The universal bowls
Sunita's notebook contains one line that changes what a beginner should buy:
A and B are known as universal bowls. We can play to everyone, and for any chakra.
Six of the seven notes belong to a particular chakra and are played for that chakra. Two do not. A and B can be played for anybody, for any part of the body, at any time — and that makes them the most useful bowls a person can own.
By the end of this lesson you will understand what makes A and B universal, know which single bowl to own if you only own one, and have played your first session for another person.
What is a universal singing bowl?
A universal bowl is one that can be played for any chakra and for any person, rather than being tied to one location on the body. In this tradition that means the A bowl at 220 Hz and the B bowl at 250 Hz — the third eye and the crown.
The reasoning follows from how the tradition understands the body. Energy is described as entering at the crown and flowing downward through the whole system to the root. The crown and third eye sit above everything else, so a bowl sounding at that level reaches everything below it. A root bowl works on the root. A crown bowl works on the person.
You will see this again in Lesson 1.6, where healing always begins at the crown, and again in Course Three, where the crown bowl opens and closes every session regardless of what the session is for.
Why this matters if you own one bowl
Most people buy a bowl before they know any of this, and end up with whatever looked or sounded appealing in a shop. That is a perfectly good way to start. But if you are choosing deliberately, an A or B bowl is the most forgiving first purchase, for four reasons.
- It is never the wrong bowl. Whatever you or a friend want to work on, a universal bowl is appropriate. A single D bowl limits you to the sacral chakra.
- It is small and light. High notes come from small bowls, as Lesson 1.3 explained. An A or B bowl sits comfortably in one palm, which means you can actually hold it for a full session without your arm aching.
- It travels. Small enough for a bag. A root bowl is a piece of furniture.
- It suits the head. The crown and third eye are worked near the head, and a small bowl is far easier to place and play there than a large one.
If you have not yet bought a bowl, this is the point in the course to decide. Our guide to choosing a singing bowl covers the practical checks, and most people start with the handmade bowls. If you already own something else, do not replace it — every lesson in this course works with whatever bowl you have.
Smaller is correct at the crown. Sunita's notebook specifies that the crown bowl should be the smallest in a set. When you eventually build toward a full set, resist the instinct to make the crown bowl impressive. It should be the little one.
What each of the two is known for
A — 220 Hz — third eye. Associated with perception, clarity and, in this tradition, the pineal gland and the sleep and waking cycle. Course Four goes into that correspondence properly. Practically, it is the bowl most people reach for at the end of the day, and it is the one we most often recommend for a wind-down before sleep.
B — 250 Hz — crown. Associated with silence, stillness and thought. It opens sessions and closes them. If your practice is mostly meditation, this is the natural companion.
Neither is better. If you are drawn to sitting quietly, take B. If you are drawn to settling a busy head at night, take A.
Practice: play for another person
This is the first time in the course you will use a bowl on someone else, and it is deliberately simple. Ask a friend or family member for five minutes.
- Have them sit comfortably, eyes closed, hands resting open.
- Stand or sit behind them, holding your bowl at about the height of the top of their head — twenty to thirty centimetres above it, not touching.
- Strike once. Let it ring completely out. Do not rush the silence.
- Strike twice more, with a full silence between each.
- Then rim the bowl continuously for about a minute, slowly, the way you learned in Lesson 1.2.
- Stop, and let them sit in the quiet for a further minute before you say anything.
Then ask them one question: where in your body did you feel it? Not did you enjoy it — where did you feel it. The answers people give are the beginning of everything Course Three teaches.
If you do not have an A or B bowl, do this with whichever bowl you own. The exercise still works. Note the difference when you eventually try it with a universal bowl.
Common mistakes
- Buying a full seven-bowl set first. Learn on one bowl. A set bought before you can make a single bowl sing is six bowls gathering dust.
- Assuming universal means superior. A and B are versatile, not better. For working on a specific chakra, the matching note is still the right choice.
- Holding a large bowl over someone's head. Uncomfortable for you, alarming for them. Small bowls only near the head.
- Striking too hard near the ears. Close to the head, quieter is better. You are not trying to impress anyone.
- Filling the silence with talking. The gap after the sound is part of the session.
How do you know you got it right?
You can explain why A and B are universal in one sentence, and you have played for another person and heard them describe where they felt it.
If they said "in my chest" or "at the back of my head" or "in my hands" — that is exactly the kind of report a practitioner learns to work with. If they said "I don't know", ask again next time. Most people need two or three sessions before they start noticing.
Something to sit with
You have just done something for someone else that costs nothing and asks nothing back. How did it feel to be the one holding the bowl rather than the one listening?