The history of Balinese space clearing bells

When I first started space clearing, the best equipment I had was a clangy old school bell that was next to useless. Then I discovered Balinese bells and everything changed.

Balinese space clearing bells

These days, anyone can buy a space clearing bell at the click of a button on my online store, but it wasn’t always so. Here’s some information about the history of space clearing bells.

Discovering Balinese bells

When I first began space clearing back in 1978, I lived in England. I amassed a large collection of bells from all over the world and experimented with using them in a variety of situations. I would use perhaps four or five different bells in any building, using smaller and smaller bells with each circuit I did. I used the best equipment I could find at the time, and it did have some effect, but it was very far from what I now know to be possible.

I continued to develop space clearing for the next 12 years. Then in 1990, I travelled to Bali and discovered Balinese bells, which radically changed everything. It took me two years and several visits to Bali to acquire a bell for myself (I was the first non-Balinese person ever to do so), and when I went back to England in 1992 and started using it, I was astonished at the difference it made. It took space clearing to an entirely new level that I had not even thought was possible before, and now I never use anything except Balinese bells. I have found nothing anywhere in the world to compare with them.

Why I began selling space clearing bells

In 1993, I started teaching space clearing workshops, and the level of interest turned out to be so great that I was inundated by requests for bells. The best I could suggest at that time was to search antique shops for some kind of bell or use Tibetan tingsha cymbals instead, neither of which did very much in terms of space clearing but I hoped they would be better than nothing at all. Nowadays I know better and would not recommend them at all.

On my next visit to Bali, I presented the problem to the family of bell-makers I had come to know, and asked them if it would be possible to create a more affordable bell specifically designed for space clearing, with a wooden handle instead of the traditional hand-crafted brass one but the same glorious purity of sound Balinese bells are so famous for. After many months of deliberating, they finally agreed, and by the time my Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui book was published in 1996, I had some space clearing bells available to sell to people who wanted one.

In the 20 years I lived in Bali, I continued to seek out the most skilled Balinese craftspeople on the island to create all the other types of space clearing equipment that can be purchased from my online store, including bell stands, harmony balls, altar cloths and colourizers. Truth to tell, it has always been more a labour of love than a viable business, but I see it as an essential service for the people who read my books and attend my workshops. There really is no point in teaching such high-level space clearing without being able to provide people with the tools to do it properly.

The space clearing online store

The online space clearing store is based in the UK and is run by my husband, Richard Kingston, who is also a professional space clearing practitioner and trainer. He rigorously checks the quality of each item sent out, with the result that in all the years we have been doing this, we can count the number of products returned for refund or exchange on the fingers of one hand, and most of those are from people who simply changed their mind.

Around fifty percent of our customers are based in the US, and the rest are in 60+ countries around the globe. I continue to stay in touch with all the talented craftspeople in Bali, most of whom have now been with me for 20 years or more. They all work in their own homes, surrounded by their families, and with great camaraderie between them.

So that’s the story of how and why space clearing bells came into being and why bells are so much a part of my life.

Copyright © Clear Space Living Ltd 2013, updated 2021


Related posts
What’s so special about Balinese bells?
Why Balinese bells are the best kind to use for space clearing

Like to read more articles like this?
Subscribe to my newsletters to receive news, articles and information about upcoming online courses by email. And I promise you – no junk mail ever.


About Karen Kingston

Karen Kingston is the world's leading authority on space clearing and a leading expert in clutter clearing. Her first book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui, has sold over one million copies in 16 languages, and her second book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, has sold over two million copies in 26 languages.

6 Responses to The history of Balinese space clearing bells

  1. Dear Karen, I cannot thank you enough for your knowledge! Even today, I lead a meditation class, beginning with “clearing the space” with my medium Tibetan singing bowl. I like to be correct with the information I give out. Now I would like to purchase a Balinese bell, & your space clearing book.

  2. Hello,
    I use Tibetian bell for space clearing. What is the difference between this one from the Balinese bells ? Did you try it ?
    Thanks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact

Clear Space Living Ltd
PO Box 11171
Sleaford NG34 4FR
United Kingdom

UK Company No: 12067211
VAT Reg No: 339 267 376