Looking for a device-free mindfulness tool?
These days being device-free is next to impossible. There seems to be no escape from non-stop Zoom calls to online library books. Even our mindfulness tools, which are supposed to help us take a break, are on our phones!
I used to use guided meditation apps to help me to meditate too. But as soon as I was done with the meditation, my fingers would automatically go to the other apps on my phone. Needless to say, the effects of my meditation practice did not last long. Guided meditations also tend to pull us out of whatever meditative state we are in each time the person guiding us speaks. Does it happen to you? Are you interested in making your meditation glow last a bit longer? Here’s what I did to stop depending on apps for mindfulness.
I started exploring the yoga tools our ancients used. Amongst other tools, chanting immediately appealed to my obsessive thinking mind. The more I practiced, the easier it was to experience and understand the benefits listed by researchers.
So what are the benefits?
It gives you the much-needed mindful alone time: The most important benefit is when you chant people leave you alone! Not kidding! My son and husband suddenly need to go out and play soccer for a bit, leaving me alone to chant and meditate peacefully. I am sure most parents can relate to not having much alone time in this pandemic era. So, if you want some alone time then chant.
Makes you a confident speaker: Chanting is a meditative practice that helps us find our true, calm, and grounded voice. When we communicate with others, our emotional state may affect our voice, hindering us from communicating effectively. Over time it helps improve our speech and teaches us to modulate our voice for the desired effect. Super helpful when you are negotiating your next raise with your boss or getting your kids to clean their room.
Gives you the inherent benefits of sound and vibration healing: Each Sanskrit alphabet when pronounced correctly stimulates different parts of our brain. The combination of words in Vedic chants was designed to create healing vibrations that heal our body at the cellular level. Like our breath, our voice is with us all the time, we do not need crystal bowls, tuning forks, or chimes to reap the benefits.
Healthy aging: Remember when we memorized all our friend’s phone numbers? Today if we remember our phone number, we feel accomplished. Memory deterioration is one of the most significant issues people face these days. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Vedic chanting is an oral tradition, that has been passed on from teacher to students for thousands of years. Memorizing chants is one of the ways to maximize their healing benefits and internalizing attention.
Chanting supports the integration of body, voice, mind, and emotions. It helps increase breath capacity and supports meditation and calming the mind. Above all, it facilitates a deeper connection to your spiritual life.
Have you tried chanting? I would love to hear more about how it has helped your mindfulness practice. Please feel free to message me here
