The “peak” of summer is a somewhat objective term in Scotland, but hey, it’s the summer solstice on June 21st here just like everywhere else! The longest day of the year is the perfect opportunity to stand still for a moment and honor the sun and everything it offers. There are lots of ways to do this, including 108 sun salutations.
Last week, a few of us went over to The Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh for a kirtan. We were lucky enough to do mantra chanting in their garden which is a beautiful oasis of peace, where a good bunch of us sat around a blazing bonfire and took part in the kirtan.
So what exactly is a kirtan? A kirtan is a Sanskrit sing-a-long of sorts, where a guide will set the melody and rhythm of each mantra (chant) and others will repeat it in a call-and-response manner. But there’s not pressure to participate, and in fact many people last night would just listen to the ancient language pass from person to person. As our guide explained it, by focusing on the same mantra for sometimes as long as thirty minutes we are trying to reduce our chanchala or restless mind. Instead of your thoughts jumping from “what should I have for lunch tomorrow?” to “did I text my mom back?” and then to your to-do list, it stays on the mantra.
The journey to mantra singing is sometimes a funny one. When you first visit a yoga class which includes mantra chanting, you may feel a bit out of place at first. 'What does this even mean?', "Is it weird that I'm singing in an ancient language that isn't my own'?, 'Is this cultural appropriation?' and 'I can't sing!' - these are some of the thoughts that may come to mind when you first get acquainted with mantra chanting. However, we recommend that you just go with it, read up on the meaning and don't feel too self-conscious about it. Mantra chanting is a fundamental part of yoga philosophy and, as outlined above, is often used to quiet the mind and reach a meditative state. It is also not about who has the best voice or who is an amazing singer, in fact it is more about the powerful experience of chanting positive messages with other people and feeling connected to its message and others around you.
We’ve shared a couple of the mantras we chanted last night and in our teacher training, but reading them off doesn’t do it justice. Mantra chanting is a very powerful way of meditating, and the deliberately chosen mantras and melodies are used to stimulate different parts of your tongue, a part of your body that often gets overlooked in our asana yoga practice.
If you’re in Scotland, there’s a kirtan every third Friday of the month at The Salisbury Centre. Bhakti Yoga Scotland are a great organisation to follow and they hold a kirtan at their farm in Lanark every Sunday. If you’re in Glasgow check out the wonderful Ohm Sweet Ohm for regular kirtans.
Favourite Mantras
Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri Mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful mantras in Sanskrit
Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
General meaning: We meditate on that most adored Supreme Lord, the creator, whose effulgence (divine light) illumines all realms (physical, mental and spiritual). May this divine light illumine our intellect.
The Gayatri Mantra is a sacred chant that demonstrates the unity that underlies manifoldness in creation. It is through the recognition of this unity that we can understand the multiplicity. Clay is one and the same thing, though pots of different shapes and sizes can be made from it. Gold is one, though gold ornaments can be multifarious. The Atma is one, though the embodied forms in which it resides may be many. Whatever the colour of the cow, the milk is always white.
[‘Sathya Sai Speaks’, vol 16.6: March, 17, 1983]
Shanti Mantra
Oṁ Saha nāvavatu
saha nau bhunaktu
Saha vīryam karavāvahai
Tejasvi nāvadhītamastu
Mā vidviṣāvahai
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ
General Meaning: Om, May we all be protected, May we all be nourished, May we work together with great energy, May our intellect be sharpened (may our study be effective), Let there be no animosity amongst us. Om, peace (in me), peace (in nature), peace (in divine forces)
This Shanti mantra is another ancient Sanskrit mantra which is often used as a prayer for peace, or a chant before studying sacred Hindu scriptures.
Universal Mantra
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah Sarve Santu Niraamayaah | Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet | Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
General Meaning: Om, may all be happy, may all be free from illness, may all see what is auspicious, may no one suffer, Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
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