Chanting is silly.

And that’s the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it. My most recent DVD purchase introduced me to it and I gotta say: It’s kinda cool. First of all, there is something very soothing about doing an “oooohhhhmmmmmmm.” The deeper frequencies produced have a vibrating effect that is similar to the way bass feels from a nice sound system. When you stack your voice on top of others, it really feels like you’re making music. I would imagine The Three Tenors experienced the same unifying feeling as a room full of yogis getting there ohm on. The Sanskrit poems are cool too. While I have no idea what I am saying, repeating the verses helps my mind focus and prepare for the practice ahead. Actually, I don’t think I would like it as much if I knew what I was chanting. I just assume its something wonderful. I discovered this affection for chatting last night when I practiced from memory and a book, instead of a DVD. As I prepared my first Surya Namaskar, I was distracted by the absence of the chanting I was used to doing every night following my DVD. So I gave myself an individual ohm to get started. Chanting has its benefits, but I do feel a little silly chanting about a subject I am unfamiliar in a foreign language. No problem. I’ll take any opportunity to be silly.