Blog
The Healing Power of the Medicine Buddha Mantra
I feel in love with Tibetan mantras on my first trip to the Himālayas in 1997. I trekked (in plastic sandals, silly 19-year-old me!) to Namche Bazaar then to the Tyangboche monastery. There I was blessed with an audience with the 80+ year old Rinpoche Tyangboche and his gaze, his voice, cut straight through the fuzz in my chaotic mind.
I felt, for the first time, the clear still infinity that is the result of a long-time sound-based meditation practice. It inspired me from then on to make inner knowledge my priority (over other "normal" goals like partnership,...
Why Are Mantras Chanted 108 Times?
Have you ever wondered why mantras are traditionally repeated 108 times? In all of my years of teaching Sanskrit mantra meditation to beginners and at workshops & festivals all over the world, this is one of my most common frequently asked questions. Normally, I just say that "it's traditional" because to delve into all of the reasons why mantras are changed 108 times is kinda nerdy, and to some people, kinda woo-woo! (And I like to keep things fact-based, evidence-based, and rational when I'm working with the therapeutic power of sound and mantra.)
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Learn Wahe Guru, a Powerful Sikh Healing Mantra, with Punnu Wasu
I had the honor of sitting down with Punnu Wasu, an incredibly talented musician and spiritual teacher from Hyderabad, India. His journey through music, yoga, and mantra chanting has touched countless lives, and his insights provide a unique perspective on how these ancient practices can awaken peace and joy within ourselves.
Exploring the Healing Power of Mantras: an Interview with Punnu Wasu
Punu’s connection with music began at a very young age, learning Kirtan from his father at the age of five and later diving into Hindustani classical music. Throughout...
What is Mantra Yoga?
Mantra yoga, a simple definition for ordinary people:
I was on the phone once with tech support for my web hosting service. The guy (who sounded like a nice Southern California surfer) was looking at my website, and asked, “What's a mantra?"
I said, “It’s a collection of sounds or words that you repeat over and over to yourself as a form of meditation, either out loud or silently in your mind.”
And he said, “So kind a like ‘think happy thoughts?' "
Laughing, I replied, “Sort of. If...
Sound Yoga Therapy: Interview with Anandra
Recently I had the pleasure of doing a video interview with Daniel Aaron from The Art of Vibrant Living, and we got into some wonderful topics.
Sound and Mantra Therapy Conversation Topics:
- Sound yoga therapy and nervous system self-regulation
- Sound and music as a path of self-expression vs. sound as self-inquiry
- Defining the interoceptive approach to sound yoga therapy, mantra therapy
- What's the most interesting, powerful, effective way of using sound or being with sound for transformation...
The more you know, the more you know you don’t know…
The more you know, the more you know you don’t know…
Is there any realm in which this is not true?
People.
The longer you know someone, the more you realize that you have no idea what is really going on for them deep inside. They hold multitudes of mysteries, complex trauma, perceptual, differences, patterns, and habits built on foundations that you can never understand fully, because you have not lived at yourself.
Mantra.
Are used to think that learning how to chant, more mantras, sing more songs, do more complex, and longer chance meant that I...
Is it OK to mix mantras? Do we risk cultural appropriation or misuse of mantra?
For chant leaders and mantra recording artists, the question of mixing mantras for chanting is one that has intrigued many, prompting inquiries about the permissibility of blending deities and languages in spiritual practice. For some, the idea of combining "oṁ namaḥ śivāya" with "wahe guru" in a single chant may feel intuitively right, but is it ethically sound? Let's delve into this complex topic, which I also cover in depth in my sound and mantra teacher training course.
Q. (From a graduate of our 500hr Sound & Mantra Training course who teaches mantra...
Mahā Śivarātri: The best night of the year to experience Śiva mantras
Experience the Power of Sanskrit Chanting this Mahā Śivarātri!
Esoterically, it is said that during this night the "eye of Śiva" is neither open nor closed. Consciousness rests in a state of balanced awareness suspended between external expression (concealing grace) and internal absorption (revealing grace).
For the aspirant who takes advantage of this time to do special practices, a special dispensation for illumination is given, greatly aiding spiritual progress and sweeping away the dullness due to ignorance of one's own True Nature.
The best mantra for...
What are Grads doing now? 500-Hour Advanced Sound & Mantra Training Course
Explore the profound impact of our 500-hour sound yoga training course through the incredible journeys of our graduates. From teaching worldwide retreats to conducting groundbreaking research in sound medicine, discover how you can unlock your potential and make a lasting impact.
What Graduates of Our 200/500 Heart of Sound Teacher Training Are Doing Now:
Teaching Worldwide Retreats - Graduates are teaching mantra & nāda yoga retreats globally, and the best part? These count towards contact hours for your Sound Healing Yoga 200HR TT!
Private Sound...
Free Mantra Chant Leader Training
Anyone else feeling the need to amp up the peace channel?
Mantras for Peace chant events are an amazing way to bring community together and focus our hearts and voices on peace.
Calling all mantra lovers and aspiring CHANT LEADERS!
We'd love to support YOU to lead a chant circle in your area. And our free Host Your Own Chant Event mini-training has a full kit to support you to offer a peace mantra chant event in your community (in person or online):
- a free online training
- pronunciation videos
- harmonium 101 videos
- Mp3 files of mantra
- Sample chant event plan /...
