How to Play a Bowl at Birth
It is important for both the partner and any other support person to know how to play a crystal singing bowl so that there can always be someone there playing it for you during each contraction. After all, if the sound of the bowl does indeed become the woman's favourite birthing ritual someone will NEED to be playing that bowl ... believe me!
Make sure your partner practices playing the bowl BEFORE the birth. It’s NOT a difficult instrument to play but it is important to feel comfortable playing it and for them to get your feedback on how loud or soft you like it.
Here are some guidelines:
Be present. - be aware of the present moment, your body, your breath.
Relax - take a few deep breaths before playing the bowl. Consciously choose to relax. Remember that through "entrainment" others can pick up on your energy ... so let them pick up on you experiencing slow, relaxed brain waves!
Feel grateful - if you’re not already feeling good, think of something you feel grateful for. Your state of being effects others in the room, especially when adding a frequency from a crystal singing bowl.
"Intention + Frequency = Manifestation" Jonathon Goldman
Connect with the bowl you are about to play. Look at it. Touch it. Feel how it is an extension of you.
Firmly rub the outside of the bowl using the mallet, encircling the circumference, until the bowl sings at the level of intensity you desire. Tip: to get the sound going the first round needs to be quite fast and firm.
Experiment with loud and soft. The faster you move the striker, the louder the sound. Don’t go too loud please!! Not good for our ears and not necessary.
Stop dragging the mallet when the sound is resonating at the volume the pregnant / birthing woman likes and enjoy the vibrations. (NEVER PLAY TOO LOUD as it can damage our ears and isn’t necessary). As the sound fades away drag the mallet around once again to give you the volume you require.
When the contraction fades away take the striker off the bowl and allow the sound to also fade away. This is the best part about experiencing a SoundBirth ... the sound accompanies the birthing woman's rhythm. This allows them to feel held and supported and not alone as they use their voice without inhibitions. It's a beautiful thing.
Play “windscreen wipers” style if you want to! Instead of going around and around and around your bowl you can just move the striker from left the right on one side of the bowl. This is particularly relevant if using a 16 inch or larger bowl. This will prevent your arm from getting tired!
I recommend you pour water into the bowl during the birth. If you fill it up half way, the tone will go down one and a half tones (lower in pitch) but the sound won’t be as intense (which sometimes is a good thing!). If you don’t want to change the tone/pitch, add a jug full of water just because water is a beautiful element to include during labour. Recently a doula who had water in the bowl during the birth told me that when the baby had its first bath the couple poured the special, blessed, energised water into the bath tub. Beautiful. Another idea is to keep some of the water in a little bottle to keep as a special memory, naming ceremony or other ritual.
Share this with your birth support team and give them a go at playing the bowl so they know they can make it resonate and can control the volume.
How to play a Crystal Singing Bowl in time with your birthing woman’s contractions.
