Category: Artifact

Zen gardens have been a popular tool to use for those who practice mindfulness mediation. People can invest in small individual zen gardens for their homes, place of work, or anywhere they would like to meditate. These gardens are made up of sand, rocks, and a small rake. According to Banu Ibrahim on cnn.com, “it’s believed that raking the sand of these desk zen gardens and creating swirling patterns help calm your mind.” In his article he provides links to affordable kits on amazon.

Although I have seen zen gardens before, I never knew why they were made up of rocks, sand, and a rake. In an article by Gunjan Verma on indiatimes.com, Verma explains that sand in a zen garden symbolize our lives, while the rocks symbolize life’s obstacles. Through this article I learned that Zen is tied to the Japanese tradition of Mahayana Buddhism which focuses on meditation and intuition over worship and scriptures. Through my research on zen gardens I understood more of the roots of where mindfulness came from, and different ways to reach the benefits of this practice.

Ibrahim, B. (2018, August 08). Stressed at work? A zen garden might be the answer to helping you relax. Retrieved July 08, 2019, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/cnn-underscored/zen-garden-sand-shop/index.html

Verma, G. (2016, August 24). Why do you need a Zen garden? – Times of India. Retrieved July 08, 2019, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/home-garden/Why-do-you-need-a-Zen-garden/articleshow/53841680.cms

A “singing bowl” is widely used in the practice of mindfulness. Using the mallet, the user presses it against the outer rim and moves it in a circular motion. This motion creates a clear tone that fills a room. This tone is thought to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and increase mental clarity. According to liveboldandbloom.com, singing bowls “create a range of sounds that are believed to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of any part of the body, mind, and soul that is out-of-harmony or even diseased.” This website offers a brief history, the benefits of using singing bowls, a guide to how to find and use the tool and recommends seven bowls for mindfulness practice.

It was interesting the learn the history behind singing bowls. They came from India to Tibet in the 8^th century through the tantric master Padmasambhava and using sound vibrations to heal the body is an ancient practice from thousands of years ago. I also was unaware of the different ways to use produce a tone from a singing bowl. You can start by tapping the side of the bowl or circulating the rim. This artifact helped me understand more of this history of mindfulness and what benefits can be gained for those who practice mindfulness.

(2019, July 8). Singing bowl. Picture retrieved from
https://liveboldandbloom.com/02/mindfulness/tibetan-singing-bowl

Can purchase from:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XEV4WYM/ref=as_li_tl?tag=livbolandblo-20&ie=UTF8&linkId=31475df96c27bf8c582e4671f6639103