Experience Vibrational Medicine

About Tibetan Singing Bowls:

Although many countries have claimed they are responsible for the first Singing bowls, it seems to have originated in the Himalayan areas of Nepal and India, and then spread out across the world, until they were used in China, Japan, Egypt, Tibet, and America. Nepal is considered the birthplace of Buddha, and there is proof the bowls existed there more than 5000 years ago, with some 2000 year old bowls still in existence.

They were first created out of necessity. They were used as a measure of grain, when one family would grow one crop and another would grow something else, and they would use the bowls to measure out an exchange of crops. According to Master Gopali, my singing bowl master, the bowls were also used as a form of medicinal healing when little else was available. For example, if a woman gave birth and lost a lot of blood, she would then drink out of the bowls, and would quickly regain lost minerals.

Each bowl consists of 7 earth metals, each representing a different Chakra, or energy point in the body, as well as the 7 planets or celestial bodies that were known to exist at this point in time when they were created. Copper, tin, zinc, iron, lead, gold, and silver are combined in an alchemical smelting pot and then hand hammered into bowls by 2 monks on the night of a full moon. A flat sheet of metal is hammered over a bowl form until it takes the shape of a bowl. The edges are then pounded until smooth, which is what gives the bowls their unique look and sound.

Although it began as a household item, over time many Indigenous cultures and ancient traditions worldwide began to recognize the power of sound to heal and transform consciousness. Monks in the Tibetan area started to use bells, tingsha, chimes and chanting to deepen their meditation. Native American Indians and Australian Aboriginals used repetitive sounds, and instruments made from nature in sacred ceremony, to help heal spiritual or physical imbalances. In India, the Hindu religion believes the universe was created by sound, and they use a lot of bowls and bells as well as chants like “OM” to open up the body. Many African cultures use drumming and chanting to lift them closer to Spirit. Today, across the globe, sound and music are an integral part of worship in nearly every religion.

My Tibetan bowls have an enchanting, mysterious, resonant, healing sound to them and are played by hitting, tapping, or rubbing them with a wooden mallet or striker (a form of wooden stick with a rubber end covered in felt). As Mitchell Gaynor, MD says in his book The Healing Power of Sound, “there is no organ or system in the body that’s not affected by sound and music and vibration.” I am acutely aware, as a professional singer, that everything in the universe is made of energy and has its own vibration. Your body is in a healthy state when each cell and organ resonates in harmony with your whole being. When part of your body is vibrating out of tune, we call it “dis-ease.

The powerful vibration of a Tibetan Bowl Healing works to heal you physically, mentally, and spiritually:

Physical Effects:

• Deep Relaxation

• Pain Relief from headaches, muscle pain

• Helps with muscle regeneration

• Improves digestion and GI health

• Improves the circulation of blood

• Opens stuck energy, so organs and tissues function better

• Improves energy

• Helps eliminate toxins (great for cancer patients)

• Helps with insomnia

• Lowers Blood Pressure

• Helps with Asthma

• Helps your adrenals function better

• Helps relieve headaches & migraines

• Strengthens the immune system

Mental Effects:

• You feel more relaxed

• Better concentration

• More creative (as it releases stuck energy)

• Releases stress

• Boosts self confidence

• Decreases depression, ADHD, and anxiety

• Releases fear and anger

• Stops you from overthinking, so you feel calmer

Spiritual Effects:

• You feel spiritually lighter

• A feeling of positivity or hope comes over you

• Boosted energy

• You feel more connected and grounded

About Practitioner, Esther Heideman:

Esther Heideman has made it her life’s mission to use her musical gifts to heal people.  As an accomplished classical singer, Esther has performed as a soloist with top orchestras and opera houses, most notably the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and the New York Philharmonic, as well as other major concert halls throughout Europe and Asia.  Using the knowledge and understanding of sound and vibration she has gained from being a classical singer, Esther wants to bring the healing power of vibration to you.  Through Tibetan Singing Bowl Healings, you can experience the uplifting, joyful energy she feels standing on the stage surrounded by hundreds of orchestra and choir members.

