Yoga took its route from ancient Indian civilization. It is being used both as a meditation tool and as an exercise philosophy in today’s modern world. The yoga chants are the sacred lyrics used by (or sung by) the yoga practitioners while practicing yoga posses. These yoga chants took their route with the Hatha yoga and Tantra yoga, the most traditional branches of old Indian yoga.
Another name for yoga chants is “sound of yoga”. In different parts of India yoga chant is named differently. In north India yoga chant is known as Kirtan and in South India Bhajan is the word used for chants. Yoga has become a most popular form of exercise and meditation tool in west; yoga chants have been used and adopted by the westerner yoga practitioners as a part of yoga to achieve health benefits.
Yoga chants are written in Sanskrit, the most ancient language of India. However yoga practitioners believe that the meaning of each yoga chant is universal. There are a number of websites available that provides with the free translation of yoga chants along with the original Sanskrit lyrics either in textual form or the audio form. A number of CDs of chants are available in the markets. Few websites offer chants CDs for sale. They first allow the buyer to listen to some free sample yoga chants before buying the CD. These sample yoga chants helps the buyer to check the sound quality and clarity.
In the yoga classes that are being organized in the most traditional manner, yoga practice starts with the yoga opening chant and ends with yoga closing chants. Yoga trained teachers believe that listening to yoga chants does not distract the attention of the practitioner from the actual series of yoga postures. Infact yoga posses flow into one another while listening to the sound of yoga. Infact some yoga lovers claim that listening to sound of yoga before during and after practicing yoga postures provide with a number of health benefits to the practitioner like controlling the blood pressure and heart rate.
It is said that traditional yoga chants have strong and powerful transformational energies. It is not necessary to just use them while practicing yoga. They could be used in a number of places for meditation, health and relaxation benefits. Few of possible incorporations of sound of yoga in one’s life are listed below:-
1. Listen to the sound of yoga while practicing yoga postures: Yoga chants for opening and closing of yoga practice are different. Also the sound of yoga could be used by practitioners during the yoga practice. So there are total three usages of chants while practicing yoga. These are yoga + opening chant, yoga during the exercise and yoga + closing chant.
2. Listen to the sound of yoga while doing routine works: Meditation is not the sole purpose of a yoga chant. Sound of yoga could be used to sooth, energize and relax the human body. And for this purpose these chants could be listened to while doing the routine activities like gardening and cooking.
3. Listen to sound of yoga as a personal prayer: As yoga is related to the old Indian religions so the followers of these religions (especially Hinduism) sing yoga chants as there personal prayer. They believe that if the prayer place is properly equipped with candles or light lamps and they sing or listen to the chants there it will develop some transformational energies in their bodies and will enhance the body’s natural healing process.
