KUALA LUMPUR. The exact origins of the Himalayan singing bowl remain uncertain, but their history traces back more than two millennia to the Himalayan region, where they were once used in spiritual and healing practices.

Traditionally made from a blend of seven metals – gold, silver, iron, mercury, tin, copper, and lead – these bowls are said to represent the seven major chakras (energy centres) in the body, with the tin used in their making sourced from Malaysia.

What began as an ancient craft continues to find relevance in modern sound therapy. The soothing tones of these bowls are now being studied in hospitals for their therapeutic effects on stress, trauma, and more.

Earlier this month, FMT Lifestyle attended the Sacred Himalayan Sounds experience at Yogshakti in Bangsar, led by Master Santa Ratna Shakya.

A guardian of a seven-generation lineage of sound artisans from Nepal, Master Santa is among the few remaining craftsmen still hand-forging these bowls using age-old techniques.

“It’s a long tradition,” he explained. “I’m from Patan, an old heritage city famous for handicrafts, including the singing bowl. The bowl is made from seven metals, and when we mix them, they become one metal. That one metal is called Kassa.”

According to him, the bowls were never originally called “singing bowls.” That name, he said, came from Western visitors who encountered them in the 1960s. “But for us, they’ve been part of our culture for years,” he said.

He described how, in the past, the bowls were especially made for women.

“When a woman was pregnant, she had to eat from the bowl. The minerals from the seven metals were believed to give good energy to the baby and the mother. Back then, there were no hospitals or doctors, so people depended on nature and what it offered.”

To Master Santa, the power of the bowls lies in both sound and vibration. “The sound helps you relax mentally. And the vibration helps with blood circulation, it makes your body feel lighter.”

Each of his full moon bowls is forged only once a month, taking three lunar cycles to complete. The process, he explained, carries layers of meaning.

“In Nepal, when people had stomach problems, they used to put water in the bowl, hit it under the full moon, and drink it the next day. That water was believed to heal their digestive issues.

“The power comes from three things: the metals, the sound and vibration, and the moon’s energy.”

During the session, participants lay down on yoga mats with eyes closed, wrapped in blankets as the master gently struck the bowls.

At times, he circled the bowl’s edges with precision; at others, he tapped them softly with his fist. Multiple tones layered and lingered in the air, joined occasionally by the deep hum of a gong or the rhythm of a handpan.

It was far from the social media version, where someone keeps circling a bowl for minutes on end.

For Peter Yoong, 58, it was an experience that went beyond relaxation.

“It was magical for me,” he said. “I went through many waves of feelings, vibrating with energy. At one point, even my hands started locking up,” Yoong said.

Another participant, Khoo Seng Chee, 39, a former national ice hockey player turned sound healer himself, said it deepened his understanding of meditation.

“I started out just looking for answers to better my life,” he said. “When I started exploring meditation, sound became a way for me to go deeper,” Khoo said.

In his four decades of practice, Master Santa has seen remarkable transformations in people, from improved sleep and eased depression to the mending of relationships.

“I’ve had couples who wanted to separate, and after the sound therapy, they came back together,” he said with a smile.

“Even people with very bad conditions, like cancer, have completely recovered. That’s the power of sound and vibration,” he added.

As the final note faded at Yogshakti, a quiet calm filled the room. Some participants slowly opened their eyes, while others lingered in stillness.

Whether or not one believes in its spiritual roots, there’s no denying that something about these ancient sounds speaks to the human need for peace.

For more information, contact 012-486 7798.