Category: Artifact

These beautiful necklaces that many yogis wear are much more than a fashion statement. They are actually a powerful tool that can be used for meditation. Each necklace has 108 beads which is thought to be a sacred number in Hinduism. There is also significant to the type of gem that is used for each necklace. Each gem is supposed to have a specific meaning and energy attached to it. It is said that each person’s beads are unique and work in a specific way for them.

I learned that the color, amount of strings and number of beads are significant in meditation beads. I also learned that the beads act as a anchor for your meditation or mantra practice. As your meditate, you hang the beads between your middle and index finger and slowly count each bead as your repeat a mantra. This is continued until you get back to the guru bead which is the largest bead on the necklace. I knew that these beautiful beads had more meaning for yogis that a fashion statement, but now I understand the significance of the beads.

Sheppard, Alex (2019, June 16). Meditation Beads [Teal Beads and White Strings]. Personal Item, Lafayette, California.

Tibetan singing bowls have been used for centuries for healing and meditation practices in Eastern cultures. Our bodies have natural vibrations that can become out of sync or unaligned with our bodies when we become chronically stressed or in deep physical pain. Tibetan Singing Bowls are thought of as a type of “sound medicine” that can help with stress disorders, physical pain, anxiety, and depression. The way that the healing vibrations work are through entraining our brain waves to sync with the sound of the bowls. The vibrations from the bow can also be used to create a great environment for deep meditation, innovative thinking, and deep questioning. 

Through experiment with my own Tibetan singing bowl, I noticed that the sound can be very calming and soothing for my body if I’m feeling stressed or anxious. I had no idea that tibetan singing bowls have been used with patients receiving cancer treatment. I learned that disease is thought of in some cultures as the body or a specific organ being unharmonious or “out of tune” with the body. It is thought that using the sound waves from a tibetan singing bowl can re-sync the body. Through learning about the purpose and uses of the Tibetan singing bowl, I am able to answer one aspect of my content question regarding yoga as a means to physical healing.

Faubion, Jenna. (2019, June 27). Tibetan Singing Bowl [Brushed Brass Bowl] Personal Item, Walnut Creek, California.