Yes, we do vibrate!

Those who know me, know for sure how much I love singing and chanting. Oh my goddess I do!

I usually chant before, and sometimes during my yoga practice. Throughout my life , since I was a kid I’ve had this possibly annoying, at least a peculiar habit of singing and humming all the time, everywhere. While living in Bali I was constantly singing while driving my scooter making the men sitting on a bench in the village sometime look at me like a crazy lady. You know, a bit “gila gila”.

Why do I do that? - you may ask. Because my experience tells me sound carries an enormous amount of healing potential and joy. It has the ability to lift the spirit and it also offers us an instant connection to vibration of cosmos, the source of it all. Sound is the way to be as one with life within and without. We vibrate as the life itself. The universe hums all the time, we just don’t hear it. Frequencies of the sound have tremendous power to heal us as they permeate through our whole system, body and breath. Biologically we humans are mostly water. The sound moves in waves through the water, reaching every cell of the body whether you believe it or not. It just is a plain fact.

In my practice I dedicate my chanting to different aspects of the divine, according to how I feel that given day, what are my needs, who or what do I want to give thanks to and so on. Often it seems, I chant Shakti Mantra to honour the ever moving, creative, life giving feminine force of the universe. Actually, mostly I dedicate my chanting for Goddess Durga as I have intuitively developed a very special bond with her. I guess she has been subtly guiding me for years, but our connection and my understanding of the life changing power of mantra grew way stronger and more tangible about a year ago as a very dear friend of mine lovingly brought me a heavy, golden, exquisitely beautiful Durga statue from India.

The gift arrived exactly when it was needed the most, as the blessings in our lifes usually do. Back then I was in a lot of emotional turmoil. I felt quite unbalanced and restless - listening way too much my monkey mind chattering, entertaining fearful thoughts and mostly hanging out with my shadows. Far, far from my full potential. The circumstances weren’t really helping either. I was slowly but surely coming out of a divorce, a massive volcano was brewing some 30 kilometers away from my home, scaring away bunches of yogis from the island, making me wonder how on earth to make a living if they all leave, wondering what my next step would be. Overall I was a mess. And there we were - my cat, me and Ma Durga, riding her lion.

Somewhat naturally I felt guided to give puja to Durga every morning then on. She moved to be the center piece of the little altar I had on my balcony and I was feeding her flowers from my garden (that surely are aplenty in Bali), burning insence and chanting to her every single morning before and after my practice. At times I felt that my bhakti, my devotion to Durga actually simply was the pinnacle of my practice. And I kid you not - slowly but clearly, things were shifting.

I started gradually feel more focused and clear about my purpose, more courageous in the face of the unknown, leaning more to my intuition than my fears. I begun to see possibilities instead of warning signs. I felt stronger in my body and my mind. I started to understand where to set my boundaries, who to allow close to me and who not. I was step by step trusting more the inevitable flow of life. Noticing, that no matter what we do, life is always leading us exactly where ever we should be. I tangibly experienced the felt sense of ease - not having to try steer my life white-knuckled from the rational and seemingly logical mindset trying to make things happen, but allowing the life to have its way. Most importantly - through all of that - I started creating more space for love and trust within me. To sum it up, I simply felt more CONNECTED to life, connected to my inherent truth, to myself and everything around me.

I do believe we carry all the aspects of divinity, all the gods and goddesses, within ourselves, but at times for various reasons they just might be dormant. Chanting is the fastest, usually very enjoyable way to wake them up and to bring them to life. Some chants, sounds and syllables for sure are holier and more sacred than others, but you all surely know that feeling when you’re singing from the top of your lungs your favourite tune? That freedom and absolute bliss it creates. That in itself is a practice! It’s all devotion, it’s all bhakti, it’s all Divine. No matter whether you’re reciting a holy mantra or just singing Wonderwall in the shower like no tomorrow, it all has the ability to move something within us on every single level. Singing and chanting is healthy and it really has nothing to do whether we actually can sing in a traditional sense. Sound vibrating in us does it’s magic anyway.

The healing abilities multiply to the max when we chant together! In a choir, in kirtan or where ever this happens, you give your vibration as you are simultaneously receiving others. Giving and receiving, breathing together is yoga. Yoga is connection. You can just bath in the sound or participate by melting your vibration to others. No words, no explanations, no ifs nor buts. Just a simple but profound connection to life and moment as it is. Is there anything more beautiful than that? I don’t know.

At the end I would like to say, that I’m carrying that (relatively heavy) Durga with me where ever I go. She moved with me from Bali via Finland to France. Instead of tropical flowers she now receives rosemary, sage, thyme and some beautiful seashells from the Mediterranean on a regular basis. And of course, I chant to her.

Who or what do you chant to? What makes your cells vibrate? Please leave a comment!