Esther was first exposed to Tibetan Singing Bowls when she stumbled upon a monk’s burial ceremony while she was living in China. Hundreds of monks were harmoniously playing bowls and chanting in an ancient Buddhist Monastery. Mesmerized by the experience, she found herself suddenly bursting with emotions, as if she had rediscovered a lost piece of herself. Transcended by the ceremony, she never forgot the feeling of peace she felt that day.  

During the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns, Esther was missing the vibration she received from performing on a stage with a full orchestra and choir. She was reminded of her experience in Asia with the singing bowls and sought to learn this Ancient art form of vibrational healing for herself, and she also wanted to learn how to use Singing Bowls for healing others.  That year Esther was awarded several artistic grants and decided to use that time and money to explore sound healing, and eventually worked with Master Gopali, a Tibetan Singing Bowl Master from Nepal. She now serves the Washington, DC area with this ancient healing technique, merging her accomplished classical musicianship with this powerful treatment of sound and vibration.  

Esther is forever grateful to Master Gopali for teaching her the ancient practice of Tibetan Singing Bowls and it’s power to help transcend the mind and body. Master Gopali is intuitive, inspiring, and encouraging. Building off of her musicality, Master Gopali was able to transform Esther’s talents from a musical performer to a musical healer. To this day, Esther continues to study with Master Gopali and is amazed by his depth of knowledge. Please click on the link below to Gopali Imports if you’re interested in training with Master Gopali or buying Authentic Tibetan Singing Bowls and Instruments. 

For further information about Esther Heideman’s singing career, click on the link below:

For further information about training with Alex Gopali, or buying bowls, click on the link below:

Vibrational Sound Healing Resources:

If you are interested in learning more about the Healing power of Singing Bowls, Esther highly recommends the following websites, books, medical studies, and articles:

Links to Research:

A comparative study of the impact of Himalayan Singing Bowls and Supine Silence on Stress Index and Heart Rate Variability

Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-Being: An Observational Study

The Human Health Effects of Singing Bowls: A Systemic Review

Feasibility of a trial with Tibetan Singing Bowls, and suggested benefits in metastatic cancer patients: A pilot study in an Italian Oncology Unit

Effect of a music intervention on noise annoyance, heart rate, and blood pressure in cardiac surgery patients

Physiological and Psychological Effects of a Himalayan Singing Bowl in Meditation Practice: A Quantitative Analysis

Neurophysiological Effects of a Singing Bowl Massage

Links to Articles:

Sound affects: Sound Therapy, Altered States of Consciousness, and Improved Health & Wellbeing by Lyz Cooper, MA, MSc, FICNM

Relaxation techniques ease patient's fears and anxiety about radiation treatments

A dose of Hope: Dr. Gaynor takes an Alternative approach to Cancer treatment

Fighting Cancer with Singing Bowls and Yogic Chants by Janet Aschkenesy

Healing by Sound by Jon Kelvey

Could Sound Therapy be Medicine to your Ears? by Ute Junker

The Power of Sound Healing by Skye Sherman

Links to Books:

The Healing Power of Sound: Recovery from Life-Threatening Illness using Sound, Voice and Music by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD

Sound Medicine: How to use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind by Kulreet Chaudhary, MD

The Hidden Messages in Water by Dr. Masaru Emoto

Self-Healing with Sound and Music: Revitalize your Body and Mind with Proven Sound-Healing tools by Andrew Weil, MD and Kimba Arem

The Healer Within: The New Medicine of Mind and Body by Steven Locke, MD

Molecules of Emotion: The Science behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace Pert, PhD

Vibrational Medicine: A handbook of subtle-energy therapies by Richard Gerber, MD

Sound Therapy: Healing with the Singing Bowl - Tuning and Changing Vibrational Fields with Tibetan Bowls by Green Leatherr

Music: Physician for Times to Come by Don Campbell (best-selling author of The Mozart Effect)

The 7 Secrets of Sound Healing by Jonathan Goldman

The World is Sound: Nada Brahma: Music and the Landscape of Consciousness by Joachim-Ernst Berendt

Link to Videos:

Making Sound visible through cymatics - TED TALK by Evan Grant

Alive Inside: A story of music and memory

Sonic Magic: The Wonder and Science of Sound