Blog
Is there a Right or Wrong way to Chant OM? (The Most Frequently Asked Questions Mantra Teachers Get)
All About Aum...
This blog post is adapted from a mini masterclass all about Aum. that I taught recently,
Known as the mantra of all mantras, Aum carries immense therapeutic benefits and is a cornerstone of mantra practice, a sound healing practice, most yoga classes, and definitely kīrtans!
This post compiles some of the most frequently asked questions I've received about Aum in my 10 years of teaching teachers (and nearly 30 years of being a mantra nerd!), along with some of my practical insights on chanting.
What Is Aum?
Aum is an audible echo of an inaudible ...
Mantra for Natural Disasters, Fire, Flood, Earthquake, Hurricane
Have you ever wished for a mantra to help you get through a natural calamity, like a forest fire, sudden flood, earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, etc.?
Mantra during a Natural disaster
While it's happening it's SO intense, it's hard to think. I was in Japan during the 2011 earthquakes, tsunami & Fukushima disaster. I lived through forest fires in Montana. I know how overwhelming it can be. And I'm SO grateful that I have a mantra habit to lean in on during natural disasters.
Mantra after a Natural disaster
The aftermath and all of the emotional processing, the traum...
OM Chanting Fail: Top 3 Mistakes Chant Leaders & Yoga Teachers Make When Leading AUM
How to Lead a Sensational OM as a Chant Leader
When you’re leading a chant, particularly one involving Aum, your primary role is to create a safe and resonant space. This post highlights essential practices for chant leaders to help participants feel confident and connected.
Three Keys to Leading Aum Chanting
- Provide a Clear Tone
Establishing a clear, stable tone is essential. Use a harmonium, tuning fork, or your own voice to set a sonic floor. Choose a pitch that’s comfortable for both you and the group. This step ensures everyone feels anchored and secure in the...
Sheela Bringi: A Lifetime of Evolving the Indian Traditions of Mantra, Music & Bhakti
A Heartfelt Exchange on the Power of Sound and Tradition
In this episode of Mantras for Peace: A Widsom Gathering, Anandra joyfully welcomes Sheela Bringi, a musician, teacher, and “lineage keeper” of sacred sound traditions from India. Over the years, Sheela has dedicated herself to preserving the wisdom of these traditions while breathing new life into them in America.
Sheela Bringi, MFA, is a sacred music artist and educator. She is faculty at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, where she teaches courses in Indian Devotional and Rāga Singing. She is a vocalist and ...
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, parenti...
High on Kirtan? The Good Drugs our Brains Make When we Chant with Dave Stringer
The Neuroscience of Kirtan Chanting
I had a lovely conversation with Dave, who is a Grammy nominated producer, musician, songwriter and Kirtan leader. He explains the good drugs our brains make when we chant, whether we believe in it or not.
Dave Stringer, a Grammy-nominated producer, musician, and songwriter, is widely recognized as a leading voice in the modern Yoga movement, including sound healing, mantra chanting, and nāda yoga. As both a captivating singer and profound public speaker, he merges the worlds of neuroscience, yoga philosophy, and art into a partici...
Chanting for Peace in the Middle East: Can Sound Healing Help?
I attended a memorial for the victims of the October 7 Hamas attack last night, and it was REALLY good to be with community and feel the ripples of pain and prayers and hope for peace.
It’s easy to become numb and overwhelmed by the staggering numbers and each human being’s story is so… human. Shutting down is an evolutionary efficiency mechanism to enable us to survive, and I forgive myself that luxury sometimes.*
Right now I have friends, students, and friends of friends who died at Nova, who have fled Gaza, Northern Israel, and Lebanon, who are hopefully not getti...
The Power of Sound Yoga Therapy, featured in Yoga Therapy Today
As a yoga therapist specializing in sound & mantra therapy, I'm honored to be featured in their Yoga Therapy Today journal, a trade publication for yoga therapists!
Since the magazine itself is only available if you are a C-IAYT yourself, or for purchase online, they've given me permission to share our interview with our Heart of Sound community.
Sound yoga therapy is so potent!
I got another gushing thank you from someone who told me mantra saved their life, just yesterday. I am inspired to keep doing this work so people FEEL the FULL POWER of sound and mantra in t...
Top 3 Things I Learned Going to Yoga Festivals (funny, but true)
For over a decade I taught mantra workshops and led chant experiences, sound baths, and led kīrtan at some of the largest yoga festivals in the world. Yoga Fest Yokohama Japan, International Yoga Fest in Rishikesh India, Bhaktifest in California, etc.
Like most of us though, I stayed put during the pandemic, and have just started leaving my house again. LOL! Within the last year I attended a few festivals different countries, and my oh my... have things changed, or have I changed?
I learned A LOT about the zeitgeist in the wellness scene. Mostly, it was awesome to co...
Gayatri Mantra Spelling in IAST with Pronunciation Tutorial Video
If you love mantras, you know that finding properly spelled Sanskrit Mantra is really challenging!
This post is part of a series on accurately spelled Sanskrit mantras in IAST. If you're looking for reliable information on how to spell the Savitri Gayatri Mantra you'll find it below:
- Gayatri mantra in Devanagari (or the Sāvitrī Gāyatrī mantra in Devanāgarī if we're being precise!)
- Sāvitrī Gāyatrī mantra in IAST transliteration
- The long form of the Sāvitrī Gāyatrī mantra with 7 bīja mantras (instead of the usual 3)
- An image of Sāvitrī Gāyatrī
- A quick video tuto...
