What is Chanting?

Here is a little something for those of you, or your friends, who may shun chanting for religious reasons.

Chanting is simply vocalizing words or phrases repetitively and is usually accompanied by some kind of music. Chants can be in any language: Sanskrit, English, American Indian, Hebrew, Tibetan, Hawaiian, African, and so on. Chants do not, necessarily, have any meaning other than the experience we have by doing them.

Chanting is a way of letting go of the ego and becoming one with the energy that flows within you, around you, and through you. It is not so much about singing as it is about feeling. While chanting you do not have to be concerned with whether you sound okay or whether you are singing the words correctly or even what it means. It is a way of letting go and feeling the peace, love, and harmony that the vibrations within yourself and others connect as a single flow of energy.

Chanting has been a way for people to connect spiritually for thousands of years. One of the oldest texts known to man, the Vedas, contains many different kinds of chants. These ancient texts were written in Sanskrit and date back to around 1500 BCE (3,500 years ago). They contain poems, hymns, rituals, and writings that have to do with how to ward off enemies, live a long and healthy life, and secure harmony among neighboring tribes.

Back then people had to exist the best way they knew how. Staying together in harmony and protecting one another was one of the best ways for doing so. Staying alive had much to do with having faith in God, praying, practicing rituals, singing hymns and anything else that could possibly make life a little easier. Chanting was one of the easiest and fun ways for doing that.

Chanting can be very fun and fulfilling if you can just let yourself relax and go with the flow.  Let go of all your inhibitions - feel the sound, the energy, the music and you will begin to understand what our ancestors knew; it is okay to be yourself.