Finding it difficult to meditate? Mind wandering all over the shop. Only wake up to the fact you were supposed to be meditating when the bell goes at the end of the session and you realise you had been planning the evening meal in intricate detail for the last 20 minutes...why not try chanting? Inevitably it will get you to the same “place” as meditation aims to do but, because there is something to focus on , rather than just your breath it can be an easier method of attaining a level of spiritual peace and calm.
Chanting is almost universal. It is found in many religions and in many forms.
Become a Roman Catholic and get into Gregorian chanting and undertone chanting so beloved of the monks. Jewish? - no problem - several Jewish prayers are chanted in synagogues and there are call and response prayers in many of the services. Become a chanting Buddhist? They take the Nichiren Daishonin style of Buddhism chanting before a n alter called a Gohonsen which apparently contains part of the Lotus Sutra.. This form is spoken chant. Chanting also appears in African and Native American cultures.
Take a look at the wonderful film “Baraka” and see how many religious ceremonies around the world invoke chanting as part of their ritual.
To chant is to carry out a spiritual practice. It consists of rhythmic speaking or singing.
Chanting is one of the yoga practices fast gaining popularity.
Those who chant love to do so and those who don’t look on in amazement and astonishment. Why would anyone want to chant (often the same thing) over and over again.?
WIthin the yoga fraternity chanting tends to be from Asia and Hindu or Buddhist in origin.
The best way to chant - for many people is in ”kirtan” (pronounced phonetically “keartan” rather than “curtain”} chanting in company .The chant master or kirtan wallah is the person with the harmonium out front. leading the chanting.You can also choose to do it by yourself in the privacy of your own home - with or without a chant CD.
What is it about the chant that is so enticing ? The repetition of some of the names of God...names /sounds come from our ancestors and have deep resonance within them and sounds that , to those of us in the West have no multiplicity of meaning to burden our thoughts whilst we chant.
The kirtan wallahs of the West are rooted in Indian roots and music. Go into most yoga studios and you will find their CD’s. Krishna Das , Jai Uttal, Shyam Das, Chloe Goodchild, Wah, Dave Stringer, David Newman. Their wonderful kirtans include call and response chanting so it becomes an evening of intimate involvement in the process.
Not all the chant is , however a repetitive chant of the names of God. “Flow of Grace’ the new Krishna Das CD will be a several beautiful versions of one long chant of 40 different verses - the Hanuman Chalisa (Chalisa means 40 ) sung in praise of the monkey God, Hanuman ...to remind him of his powers and hidden strengths . The most beautiful chant with rhythm that is both evocative and meditative.
The practice of kirtan is slowly coming over the Atlantic and catching on in yoga studios here. There are kirtan wallahs based in London - Katya who has kirtans once a month at Hammersmith and Faustomaria at Innergy Yoga Centre in Notting Hill. Triyoga occasionally has kirtans and the list goes on. Jai Uttal and kirtan wallah Durga Das are both coming to England this year and Krishna Das will be returning to Europe for another much in demand tour in May & June of 2008 so plenty of chance to catch up with an evening of chanting. If you want to go further afield and throw in travel as well check out their websites (below) for detail of the diaries.
links:
www.krishnadas.com
www.jaiuttal.com
www.shyamdas.com
www.wahmusic.com
www.davestringer.com
www.davenewmanmusic.com
With gratitude always to our dear friend Diana Lennard
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