Today, when we turn on the news, we hear about the global pandemic and how it has affected our economy. Every news channel has reported on the financial deficit that 2020 has brought upon us. But amid all the numbers and charts, we have yet forgotten what this year has affected the most- us.
New York Times, CNN, and even the American Psychological Association has reported increased stress levels in people during the pandemic. The uncertainty and fear that the virus has brought have caused a high level of anxiety in people. And the restrictions that has been in place due to the pandemic has left some people without any emotional support. While we are hopeful that we will get a cure for the virus in the future, we can use meditation to relieve our stress and anxiety now.
Meditation is proven to reduce our blood pressure and also the cortisol level in our body. Cortisol is a natural hormone our body produces when we are in flight or fright moment. It increases anxiety and alertness in our bodies when we are faced with a problem. And since our brains cannot distinguish between physical and emotional stress, it floods our body with cortisol when anxious.
Singing Bowls are great tools we can incorporate into our meditation. For starters, meditation can be difficult with millions of distracting thoughts when trying to focus. The harmonics from the Singing Bowl acts as a guide for us to follow. So instead of trying to focus on a vacuum, we focus on a sound. Trying to match our breath with the resonance will help us clear our mind.
How to Meditate with a Singing Bowl?
- Find a quiet spot without external distractions
- For larger Singing Bowls, place it upside down on your head (as shown in the picture above) or place it near you on the ground
- For smaller Singing Bowls, put it on your hand or near you on the floor.
- Gently tap the bowl with the mallet and close your eyes
- Focus on the sound and try to align your breath with the resonance
- If the sound starts to fade away where it is nearly inaudible, gently tap the bowl again
- Continue the process for 5-10 minutes
This simple Singing Bowl meditation is easy and can be done even if you are just starting out with your first Singing Bowl. It will help us achieve mindfulness, and along the way, we can reduce our stress and anxiety during this time of uncertainty.