While I was driving passed a new yoga center, I saw a sign that really made me sad. It said, “No chanting…No Oms.” I get that some people are uncomfortable with the idea of chanting. When I first started yoga (over 20 years ago), the first time I saw people singing along to [...]]]>

Why not Chant?

While I was driving passed a new yoga center, I saw a sign that really made me sad. It said, “No chanting…No Oms.” I get that some people are uncomfortable with the idea of chanting. When I first started yoga (over 20 years ago), the first time I saw people singing along to a chant, it freaked me out too. However, a couple of weeks later, when I sat there mute while the others were enjoying a particularly devotional chant, my mind got really still and my heart just seemed to get as big as the world. I left there that day with a feeling of being in love with the world. Maybe this chanting wasn’t so strange after all.

Before too long I got brave enough to sing along and found that no matter what was going on in my life—stress (and I’ve had plenty of it), fear, grief, singing a chant or two always shifted my consciousness from inner turbulence to inner harmony. I think of chanting as my atomic bomb of techniques for getting centered. When things get really tough, and it’s hard to concentrate, I can chant. And, while some days, it takes 3-5 chants, it always works.

And then there’s OM. If you think chanting OM doesn’t do anything for you, try this sometime. Sit quietly and notice your mind. Then chant OM out loud a couple of times, then whisper it and then chant it mentally for about 15 minutes. When you’re done check out your mind again. I bet you’ll find a calmness and peace that wasn’t there before. Send a comment and let me know what happens when you try it. I’d be really surprised if it didn’t work for you.

So, yes, I was sad when I saw that sign. Because the people who went there wouldn’t get a chance to experience the joy and benefits of chanting that I’ve gotten to know. You never know until you try it. What do you think? Are you a chanter? Never tried it? Want to try it? I’d love to hear from you.