Did you ever wonder that the congregation of people shouting and cheering in the music concerts, fashion shows, or cricket matches is chanting? Yes, it is the mass glorification of a person or team that creates an electrifying ambience, giving incredible pleasure to the large group of people. When we apply the same principle of this materialistic chanting in the spiritual realm, it evokes everlasting joy, happiness, peace and harmony.

Chanting, the glorification of God through His names, is one of the ancient and universal practices of meditation. It is an excellent way to raise body, mind and spirit towards higher self. The vibrations emanating from repeating the name of God still the mind, dissolve worries, and purify the heart; it cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years.

Requisite: Enjoy yourself!

When we enjoy doing something, we forget our pains also. And when we are not enjoying, our mind begins to concoct false pain. Pain isn’t there but the mind will imagine that the pain is there. So the question is - do you enjoy your chanting? Do you want to do your chanting? Most of the time you don’t want it but you are still doing it because you are asked to do it. Because if you don’t do it, you will lose being in good books of God! You are told that if you do the chanting then God will be very happy and whatever you ask will be given to you, so pamper God, blow his trumpet, say praises, he gets happy and gives you whatever you ask for. What a business deal happening - we do chanting, God gives us boon! If you have this kind of attitude, you will never enjoy your chanting. You can only enjoy your chanting when you love God and you enjoy singing His Name, whatever Name that might be.

Right Breathing: Correct your breathing

The most astonishing fact is that all throughout our life, we breathe the wrong way. If you don’t believe this then test it yourself, if you breathe the right way. The right way of breathing is when you inhale through your nose and feel the breath going in through the windpipe to your lungs - you would say, how would I know that the air has reached my lungs? When you breathe in right and when this oxygen reaches your lungs, your shoulders rise a little bit and your underarms, this armpit portion, your chest, the side of the chest, this too expands a little bit. So when you breathe, feel the breath going in, feel the little rising of the shoulders and the expansion happening at the chest part, right, and under your armpit, in your armpits.

This expansion is happening because the lungs expand because of all this inflow of the air going is in like a balloon. When you inflate a balloon, the size increases. Similarly, when we breathe in, our lungs inflate.

In the same way when we exhale out, again the shoulders which were risen a little bit would come down and the expansion which happened in your chest levels would come back to normal and something would happen in your stomach area also.

When you breathe right, when you breathe deep, with this expansion of the lungs the stomach too expands. And when you exhale, the stomach goes back to its normal position. Squeeze it a little; you feel the squeeze happening at the lower part of your stomach.

Now, we start the chanting

Start in a low tone. Don’t sing on the higher pitches, in the lower tones, slowly, as if someone hums or sings. So, sing your mantra, don’t say it. Sing your mantra, whatever it is (it doesn’t matter whatever the mantra is) but do it the right way; its better not to do than to do in a wrong way.

With this deep breathing, with this right posture when you begin to do your chanting, that would be the day when you would enjoy it rightly. And it is a great experience in its own way.
Chant with love and enthusiasm. Chant until your eyes are drenched in tears of love; until your voice chokes at the recitation of His name.

Do you know?

Why is remembrance of prayer of God important? Why should we do that?” Because praying brings us closer to the divinity within us, gives us the strength and power to fight our battles in this life. Not every day will remain same. Days change. Today it is happiness, tomorrow it can be sadness. Today it’s a birthday, tomorrow it can be death. Today everyone is praising, tomorrow everyone can speak bad about you. What will you do then? How will you cope up with that; with your adversities, with your unhappiness, with your miseries? From where will you get the strength to not only fight your battles but also win your battles; and if you lose it, then with all the dignity to accept your defeat. Prayer gives you that; Faith gives you that; Belief in God gives you that; Love in God gives you that; that strength to overcome all the adversaries with ease.

Do it the right way

The right posture and the right breathing are essential to derive maximum benefit from this meditation technique.

Right Posture: Dos and Don’ts

• Sit with your spine upright and straight. Your spine should be at a ninety-degree angle. Don’t sit like a camel. No hunchbacks!
• Keep your shoulders relaxed. Do not keep your shoulders tensed.
• Keep your eyes lightly closed. Do not close them tightly.
• It’s not necessary to sit in padmasan (in the lotus posture). If you are comfortable sitting in padmasana, it is good. Else a cross-legged posture is also fine. It fights against the force of gravity and it helps you to sit for long. Now, don’t move your body. Sit as if you were a statue.