Why I Chant Before Practice:

 

 

People ask me from time to time what the chanting that we do in yoga is about.  There are a number of answers to that question.  One such answer might concern the origins of this practice.  Why did people begin to do such chanting?  Why did the people who composed these chants do so?

 

The answer to that is obviously spiritual reasons.  Many such chants have origins in Hinduism.  Others have origins in yogic philosophies, some of which will suggest that certain chants will have certain effects on the mind, which give one clarity and understanding, humility, an understanding of self, an understanding of our place in the world, a oneness of the universe, etc.

 

But these are other people's answers, and are not my own.  Sanskrit is a language like any other human language - it evolved from older languages to accommodate human biology (the shape of the throat, the ability of the nervous system to control the muscles that control the voice, etc), and human communication needs (we need words for concept that we want to get across).  The words of these chants are no more than sounds with meanings attached to them.

 

But these words can affect human minds, and beginning practice, for instance, with a chant that says, "lead me from falsehood to truth" helps me to remind myself to pay attention to the lessons that present themselves during this practice. I find also that the chant gives me a moment of focus, a chance to stop thinking about whatever it was that absorbed my attention, and a chance to tell myself "now is the time for practice".

 

You may find other reasons to find meaning in such chanting, or reasons not to do so.  I welcome you to look into this practice and make up your own mind about whether or not it is right for you.

 

 

 

Opening Prayer

 

(To listen to an audio file of this prayer, click here.)

 

Om

Om

Om

 

Asatoma sadgamaya	Lead me from falsehood to truth
Tamasoma jyothir gamaya	Lead me from darkness to light
Mrutyorma amruthan gamaya	Lead me from death to immortality
Om shanti, shanti, shanti.	Om, peace, peace, peace
Jeevamani bharajath phana	The common soul (jeeva) shines like an        emerald on the head of the snake
Sahasra vidruth vishwambara	Which has a thousand heads and is   all-pervading with three circles, unlimited
Mandalaya ananthaya	King of Snakes,
Nagarajaya namaha	I pay respect to you
Abahu purushakaram	Manifest in human form
Shanka chakrasi darinam	Bearing the conch and the wheel
Sahasra shirasam shwetam	With a thousand snow-white heads
Pranavami Patanjalem	I surrender to you, Patanjali
Gurubhyo namaha	I pay respect to the guru
Devatabhyo namaha	I pay respect to the divine adepts.