Tune in and tune up
"Most of us are not used to singing or self-conscious about singing, likewise most of us don't know how to express our emotions. We have a limited range we've been commissioned (...) But, wow!, we have so much inside of us (...) And singing is such an amazing tool for unlocking the emotions.
Jai Uttal, Invocation, Kirtan!
What is mantra?
Mantra means a sacred sound, or a syllable, word, or group of words in Sanskrit believed to have psychological and spiritual power. Man- maens "to think" and the suffix -tra, designates tools or instruments, hence a literal translation would be "instrument of thought".
The oldest mantras have up to 3000 years. Om (Aum) is the shortest mantra.
Why do we chant?
Chanting can be considered as the yoga of sound which create energy, connection between yogis. Chanting allows all other senses to dissolve into one, and allows the mind to sink into itself.
Chanting for us is the way to share strong vibrations of the mantras, but also to tune in to the practice by the repetition of the same words, words that have been chanted for centuries or even millenia.