Standing Singing Bowls: Earthing, Grounding, Foot and Mother Bowls Explained
Short answer: what is a standing singing bowl?
A standing singing bowl is a large metal singing bowl, usually 15 to 24 inches across, that sits on the floor and is big and strong enough for a person to stand in. When the bowl is struck, the vibration rises through the feet and is felt through the whole body. The same bowl is also called an earthing bowl, a grounding bowl, a foot singing bowl or a mother bowl, depending on how it is being used.
People arrive at this bowl by many names. Some search for a standing singing bowl, some for an earthing bowl or a grounding bowl, and some for a foot bowl or a master healing bowl. They are nearly always looking for the same instrument and the same experience: a deep tone, a strong vibration you can feel, and a steadier state of mind afterwards.
One bowl, five names
| Name | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Standing singing bowl | A bowl large enough to stand in. It rests on the floor and can also be played from beside it. |
| Foot singing bowl | The same bowl, named for where you feel it first: the soles of the feet. |
| Earthing or grounding bowl | The bowl used to earth the energy and bring attention down into the body. |
| Mother bowl | The largest, deepest bowl in a healer's kit. A session starts from it and returns to it. |
| Master healing bowl | A large bowl with a long, steady tone, chosen as the main instrument for healing work. |
You can see the bowls themselves in our large standing singing bowls collection.
What is a standing singing bowl?
The word "standing" describes the person, not the bowl. A standing singing bowl is one you stand in. You step into it barefoot, someone strikes the outside wall with a felt mallet, and the whole bowl vibrates under your feet.
That is why standing bowls are large. A bowl needs to be at least 15 inches across to give the feet room, and it needs a heavy wall and base to carry a person's weight and still ring. Ours run from 15 to 24 inches. The largest are wide enough to sit in, as in the photo above.
The same bowl can also be played from beside it, sitting or kneeling on the floor. Used that way it gives a very low tone with a long sustain, which is how it serves as the foundation of a sound bath. See how to set up singing bowls for a sound bath for where it sits in a full layout.
Why a standing bowl feels grounding
A small bowl gives a bright, light tone that you hear. A standing bowl gives a low, slow tone that you feel. When you are standing in it, the vibration does not have to travel through the air to reach you. It enters through the soles of the feet and moves up through the legs.
People describe the effect as calming, centring and steadying. In my own sessions it is the bowl I use when someone needs to come down out of their head and back into the body.
Earthing bowl and grounding bowl
An earthing bowl, or grounding bowl, is a standing bowl used with one purpose: to earth the energy. The low tone and the contact through the feet draw attention downward. In the chakra map this is work at the Root, the centre of stability and safety.
You do not need a different bowl for earthing. Any large standing bowl with a deep, steady tone does the job. What makes it an earthing bowl is how you use it: slow strikes, long pauses, feet flat, attention low in the body.
The mother bowl
In a healer's kit, the mother bowl is the bowl for earthing the energy. It is the largest and deepest bowl, and everything else is played over it. I begin a session with the mother bowl, come back to it between the higher bowls, and end on it. It holds the room steady.
If you already have a working set of smaller bowls, a mother bowl is usually the next instrument to add. Our singing bowl size guide shows how the sizes fit together, and complete sets are in chakra singing bowl sets.
Looking for a bowl you can stand in?
Extra large standing bowls from 15 to 24 inches, hand-hammered in Nepal, plain or hand-engraved. Each one is played and chosen for your order before it ships.
How to use a standing singing bowl
Standing in the bowl
- Place the bowl on its cushion or ring, on a flat floor where it cannot slide.
- Step in barefoot, one foot at a time, and stand with both feet flat near the centre. Hold a hand or a chair back while you step in.
- Have someone strike the outside wall gently with a felt mallet, about a hand's width below the rim. Start softly.
- Let each strike ring out before the next. Three or four strikes are enough to begin with.
- Step out slowly, one foot at a time, and stand on the floor for a moment before you move on.
Use a second person to play the bowl while you are in it, and steady yourself if your balance is not good. If you are pregnant, have a pacemaker or have a medical condition, ask your doctor before using strong vibration on the body.
Playing it from beside
Sit or kneel next to the bowl. Strike the wall with the felt mallet and let the tone open fully before you strike again. For rim-playing, use a thick leather-wrapped mallet, more arm than wrist, and a slow circuit. With a bowl this size it helps not to rush. If you are new to playing, start with how to play a singing bowl.
Beginning and ending
Before a session, pause and breathe, and bring your attention to the bowl and to what you want from the practice. Many people begin and end with a quiet "Namaste". A simple phrase such as "I am calm" or "I am grounded" gives the mind something to rest on while the sound does its work.
What size standing bowl do you need?
For standing in, 15 inches is the minimum. A 16 or 18 inch bowl suits home practice and most adults. A 20, 22 or 24 inch bowl gives more room for the feet and a deeper tone, and suits studios and client work. The room matters as well: a very large bowl can overwhelm a small room.
If you want a deep bowl but do not need to stand in it, a 10 to 13 inch bowl from our hand-hammered singing bowls may be enough.
Metal standing bowls and crystal bowls
Standing bowls are metal. A hand-hammered metal bowl is heavy and strong, it can carry a person's weight, and its vibration is felt through the body. A crystal bowl is made of quartz. It is fragile, it sits on a soft ring, and it is not something you stand in. Its clear, high tone is heard more than felt. Both have their place, and we compare them fully in metal vs crystal singing bowls.
Buddha Foot, mantra and other carvings
Many large standing bowls are carved by hand with a Buddha Foot, a Tibetan mantra, Om, Shree Yantra or the Flower of Life. The Buddha Foot, the Buddhapada, is the sacred footprint of the Buddha, which makes it a natural design for a bowl you stand in. A hand-hammered bowl's note is discovered once the bowl is finished, so a carved bowl is played and judged only after the carving is complete. There is more carved work in Om and mantra carved singing bowls.
Learn to run a session with it
Our free singing bowl healing course covers session structure, placement and how to build a practice around a foundation bowl. It is open to everyone.
Frequently asked questions
What is a standing singing bowl?
A large metal singing bowl, usually 15 to 24 inches across, that sits on the floor and is big and strong enough to stand in. When it is struck, the vibration rises through the feet and is felt through the body.
Can you stand in a singing bowl?
Yes, in a bowl made for it. A standing bowl needs to be at least 15 inches across. Stand barefoot with both feet flat near the centre and have someone strike the outside wall gently with a felt mallet.
What is an earthing bowl or grounding bowl?
A large standing bowl used to earth the energy. Its low tone and the contact through the feet bring attention down into the body. Any deep, steady standing bowl can be used as an earthing bowl.
What is a mother bowl?
The mother bowl is the bowl for earthing the energy: the largest and deepest bowl in a healer's kit, which a session starts from and returns to.
What is a foot singing bowl?
A standing singing bowl used for the feet. It is the same instrument, named for where the vibration is felt first.
What size singing bowl do I need to stand in?
At least 15 inches. A 16 or 18 inch bowl suits home practice, and a 20 to 24 inch bowl suits studios and client work.
Are standing singing bowls different from crystal singing bowls?
Yes. Standing bowls are heavy hand-hammered metal that can carry a person's weight and are felt through the body. Crystal bowls are fragile quartz, are not stood in, and give a clear, high tone that is mostly heard.
What does a Buddha Foot carving mean on a singing bowl?
The Buddha Foot, or Buddhapada, is the sacred footprint of the Buddha. On a standing bowl it marks the place where you put your own feet.
