Brain Washing Needed?

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gyan mudra

Whenever I see an article about meditation, which there are many lately, they always have a photo of a person holding a hand mudra (gesture).  
While mudras are very effective (more in a later post), probably the most effective part of meditation is our intention, see previous post, Intention is Everything. If our intention is clear, the next step is how to meditate.

Many people come to me seeking help with meditation. Of course, it's best to have a teacher to guide you in beginning a meditation practice, but it's okay to start on your own and see where it leads you. I suggest starting with a 5-minute commitment each morning as part of your morning routine, maybe right after you brush your teeth. How?

• Find a spot to sit upright--it can be in a chair or on the floor. Sit in the same spot each morning.
• Choose an intention.  It is good to stick with the same focus for a while. You might also find an inspirational daily meditation to work with until you figure out what you want to focus on.
• Get comfortable, yet remain upright.
• Set a timer so that you are not continuously looking at the time.
• Close your eyes.
• Focus on your breath. Notice the inhale and the exhale.
• If your mind wanders, return back to the breath.
• When the timer goes off, you are done.
• Continue this practice for a week then decide if you are ready to add 5 more minutes.

Discipline is a huge part of the practice as many of you already know. We can do almost anything for 5 minutes once or twice. 

The benefits of meditation have been proven by science over and over, increase clarity, focus, concentration, happiness, while decreasing heart rate, anxiety, depression, and violence, just to name a few.  

George Dvorsky writes, "Meditation yields a surprising number of health benefits, including stress reduction, improved attention, better memory, and even increased creativity and feelings of compassion," in his article, The science behind meditation, and why it makes you feel better.

After you try sitting for a week, let me know how it goes. I'd also love other tips from long-time meditators.

Intention is Everything, in life and with chanting

Whether teaching, parenting, doing yoga poses or chanting, our intention is everything. I first came to yoga to try to sit still, not while meditating, but just being able to stay in one place without fidgeting. I was attracted to the poses and trying to get them "just right." Learning from a book isn't the best way to learn yoga, but it was all that I had. In the beginning that was enough, yet as time passed, I needed more, wanted more. I attempted various kinds of meditating and mindfulness, but I was not quite ready. I found a myself in a state of yoga, one-pointed focus, while painting and singing. So of course, I was attracted to chanting.

I was introduced to devotional chanting at the Krishna temple in Connecticut early on and felt a sense of community. Chanting those chants alone wasn't something I felt comfortable or competent with. Eventually I learned some sing-songy chants that I could chant on my own and I used tapes (this was pre-YouTube, pre-Internet, pre-yoga studio on every corner time.) Finally many years later, I heard Vedic chanting and was hooked.

What made Vedic chanting so different? For me, it was the feel of it in my body, the vibration, in my heart and in my head. I was lucky to study with some people who are amazing Vedic chanters. Even though I don't put myself on the same level as these chanters, I am capable of learning and able to share and benefit from a chanting practice.

Vedic chants come from the Vedas and for centuries were passed on orally. The reason for the strict rules of Vedic chanting was so that they would be passed from person to person unchanged. Of course, they've been written for a long time now and there is not the same need to memorize; yet to reap the same benefits of Vedic chanting, you'll want to learn from a qualified teacher, who knows and follows the rules of Vedic chanting. I will discuss the benefits of chanting at a later date.

My reason for writing this post was to discuss the intention while chanting. I have asked and been asked, "what if I say it wrong?" or "what if I can't sing?" Chances are if Sanskrit is not your native language, you will say some of the sounds incorrectly in the beginning. I have been chanting for a long time now and there are still some sounds that I struggle with. I can sing and it has interfered with my chanting.

So my answer, your intention when you are chanting is more important than how you chant. Some people may disagree with me, and that's okay. It's what is in our heart, our reason for chanting, our connection to the sound and our teacher that is the key to receiving the benefits of our practice no matter what the practice is, asana, meditation, writing or chanting. We do need to do the practice regularly as well, but that's for another post.

I have wanted to share my thoughts for some time now. One of my obstacles was being fearful of what people would think. I decided that as long as my intentions were good, all would be well. I do the ground work and stay unattached to the results.

Bottom line: intention is everything.