CHANTING
The Healing Sounds
of Ancient Sanskrit
Chanting awakens our vitality while bringing depth to our yoga practice. It is both a meditative breathing practice as well as a solid foundation for the study of yoga philosophy. Unlike āsana practice which eventually fades into old age, chanting, prāṇāyāma, meditation & philosophy improve as we age.
When we chant, we exercise our breath and strengthen our core. If we are inclined, we can add other dimensions as well. We can incorporate a sentiment, an emotion, a devotional heart feeling. We can focus on the expansion of our awareness and cultivate visualizations. If we are more physically inclined, then we can use chanting as a very potent prāṇāyāma practice for strengthening our lungs, diaphragm and overall stamina. There is a wide range of ways to relate to chanting that become clear from personal experience.
Chanting, Sundays,
7:00 - 7:30 AM
No Charge – All are Welcome!
If you like the below resources, consider purchasing our 4 volume workbook set, “Sanskrit & Chanting.” This page is merely a sample to help you get started with the basic chants of the Ashtānga Yoga tradition. The 4 volume workbook set delves deep into a vast array of chanting & philosophy materials.
Opening Ashtānga Yoga Prayer
वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे संदर्शितस्वात्मसुखावबोधे |
निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने संसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै ‖
vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde,
saṁdarśita-svātma-sukha-avabodhe |
niḥśreyase jāṅgali-kāyamāne,
saṁsāra-hālāhala-moha-śāntyai ‖
आबाहुपुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासिधारिणम् |
सहस्रशिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ‖
ābāhu-puruṣa-ākāraṁ,
śaṅkha-cakra-asi-dhāriṇam |
sahasra-śirasaṁ śvetaṁ,
praṇamāmi patañjalim ‖
Gist: Because I want more peace of mind and stability in my life, I am now going to practice yoga as I have learned it from my teacher.
Interpretive: For the peaceful resolution of the deluding nature of repetitive existence, I bow at the Gurus’ lotus feet, and behold the awakened joy of my own Soul; this is the ultimate refuge acting as a shaman for my spiritual enrichment.
Literal: I respectfully honor Patañjali - a principle proponent of yoga - who has assumed the form of a brilliantly luminous man with thousands of [snake] heads, and who bears a conch, a discus and a sword.
Closing Ashtānga Yoga Prayer
स्वस्तिप्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्तां न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः |
गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः शुभमस्तु नित्यं लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ‖
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ‖
swasti-prajābhyaḥ paripāla-yantāṁ,
nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ |
go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubha-mastu nityaṁ,
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ‖
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ‖
Gist: May the merits of my yoga practice [or other such action] benefit the entire world. May all beings everywhere be happy.
Literal: May the leaders of this earth protect the welfare for all generations by keeping to the path of virtue. May the religious, and all peoples be forever blessed, May the whole of all the worlds be happy.
Om peace, peace, peace…
Further Resources