Let's talk about something that might feel a little unfamiliar,
Maybe even a little intimidating.
Chanting.
If the idea of sitting and chanting makes you feel slightly awkward,
You are not alone.
I'm right there with you.
Most people raised outside of traditions where chanting is common have a complicated first reaction to it.
They worry about sounding strange,
About doing it wrong,
About what it even means to chant.
So let's clear that up right away.
Chanting is simply the sustained rhythmic repetition of a word,
Phrase or sound spoken or sung aloud.
That's it.
No perfect voice required.
No musical ability needed.
No particular belief system necessary.
What makes chanting different from silent mantra repetition is the element of sound.
And sound,
Specifically sound produced inside your own body,
Does something remarkable.
When you chant,
The vibration moves through your chest,
Your throat,
Your skull,
And it stimulates the vagus nerve.
Which is the primary nerve of your parasympathetic system.
And it does it in a way that creates almost immediate calm.
Your breathing naturally slows and deepens.
Your heart rate settles.
The analytical mind,
Which normally runs the show,
Steps back.
Because it simply cannot compete with the immediacy of sound and vibration happening right now,
In this body,
In this moment.
Research consistently shows that.
Regular chanting reduces anxiety,
Lowers blood pressure,
And increases feelings of connection and well-being.
That's amazing!
Ancient traditions knew this without the research.
They simply knew it worked.
The most universally recognized chant in the world is Aum.
It is considered the primordial sound,
So simple,
The vibration from which all other sounds arise,
And it is the perfect place to begin.
So I want you to do that,
To try it.
Feel the vibration in your chest,
In your throat,
Behind your eyes.
Try it with me.
Feeling that vibration.
First in your mouth.
And your whole head,
Especially with the letter M.
So take a deep breath in and on the exhale,
Again,
Breathe in.
Aw,
Man.
One more time,
Breathe in fully and let it go.
Notice the quality of the silence after the sound.
That stillness.
That is where chanting takes you.
Congratulations,
You have just chanted.
And something in your body already knows it.
If this practice moved something in you,
I invite you to go deeper.
I have several chanting meditations on Insight Timer that will take you further,
Including the sacred chant of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
The sacred chant of Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and another Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
Chanting miracles into reality.
Each one is a full immersive experience rooted in the power of sacred sound.
Come find them!
On my profile whenever you are ready.
