The Frequency of Life

Zakiem Collier begins his sound bath healing by asking you to think of something that brings you joy, encouraging good intentions before heading into this meditative practice. As you conjure up a happy place, memory, person or thing, Collier motivates you to engage in a simultaneous release of something that may have been weighing on your heart or mind. “These bowls are channeled to our energy ports and our body, or chakras…it’s able to move stuck energy,” he says as he lays the groundwork for the session.

After a few deep breaths, your eyes come to a close and Collier brings the largest of the bowls near your ear. This bowl, which sits atop a red cushion, is connected to the root chakra. “This is what grounds us, what connects us to the Earth,” said Collier. Collier asks you to imagine a ball of red energy, gathering in your low stomach and moving up through the body, passing into the heart chakra. Collier then picks up the medium bowl, the frequency going slightly higher than the root chakra. This medium bowl sits on a green cushion and is emblematic of where we store our emotions and where our feelings are harnessed from. 

As he moves up to the crown chakra, Collier lifts the smallest bowl. “I want you to picture a nice, warm purple energy gathering at the crown of your head,” he says as the bowl lets out a pleasant tone. He then leads you through a visualization of the purple energy becoming a beam of light spreading across the town touching other people with its warmth. 

What is interesting about the frequencies from each bowl is that their sound seems to hold a double tune. Because the sound is so different from anything else experienced in our day to day, it naturally draws in curiosity. For those who find meditation difficult, this version may prove to be more accessible and interesting. 

Since the practice forces individuals to slow down and concentrate on their energy and ends on a visualization of the energy positively affecting others, you are left with a sense of calm and ease. It forces you to stop thinking about what you need to do in an hour, or that email you need to respond to, and encourages presence in the here and now. 

There are records of these Himalayan singing bowls similar to the ones Collier utilizes from as early as the 12th century. The longevity of this practice has led Collier towards being a big believer in the power of frequencies and their impact on the human body. “Whether it be frequencies of music or frequencies of different languages and speech, we know how to make each other feel good and raise each other’s vibrations or feel bad and lower each other’s vibrations through frequency,” shared Collier. 

According to a scientific study published by Indian researchers in 2023, singing bowls are believed to be potentially effective in “…reducing negative affect and increasing positive affect, as well as improving blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate.” They found that “Singing bowl sound meditation may be an effective low-cost and low-technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression while promoting spiritual well-being.” While they state that further research is needed to provide information on long term effects these short term results are promising. 

Many may be wondering – how does one find themselves interested in Hialayan singing bowls? Collier laughs, admitting that if you had asked him a few years ago what singing bowls were he wouldn’t have had a clue. After visiting Cambodia on his honeymoon, (eagle-eyed readers may recognize the last name Collier – Zakiem Collier is married to Jasmine Collier of the Purple Vegan Mama article) Collier was taken aback by the calm feeling that overtook his body after listening to a monk using sound bowls. Afterwards, he found that he simply couldn’t stay away. After a year of thinking about this transformative experience Collier ordered his own set and began playing them for his family. He witnessed immediate results in his children and wife, and felt drawn to share these positive results with his community. He has now expanded his work to The Collier Luxury Company in order to better serve others in his community.

Collier has completed an advanced Meditation & Mudras Course in 2010, an Accelerated Percussions Course in 2009 and has 300+ Hours of Guided Meditation as a Mentee and Student alongside his 400+ Hours of Sound Bath Healing as a Student and Healer. Those interested in participating in their own sound bath experience can learn more at collierluxury.com