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Happy World Yoga Day- Top 5 Yoga Chants for Beginners

Happy World Yoga Day- Top 5 Yoga Chants for Beginners

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Happy World Yoga Day! Ideally every day should be Yoga day. Starting our busy days with yoga, meditation and chanting sets a perfect tone for a stress free day.

In this article I would like to talk about top 5 chants.

A perfect description for yoga chants are words and phrases used in meditation. Chants are also called mantras. In Sanskrit or major liturgical language of Hindus, mantra is identified as Japa (repetition of godly name) which denotes whispering or murmuring. Ancient manuscripts say sound is utilized to “create the universe.” According to history, Japa has been practiced many centuries with mantras obtained from verses in Rig-Veda, the oldest book in Hinduism. Another source came from transcripts used in Hindu Tantra schools.

In majority of yoga classes, mantras are used for improving concentration, thought processes, and self-confidence. Yet, it was said that mantras were not often utilized for positive reasons. Some people chanted to communicate with evil spirits, promote magical powers, and control people’s minds. Nowadays, spiritual chants calm our consciousness and soothe the nervous system. Mantras can produce vibrations if spoken. These stand for different areas of creation. In Indian culture, multiple sounds reinforce healing properties. Some words stimulate the subtle core of energy if chanted. Energy flows easily through the human body once chakras are purified.

Categories of Mantras

There are two types of mantras which are “Meaningful” and “Meaningless.” Beginners can easily understand this category. One of its purposes is to establish a particular belief in the minds of practitioners. The other is to promote the outcome of meditation. Under meaningless, the mantras are difficult to perceive for non-yoga practitioners and therefore seem pointless. The meaningless chant is intended to affect a specific state of consciousness within the individual who practices yoga.

Chants for Yoga Beginners

Here are the commonly suggested chants for those who just started practicing yoga.

OM (AUM) Mantra

OM is one of the most well-known chants perpetually and used in yoga classes all over the world. Early transcripts alluded to Om as the very first sound heard during the creation of the universe. The person who recites chants correctly feels the vibrations flowing from the pelvic floor muscles up the crown. Recurring pulsation cleanses the throat’s chakra which results in enhanced communications with oneself and other people.

OM comes from yoga and Hinduism. Anybody can recite the chant. The pronunciation consists of four syllables: A, U, M, and the silent consonant. The final syllable represents the profound silence of the immeasurable. As brainpower or acumen rises from the unfathomable silence, you need to combine your chant from the syllable M to the meaningful silence. The three letters exemplify Shakti or divine energy and its three primary characteristics. These are Creation, Preservation, and Liberation.

Shanti Mantra

Shanti refers to the chant or prayer for peace. It is found in the oldest Hindu scriptures or Upanishads. This terminology also comes from Sanskrit which means peace and mantra or song of praise. Shanti is frequently recited prior to and after religious rites of Hindus. In yoga, OM Shanti is said as greetings or parting acknowledgment to get rid of distractions and focus your mind. The chant usually finishes with three narrations of Shanti signifying three kinds of peace. These are the mind, speech, and physical body. Other yogis interpret it as individual, shared and universal peace.

Gayatri Chant

Gayatri is known as among the oldest Sanskrit chants still being recited up to this modern period. It is an expressive mantra that prevents and alleviates sufferings. This universal prayer is preserved in the Vedas directed to the Transcendent and Immanent Divine or Savita which means, “That from which everything is born.” Gayatri has three parts: Adoration, Meditation, and Prayer. The divine is lauded. It is meditated on as a sign of reverence. Lastly, an appeal is implored addressed to the divine to awaken and fortify the intellect, man’s discriminating faculty. Gayatri is the fundamental nature of the Vedas which means knowledge. The prayer nurtures and hones the faculty that wields knowledge.

Invocation to Ganesha Mantra

Ganesha Mantra is similar to Gayatri. It is meant to bring good luck to the person reciting this chant. Ganesha is the Hindu Deity of success as well as wisdom and removes obstacles from the spiritual and psychological lives. Yoga practitioners recite this prayer after the start of another period in their existence or being. It is not the most popular chant although it is powerful and possesses remarkable benefits as well.

Final Advice

Whether your reason for chanting is the purification of your chakras or for enhancing meditation, the five mantras mentioned above would be your best options in reaping the benefits of chanting. Make sure to follow the suggestions of more experienced yogis.

 

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