Koreans need to ‘practice' relaxation -- singing bowls can help, instructor says
The lights dim and the soothing resonance of a singing bowl fills the room, enveloping those lying on mattresses in tranquility.
“Try to focus and be present in this space,” guides the soft and quiet voice of a female instructor.
She then tells her pupils to be aware of their surroundings -- how high the ceiling is, the texture of the floor and the feel of the air, whether it's dry or moist, warm or cool.
Next, the focus shifts inward. “Notice your face. Are you frowning? Is there tension between your eyebrows? Are your jaws clenched?” With the gentle guidance of the instructor, one's attention gradually flows from the top of the head down to the tips of the toes, accompanied by the soothing yet subtly shifting sounds of singing bowls that enhance focus. Once the body is fully scanned and relaxed, it’s time to focus on breathing.
As someone who finds meditation challenging due to intrusive thoughts and anxiety, I struggled to fully concentrate on the session, my mind drifting to how I might write this as an article. But each time my focus wavered, the sounds of singing bowls -- small and big, some made of metal -- gently pulled me back, helping me reconnect with my body and breath.
Meditation sessions usually incorporate sound effects, often soothing music or natural sounds like rainfall. However, the singing bowls in the session I attended were more than just a prop — they were the main feature, their presence in the room as commanding as their deep, resonant sound.
The bowls each produced a different sound. Some were grand and more reverberant, some clear and bright, reminiscent of a piano, while some carried a deep, echoing vibration. But all shared a relaxing, tension-releasing effect -- sleep-inducing, maybe, as some of the participants dozed off.
After about 40 minutes, the instructor rang a small bell to bring us back to awareness. The singing bowl session had come to an end.
Following the class, the instructor said my inability to focus on breathing is not unusual.
“People today are overwhelmed with thoughts, bombarded with information and constantly pushed to produce quick results,” said Park Jungran, a certified singing bowl meditation instructor accredited by the Korea Singing Bowl Association. “They live under constant tension but are unaware of how much stress they are carrying. This makes relaxation difficult.”
She said that many people nowadays don’t even know how to relax. They need to “practice” relaxation.
"Singing bowl sessions help participants achieve relaxation.”
As for the different sounds of the singing bowls used in the session, Park explained that deep and low-pitched ones are used to induce relaxation, while higher-pitched singing bowls are played during the stages of concentration or awakening.
Other sound-producing instruments, such as Tingsha, chimes, ocean drums and large gong-like instruments are also used. The choice of instruments may vary slightly depending on the instructor's preference and skill, she added.
The meditation class was one of the mind-healing programs offered by the Gangnam Healing Center located in Gaepo-dong, Seoul, operated by the Gangnam District Office. It's open to everyone, including those who live outside Gangnam.
What sound does to our bodies
Singing bowl sound meditation is a centuries-old practice known for promoting healing and relaxation. Singing bowls are specially crafted to emit resonant and soothing tones when struck or played with a mallet. Research indicates that this practice can elicit psychological benefits, such as reducing negative emotions, enhancing positive feelings and improving vital functions like heart rate and respiratory rate.
To explain how it works, Park uses the word “wave.”
“The smallest components that make up a human, scientifically speaking, are subatomic particles, and their fundamental properties are waves and energy,” she said. “The waves of our bodies, however, are often disrupted due to negative things in modern life like stress, junk food, noise and fine dust.”
“But when the stable waves produced by a singing bowl reach us, they restore the flow of our body’s own waves to their natural state, acting like a reset button,” the instructor said. “It’s hard to put into words, but the fact that people keep returning to the sessions suggests that the effect is real.”
The participants, who showed up despite temperatures plunging to minus 7 degrees Celsius on a January morning, demonstrated the veracity of her remarks. The class is limited to just 10 people per session, and participants noted that the competition to secure a spot is fierce and the class fills up as soon as registration opens.
One participant in her 60s has regularly attended the class since retiring from her job in March last year.
“The feeling varies depending on my emotional state at the time, but overall, (when I hear the sound of the singing bowl), it feels like a baby being held and released from its mother’s arms. It’s as if the sound resonates through my entire body like a gentle vibration passing through,” she said.
A pregnant woman in her early 40s shared that she feels tense most of the time, making it hard to sleep. “But when I come here, I feel relaxed and cleansed. Whenever I come here, I fall asleep. (The singing bowl sound) clears my mind of unnecessary thoughts and brings a sense of peace,” she said.
Singing bowl meditation takes off in Korea
Singing bowl meditation was officially introduced in Korea about a decade ago by Chun Sia, who now heads the Korea Singing Bowl Association and authored the book “Singing Bowl Meditation: Health and Tranquility with Sound."
“Back in 2008, when we first started, singing bowls were known as meditation tools, but no one really knew how to use them, nor were there any official practitioners,” Chun told The Korea Herald. “At the time, people would simply bring them from India or Nepal and use them in an individual capacity.”
In 2014, the association officially began singing bowl education and introduced the concept of singing bowl meditation to the public. In 2017, it conducted the first training course for singing bowl meditation instructors.
Chun says that singing bowls have become an established genre and an essential component in the nation’s wellness industry. “If you ask the general public about singing bowls, two or three out of 10 people know what they are. They are quickly becoming mainstream.”
She attributed the fast-rising popularity of the meditation to Korea’s “ppalli-ppalli” (hurry-up) mentality. Having experienced rapid industrial development, they tend to feel a certain urgency trying to survive in a competitive society. This constant drive to do better has led to various social problems, such as one of the world’s highest suicide rates and widespread depression.
“Koreans desperately need to experience absolute rest, relaxation and the luxury of being able to pause,” Chun said. “Singing bowls are the perfect tool to provide busy modern individuals with the experience of rapid relaxation.”
“Perhaps that’s why Korea is one of the most enthusiastic countries in the world when it comes to singing bowls.”
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
