a private healing session. I was hypnotized by the pure sound quality it emanated. Instantly I connected to something angelic.
I found out later, through my studies with Ashana, that the power of sound healing with crystal bowls is due in part to our body’s innate resonance with crystal. The unique properties enable it to amplify, transmit, absorb, transduce and contain energy.
Where did they come from?
Originally the crystal bowl emerged from technology developed for the semiconductor industry in the 1980s. Their creation involves using gem silica crucibles for force. Crucibles are ceramic or metal containers in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. Raw materials are put into the crucibles and then subjected to very high temperatures and pressure, which simulate the process of the crystals natural growth.
After use, crucibles need to be discarded. Inspired by recycling in the early 80s, someone experienced the beautiful tones when playing the crucibles. Thus the birth of singing bowls, known as the extended family to their cousins the metal singing bowls that have existed for thousands of years!
Originally made from 5, 7 or 8 metal alloy, traditional metal singing bowls contained copper, tin, zinc, iron, lead, mercury and traces of gold and silver. Tibetan oral tradition dates the metal singing bowls to the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, 560-480 B.C.E. when they moved to Tibet from India.
All of these bowls invoke a deep state of relaxation. When combined with guided meditation, you feel higher states of vibration, and sleep/dream states, which inspires creativity.
The metal bowls tend to facilitate more grounding energy while the crystal bowls lift you up.
Crystal bowls are quartz-based and the alchemy bowls contain various metals directly infused into the quartz gem silicon, or overlaid in a second firing. This allows an open connection to our etheric bodies, the sound being more transparent and less dense than metal bowls.
Sound Healing Through Vibrations
Whether you hear the bowls for the first time or the 100th time, you don’t need to understand them to feel them in your body. I felt crystal alchemy from the very first time I heard the bowl chime. It felt like “home.” As a musician, I was intrigued by how playing them can impact me as the practitioner. I found them a healing tool for myself, while at the same time as being a conduit to others’ healing.
This type of sharing is ultimately what brings me to retreats like the one in August with Janine. I’m looking forward to collaborating with Janine in our holistic weekend in Western Massachusetts.
Who is Vicky?
Vicky Rutkowski-Dennis is passionate about life, healing and teaching. She spent over 20 years in healthcare, ranging from medical research and technology, to direct patient care, and marketing. As a pediatric nurse practitioner she is passionate about non-pharmacological ways to treat her patients and families.
Originally she is from the Great South Bay Area of Long Island. Since her time training in the Boston area for graduate work, she has returned home to NY to share her experience as a Reiki Master Teacher, ICBCH Certified Hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation instructor, and lifelong musician.
Alongside her training, her travels to Peru and Grenada have deeply inspired her to combine her western medical training with her own personal growth experiences using complementary & integrative medicine. This is deeply personal and from where her passion for sharing the wisdom and healing of sound and hypnotherapy stems. She has personally used both in combination to heal from heart surgery, alongside emotional heart break, and continues to love, learn and manifest positive changes in her life. She is excited to share her wisdom with you on retreat this Summer!
Join the August Retreat!
Many people know of the physical benefits of Yoga for building strength and improving mobility. But the real power of yoga is in how it makes you feel. Yoga calms the nervous system, helping you let go of stress so that you can sleep soundly, think clearly, and move comfortably through the world. Yoga connects you to yourself, teaching you self-compassion, and creating more space to breathe, both literally and figuratively.
Practicing yoga for an hour helps you feel stronger and more relaxed, but then you go back into your life. Practicing yoga for a weekend, with the addition of meditation and singing bowls, is a true gift to your mind and body, getting you out of the chaos of daily life, allowing you to bathe in serenity.
Summer is the time for restoration and renewal, and this retreat gives you both!
August 9-12, 2024 in Plainfield, MA. Click here for more information or to sign up!
