Chanting and saying affirmations – you might know people who do it, or you don’t. You might not know much about it, or have tried and not carried on. But these practices can lift your mood. And that’s why having a go may be worth your while.
1. Lift your mood with chanting and affirmations
If you have not got a chanting, meditation, visualisation or affirmation routine, then don’t be put off!
Often people think it is
- not for people like me,
- hard work, complicated and time consuming,
- religious,
- or simply odd.
I used to be one of those people, thinking it was not for me. But at some point I realised, it does not have to be any of those things. I had to find my own style and way of getting there.
And, yes, sometimes you have to work hard to get “into the zone”. But when I do, I feel the benefit – mentally, emotionally and physically.
2. Affirmations
You can chant affirmations, sentences, words – anything of use to you, that is reaffirming and up-lifting. Many years ago 101 Power Thoughts by the late Louise Hay got me started.
The morning AH chanting with Wayne Dyer includes a number of affirmations, which you might like to help lift your mood and focus on your day. It is hosted on Youtube by Daily Inspiration. Ignore any ads at the beginning.
There is so much free stuff out there. Go and have a look for yourself.
Why not familiarise yourself with Om chanting. It is a Sanskrit word pronounced “Aum”, which is considered the sound of creation. Scientifically proven health benefits of Om chanting include
- stress reduction,
- increasing concentration and mental alertness,
- sleep enhancing and more.
3. The importance of vibrations
Now, why would we chant words in an ancient language, which we may not speak or understand?
According to Arundhati Mukherjee “… mantras, which are traditionally sounded in the ancient language of Sanskrit, are designed to create sounds that literally vibrate in the body.”
Try it and you will experience it for yourself.
Say Om (“AU-M”), and close your mouth on the “M” and stay with that sound. You will notice the vibration in your mouth.
If you are stressed and tense and tend to keep your tongue too firmly pressed up against the roof of your mouth, chanting Om can help you relax that area and much more.
In her article The Science Behind Mantras Arundhati explains that chanting mantras
- helps balancing our nervous system,
- is empowering,
- changes our moods
- and delivers us from a sense of dependency.
Based on my own experience I agree, though I had to approach it with an open mind and start chanting with some regularity.
4. Make it a routine
I can recommend you try out a gentle morning and evening routine. Try chanting at least twice a day for at least 10-15 minutes. Its really not that much, compared to all the time we spent on other things.
Sitting or lying down quietly, whatever you are comfortable with, while not being disturbed is best.
The more you find out, the more you will learn about different techniques and positions that may work well for you.
5. Whether you know chakras or not …
… whether you chant
- LAM (root chakra)
- NAM (sacral chakra)
- RAM (solar plexus chakra)
- YAM (heart chakra)
- HAM (throat chakra)
- OM (third eye chakra)
- AH (crown chakra)
- or Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Find out first the meaning of what you chant. Make sure you agree with it. And then chant with intention and an inner connection.
For basic useful information about the different chakras and associated chanting look up videos by Meditative Mind on YouTube. Here is the link to the root chakra video. The box under the video contains a lot of information, and the start of the video has links for all other chakra videos, each of which has the same information set-up.
Please note, I am not affiliated with any of the sites mentioned here. Neither have I looked at, read or vetted all their content.
You can also chant more informally. I sometimes do it during my house work, when I get ready in the mornings or when walking my dog.
Remember, turning something special into a routine can lead to losing the heart of it. Not turning something special into a routine can lead to not taking it to heart.
Chanting and affirmations can lift your mood and also deepen and strengthen the foundation of your mood.
It is a simple yet powerful routine that can change your outlook on you and your life.
Image courtesy of Free-Photos on Pixabay
This post is an extract from 5 habits to help lift your mood
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