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| Hey Jonnie... Byron bay is a cool place...beautiful beaches, beautiful forests not far...
Hey Mish... I give out a sheet with the chant and translation and do it call and response(I do the response a bit softer). And I agree with Jonnie, 'Tell them'... may open them up to new places they've not yet visited. Some people may have been told not to sing or chant when they were kids...may have been told they have bad voices etc... may bring up vasanas. Good to confront this.We can open many ways, expand in many, every way, with yoga practices.
I know when i started chanting I had some shyness... now i love focusing on the sound and knowing the meaning opens the heart more to dwell in peace, to be at Home. Om.
Hari Om,
Soul |
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| OrangeMat - 2007-05-17 1:15 PM
Hi Neel, Not offended whatsoever! Actually, I do enjoying hearing viewpoints that are opposed to mine. Helps with keeping my mind flexible in many directions. When two people discuss a topic from opposite viewpoints, the purpose of the discussion (imo) is not for one person to sway the other to their side. It's just to discuss, learn what you will learn from the other, take with you what works for you and leave the rest behind. Accepting that someone else's truth is their truth even though it might be diametrically opposed to your own, that's what I'm talking about here. At the risk of a corniness overload.... we don't all have to agree to be happy. We just need to be happy.
Well, since you are so flexible, let me pour out. Actually, the verses from Vedas have specific meanings, they are not used for students to ponder on with various meanings. They are outcome of the realizations from the realized soul. The problem is : the understanding is passed on by oral tradition and then in the current secular world, an imagination is used for interpretation.
For example mrutyormaamrutam gamaya. mrutyu here denotes a state of existence where death exists. and, amruta here denotes a state of existence where immortality exists. This is denote the distinction between Non-Realized personality and Realized Personality. The word mrutyu does not denote Fear of Death, even though the state of Death Existence includes Fear in it.
Therefore, the translation is From Death to Immortality. Death meaning the State of Existence. Not the quality or one partial property of it. |
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| Darling Mishy: I agree with Jonnie Suggestions. I am putting the same, but in a slightly different way.
1. First decide whether you yourself want chanting or not in your class. And, how much. And, the nature of your class.
2. If your answer is NO, then stop here.
3. If your answer is YES, make sure that you are going to do that chanting part yourself regardless of whether anyone else does it or not. So, tell the students that you are going to chant and they may or may not follow.
4. If you want to tempt them to follow, take some other people who like chanting with you to your class. And, by watching them others may get encouraged.
5. If you follow the above procedure for a sufficient time, you will get at least some students who shall follow the chanting.
6. Chanting is an essential element in Yoga Practice. But, it is not an essential element in Yoga Exercise done for physical health. |
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| kulkarnn - 2007-05-17 11:13 PM
6. Chanting is an essential element in Yoga Practice. But, it is not an essential element in Yoga Exercise done for physical health.
Kulkarnn summed this up well. I was just introduced to chanting and can not imagine yoga without it.
I do wonder about chants in English. And/or chants that fit with a students religious affiliations.
So is your answer yes or no?
Vic |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | Is that yes or no to me?????   |
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| victw - 2007-05-18 10:21 AM
kulkarnn - 2007-05-17 11:13 PM
6. Chanting is an essential element in Yoga Practice. But, it is not an essential element in Yoga Exercise done for physical health.
Kulkarnn summed this up well. I was just introduced to chanting and can not imagine yoga without it.
I do wonder about chants in English. And/or chants that fit with a students religious affiliations.
So is your answer yes or no?
Vic
Chant can be English as long as the chanter has the same feeling and respect or whatever for them as a traditional Sanskrit Chanter shall have for them. For example, if one is a devotional person, I can say 'Cosmic Chants' by Swami Yogananda Paramahnsa will do the job. They are not denoting any particular religion.
In my chanting workshop, I demonstrate English Chants to show this fact. I have recordings of this workshop. See my website. |
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| mish:
I do not ask if my students want to chant. I want to chant, and so we chant. When introducing chanting (namely, Om), i give an in-depth description of what Om is and means, how it functions on the physical and energetic levels (nada yoga information), how to chant Om, and then we chant Om. Part of the description process involves the fact that it is a blessing to be able to do Om. I say "look, cows cannot say Om, nor can Pigs or Chickens. Some parrots may be able to Om, but most creatures cannot. My rabbit, beloved October J, cannot Om. So to be able to Om is a blessing. And so, try it. Try Om. See what happens."
even the religious christians in the room chant. it's common in my classroom. When i introduce another chant, i explain it. Then we do it. easy enough.
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| I think that if you want to chant, then chant. You will become a chanting teacher. Those that want to chant will still come to your class and those who don't will find another teacher. There are students for every teacher and teachers for every student. So, if ZB were chanting and I didn't care for it, I'd find another teacher, which would would perfect for me. Conversely, if a teacher suddenly started chanting, I might be ready for it and it would be perfect. |
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Expert Yogi
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| Just a little word here. I did a short demo class with some kids recently and was careful to ask the group leaders if it was ok to chant OM. They were fine with it and I felt it was ok, but I did not get the kids to chant the invocation with me. There are cases where asking permission is a good idea and I felt this was one of those. |
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| true enough, tourist--cept generally, when teaching children, i'm teaching them in a classroom with adults, so they get what everyone gets no matter what. but when i'm teaching children separately (rare), i include in the materials (advertising) that chanting is an aspect of the workshop. if the parents sign their children up for the workshop, then i assume that they approve of what will be taught, including the chanting. |
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| Mish,
The few chantings I do as a teacher or student (the gayatri of Vishwamitra and Aurobindo) do not come from my wanting to chat them, per se. They come instead from what they are, what we are doing, what we are manifesting. It is not to hear me chant, to hear students chant, or simply for the addition of melody into an asana class - though those things are fine.
