Siddha Yoga Chanting

Chanting is a popular form of expressing gratitude towards the Almighty. It is more than just calling out the name of the God and involves a spiritual dialogue with the divine power. Tuned into the frequency of love and devotion, chanting involves music and sacred mantras as a medium to recite the glory of the Supreme Being. The singing and music with mantras are words and sounds that vibrate at the highest level of awareness.

The vibration produced by the constant repetition of the holy name of the God or chants from the Sanskrit text have a tangible effect on the inner being of the person. The stimulating sound of the chants, stills the mind, dissolves worries, and opens the heart. It is also regarded as one of the easiest ways to get soaked in God's love and feel his presence. Chanting gives direct access to the spiritual world and brings an individual closer to the Almighty.

Chanting balances the energy system subtly, facilitating deeper meditation. As a result, it is a common practice and forms an integral part of the daily routine of the disciples, at Siddha Yoga ashrams and centers. Vedic texts in Sanskrit are known as the revealed languages of the sages and work wonders towards purifying the body, the mind, and the atmosphere. The chanting is practiced on ancient melodic patterns of Indian classical music called Ragas.

Moreover, there are two kinds of chanting prevalent in Siddha ashrams namely Namasankirtana, chanting the names of God, and Swadhyaya, the chanting or recitation of sacred texts. Namasankirtana is basically reciting the name of the Almighty and his attributes. It is followed by traditional Indian music generated via harmonium, drum, and cymbals. The chanting initiates at a slow pace and gradually increases to a crescendo. Besides, a name or phrase in relation with God is chanted repeatedly, in a call-and-response fashion. This is done to bring the chanter in communion with his deep inner self.

Swadhyaya, on the other hand is the study of the Self with the help of chanting and recitation of sacred texts. The main aim behind this exercise is to increase concentration, via maintaining focus on the text. This makes the mind powerful, still and illuminated with the spiritual energy, contained within the sacred itself. As a part of this process, the sacred texts reveal their true meaning in an effective manner, delivering the divine knowledge, which is the very essence of the scripture.