12 Reasons to Add a Crystal Singing Bowl to Your Birth Plan

The Crystal Singing Bowl is a sacred sound tool that is similar to the ancient Tibetan singing bowls. They are made from 99% quartz crystal and the sound they make is pure and resonant.  They come in a variety of different sizes creating high and low pitched sounds.  These bowls are normally used for "sound baths" (I call my sound bath's "Sound Nutrition Sessions" just to be different!) which assist people in becoming more relaxed and energised.  They are now being used at home and hospital births by SoundBirth Practitioners and / or the birthing woman’s partner.



Here are some of the benefits of choosing to use a crystal singing bowl at your birth.

1. The sound of the crystal singing bowl moves you into the alpha brain wave almost immediately – so you can achieve a relaxed and alert state.
2. It gives you something to focus on during contractions.  You will actually be searching for the sound each time you start contracting so let your support person know they need to be watching and present with you or you may even get annoyed that the sound is not there or in time with you!
3. It is more effective than listening to background music as the sound is being played especially FOR you and in time with your body / contractions. Also, LIVE music is always better than recorded music….we’ve all experienced this!
4. It helps you feel less self-conscious about making “strange sounds” as the bowl seems to “sing” with you.  It’s like the difference between singing solo on stage or in a choir.  Which would you prefer?
5. There’s something satisfying about making music together – its ACTIVE rather than PASSIVE listening and gives you a ritual to focus on.
6. It gives your partner something to do while keeping them relaxed and present with what you are going through.
7. It drowns out any distracting hospital noises such as beeping, binging, chatting, doors opening and closing, women or babies screaming next door and so on.
8. It relaxes everyone else who enters the room.
9. It helps to create a feeling of being in a safe cave – giving you privacy - which allows birthing women to REALLY let go.
10. It is symbolic of birth, the bowl = feminine; wand = masculine. When you connect the two together you create sound / “new life”.
11. It creates a sacred space just by it being IN the room even when it’s not being played!   This is especially important in a hospital setting.  Birth is meant to be sacred after all.
12. When you make focused sound through “toning” along with the sound of the bowl you relax your jaw which in turn relaxes your cervix. Open throat = open cervix.

So get out your birth plan now and add: "I want the crystal singing bowl to be played by my partner or SoundBirth Practitioner throughout each and every contraction."

---