Give Me Love, George Harrison

George Harrison, Give Me Love is my mantra today.  Hope it lifts your spirits too. 

Pavamana Mantra, the Chant for Enlightenment

At the end of every Yoga class, together we chant the Pavamana Mantra, from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

Despite being chanted in Sanskrit, it is relatively easy for most beginners to pronounce, with a universal, non-denominational appeal in the form of a simple imperative:

"May I be inspired to keep moving from the untruth (or misunderstanding) into the truth, from darkness (ignorance or fear) into the light, transforming suffering into bliss."

Please note that this is my liberal translation.  Feel free to compare with others to enhance your own interpretation.

We chant it very simply, in the style I learned in my Yoga Teacher Training at the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.

In my classes, we chant it accompanied only by the peaceful drone of the Shruti Box, but there are many other more orchestral versions which you may enjoy listening to or chanting along with.

Here are a couple to get you started:

The first version is an epic musical performance, most famous for appearing in the end credits of The Matrix and the second is a gentler, more traditional rendition from Ravi Shankar and George Harrison.

Jai!!!

My Sweet Lord, Krishna's Birthday

My Sweet Lord, with lyrics on YouTube

Its that time again!  Join the festivities for Janmashtami, Lord Krishna's Birthday on August 16/17, 2014 at the Bhartiya Cultural Society and the Radha Govinda/ISKCON Temple.

Ravi Shankar, Chants of India

This beautiful recording is one of my all time favorites! 

And now here it is for free on Youtube?!?  Jai!

Ravi Shankar Chants of India (Full Album)

Happy Solstice!

Happy first day of winter!  And happy return of the light!

The Teacher Student Chant

Om
Sahanavavatu sahanau bhunaktu
Sahaviryam karavavahai
Tejasvinavadhitamastu
Ma vidvishavahayai
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Let the Studies that we undertake be effulgent;
Let there be no Animosity amongst us;
OM. Peace, Peace, Peace.

(Recited before the commencement of education)  From the Yajurveda Taittiriya Upanishad 2.2.2

Many of you are familiar with this short chant from the Upanishads from the opening of the classes I teach. 

I learned it during my Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training in 1997 and loved it so much that I have chanted it out loud or in my heart before every Yoga class I've taken or taught since.

It reminds me that we are all, always, and in all ways both teacher and student in every situation. 

It reminds me to honor both roles and the divine Leela or play we partake in when we assume either role.

And it reminds me that on those rare and precious occasions when we have the karma to participate in formal sacred teachings, we must make a conscious decision to embody Namaste - to suspend criticism and judgement and choose to see the divinity in eachother rather than the differences.

Although the tune below is not the one I typically use, it is definitely one of my very favorites. 

It comes from the cd "Chants of India" on George Harrison's Angel Records Label and features the great Ravi Shankar on sitar. 

It is so beautiful I had to share it here. 

Thank you for chanting it with me.  May we enjoy learning Yoga together for as long as it takes...