Robbinsville – In a darkened, back room of the Graham County Public Library, a dozen people lay on the carpet and lounged in chairs as Stecoah resident Mardie Drolshagen made her collection of crystal bowls sing.
“I think of myself with the crystal bowls as a kind of music therapist, specializing in stress reduction and relaxation,” Drolshagen said after Tuesday, Jan. 28’s session.
She considers sound massage – using singing bowls – as a great, natural way to restore harmony to the body, bringing a deep sense of tranquility, and reduced psychological and emotional stress.
A retired photographer, Drolshagen has been a full-time resident of Graham County for 12 years, but her family has maintained a homestead in Stecoah since the 1960s. She began conducting singing bowl sessions at The Heart Center a few years ago and has performed at The Gleanings Foundation, as well as in private homes.
Over the past year, she began holding regular sessions at the Stecoah Center as well as at the library.
The library audience was invited to simply relax, do nothing, just lie or sit still and listen.
Anyone within range of the singing, ringing, vibrating bowls was soon reminded that sound is not just noise: it is a physical force.
Drolshagen had reminded the audience that the human body is composed of approximately 50-65 percent water, and sound travels through water. This explained how the singing bowls were felt as much as they were heard.
To more than one participant, the ringing “sounded like outer space,” though with no atmosphere in space, even crystal bowls would be unable to sing.
The science behind singing bowls is uncertain, but an observational study published in 2017 by the National Institute of Health found that “a high-intensity, low frequency combination of singing bowls, gongs and bells in sound meditation could induce a deep relaxation response and positively affect mood and sense of well-being.”
Researchers documented “a significant difference” in participants after singing bowl sessions, with mood, tension, anxiety, physical pain and sense of well-being all seeing measurable improvements.
The results of that study were reflected by the audience at the library. While some participants relaxed so hard they dozed off, others who retained consciousness felt like they had “melted into the floor.”
Drolshagen offers crystal singing bowl performances on the second Tuesday of every month – from 4:30-5:30 p.m. – at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, and the fourth Tuesday of each month – from 4:30-5:30 p.m. – at the Graham County Public Library.
For details, contact the Stecoah Center at 479-3364, or the library at 479-8796.