To be clear, there are classes where I do not chant at all. There are some classes where I do not Om. There are some classes where I am the only one Oming. If I can unite the students harmoniously without the harmony/unity of OM then the class and I can do that. It "works" toward the practice as we move forward into it.
I don't think I am a "chanting teacher" however as my understanding of yoga increases AND the understanding of my students also increases, we add to the learning. One of the adds may very well be an invocation, a chant, an om, centering, etcetera. It is both knowledge and wisdom based.
namaste my dear.
Edited by purnayoga 2007-05-21 12:24 AM
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | souljourney108 - 2007-05-14 9:19 PM
The chant I love to do at the start , is:
Om Asathoma Sat gamaya
Tamasoma Jyotir gamaya
Mrityoyma Amritan gamaya
Om shanti, shanti , shanti...
means:
Take me from the unreal to the real
Take me from darkness to the light
Take me from death to immortality
Om Peace, peace, peace.
I absolutely love this chant/mantra. It's so hypnotic for me.
Anyway, this is the scoop. I am teaching at a yoga studio tomorrow night. One of the classes I'm subbing in for is a Astanga class. They are very dedicated. I know how it is with subbing. This particular class is into chanting, mantras, etc......
They have been informed I am coming in and teaching a Rahini Vinyasa Flow. I feel like they will expect the chanting from me. Eventually I want to bring chanting into my classes but I am not quite ready I want to be authentic, not rehearsed but because of this my ego is consumed with approval. I don't want to be preoocupied with this emotion. I'm feeling insecure, a feeling I've never had teaching. It's uncomfortable for me.
It's funny, Susan was asking about teaching and someone replied "you have to be ready to suck". I guess I should embrace that (not that I think I'm going to suck at all) I just dislike the whole sub-in scene.
I have to add something else here. When I first graduated out of my TT there were certain aspects of my training in reference to specific yoga practices and philosophy I could not grasp. I rejected them. In the 3+ years since, many of those same concepts I am now very interested in. This is why I say I want to chant in class but feel I am not experienced, have enough knowledge, or comfortable with. But I do feel this is in my future. I have told my students this too.
I have taken many, many yoga classes and I really haven't been exposed to chanting/mantras often. And when they do incorporate it in the class format, they don't explain it's meaning. It's hard to connect with something that has no meaning.
Edited by mishoga 2007-05-21 9:15 AM
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| Mish,
Just be yourself, a good class is a good class. Chanting or not, if you teach well no one will really care if you do all chanting and such. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | Thanks YB!! |
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| Darling Mishy: You are going to be just fine. Just chant OM in this particular class. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | Otay Spanky! 
Neel, are you familiar with the "Little Rascals" |
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| mishoga - 2007-05-21 12:20 PM
Otay Spanky!
Neel, are you familiar with the "Little Rascals"
No Dear Mishy. I can not say in 'Black and White' about them. Not even 'Little or Rascals or Spanky'. I am lacking in that area. |
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| The guy's from India for g-d's sake and your using an Alfalfa reference?
Give him something he can work with.
As far as the class Mish, their expectations are to be turned over and dumped out so they are not holding or clinging and are actually being asked, through the release of expectations, to live yoga.
And you are your best you when you are you. Clearly you've expressed your discomfort in leading this group in chanting. And that makes perfect sense. So do not do it. You can allow them to internally recite the chant they use to open class in your opening. But you are a Rahini teacher, no? So you will teach within the borders of your discpline.
In the future (as I see it) perhaps consider NOT taking on these particular subbing situations (if they place you in this position we are discussing). It is always okay to say "it is not a class I feel I can sub for". I've done it several times when being requested to sub in for a flow class. But when I do accept I do not rush in and teach "flow". I just find ways to teach what I teach but give the student what I gather they've come for - sweat.
Edited by purnayoga 2007-05-22 11:58 PM
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | Gordon, I realized after I made that post to Neel that he most probably didn't know Spanky, Buckwheat. etc...... But you got it
OK, I did it so I lost my virginity. it was rough. I totally was not myself. But it is what it is.
In the second class, 9 of my students paid to attend class. that was awesome.
But I definitely don't like the sub-in scene.
During the end of the second class, during closing, my phone went off. It was my husband  My ring is "Don't you love her madly" by the Doors (loud). I grabbed my bag and threw it out of the studio and apologized. Of all times
I'm trying to stay detached today. |
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| mishoga - 2007-05-24 5:48 PM
During the end of the second class, during closing, my phone went off. It was my husband My ring is "Don't you love her madly" by the Doors (loud ). I grabbed my bag and threw it out of the studio and apologized.
Naughty naughty....
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Expert Yogi
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | BORAK!!!!! |
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| Mish - good for you to try the chanting. I think the main things is that. like asana, you must have this practice established firmly as your own before you begin trying to introduce it to others. And knowing the first time will be a bit shaky, you would probably want to chose the class to start with very carefully. A group you know well and who will be forgiving is probably a good idea  |
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| mishoga - 2007-05-24 6:21 PM
BORAK!!!!!
Hi Mish,
What's BORAK?
I hope it's not rude
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Location: right where I'm supposed to be | Borat, it's that crazy guy who just had a movie name "Borat". (I meant to say Borat)
One of his sayings was "Naughty Naughty" It was quite funny the way he said it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2GfpNcO6xY |
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| Ah Borat!
Now I get it
Without starting the whole 'was Borat funny?' argument again, I actually watched it recently and laughed so much my sides hurt
Jonathon
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Question for teachers here????
