Chanting is done for religious and spiritual significance by millions. But why chanting is important? Lets looks at some of the facts.
By: Dr. Palash Thhakur (Celebrity Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Reader, Holistic Healer)
What is Chanting?
Chanting can be defined as a rhythmical repetition of a syllable or a verse. This can be prayer or a set of mantras. Again, mantras can be religious or spiritual manifestations. Mantra chanting works on physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual levels.
Fun Facts about Chanting Mantras:
The first chant of mantras began in 1000 BC.
The Rigveda contains 10,552 mantras.
The most powerful mantra in the universe is The Gayatri Mantra
A study based on the 2012 National Health Interview found that nearly 6 million people in the US practiced mantra meditation in their lifetime.
Chanting is Important: The Benefits in a Nutshell
According to Sadhguru, mantras are sound forms, a key to unlock difference dimensions of your life. When done with awareness, different mantras activate different energies in the body.
Specific Benefits Include:
Reduces Anxiety, Fear, and Anger
Improves Sleep & Physical Health
Increases Positive Emotions
Lowers Stress Hormone
Reduces Alcoholism
Chanting is Important: The Facts & Scientific Evidence
According to Gemma Perry, a meditation and yoga teacher: “Scientific studies have found that chanting can decrease stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as increase positive mood, feelings of relaxation and focused attention.”
Chanting helps to regulate the hypothalamus of the brain. This is the house of emotions. Regular chanting helps to calm down the amygdala of the brain or the anger domain of the brain.
Studies done at the University Cleveland showed that people who did chanting had a psycholinguistic effect on their body. This surged good brain chemistry, so they started healing.
In a 2007 study, James D Lane, Jon E Seskevich, Carl F Pieper from the Dukes University found that a 4-week daily practice of a mantra meditation resulted in significantly decreased stress, anxiety, and symptoms of psychological distress while improving mood.
In a 2018, a study was conducted by Jyoti Arora & Namrata Dubey on the benefits of Om chanting on blood pressure. It was concluded that “Om chanting can also be added as supportive therapy with drugs in mild or moderate cases of Hypertension (HTN). Om chanting can be suggested as daily practice at least for 5 min for the better control of B.P along with regular medication.”
There is another study by Luciano Bernardi, Peter Sleight, Gabriele Bandinelli, Simone Cencetti, Lamberto Fattorini, Johanna Wdowczyc-Szulc, Alfonso Lagi (published on the National Library of Medicine). They studied whether the rhythmic formulas such as the rosary and yoga mantras can synchronize and reinforce inherent cardiovascular rhythms and modify baroreflex sensitivity.
It was concluded that both prayers and mantras, there was an increase in the synchronicity of cardiovascular rhythms when they were recited six times a minute. The findings suggested that the recitation of the rosary and certain yoga mantras, at specific frequencies, induce favorable psychological and physiological effects.
The neurophysiological correlates of religious chanting was a 2019 study by Junling Gao, Hang Kin Leung, Bonnie Wai Yan Wu, Stavros Skouras & Hin Hung Sik. It concluded that chanting Amitābha Buddha resulted in fewer intrusive thoughts and less mind-wandering. Chanting also led to increase delta-band power, which is linked to sleep disorders, and specifically to the deepest and most restorative sleep.
According to Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, Kirtan Kriya (singing the sounds) along with specific mudras for just 12 minutes a day can help prevent and reverse cognitive decline associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s after just 10-12 minutes of regular practice.
Moreover, in an interesting study of deaddiction by Sethi, Golechha, Deshpande, & Rani; alcoholics who did Agnihotra (morning and evening chants) for 2 weeks showed complete abstinence without other restrain.
Why Mantra is Chanted 108 Times
A lot of my clients ask me this question. Hence, it made sense to put out this information:
In Chaldean Numerology, 1-8 numbers are used. 1 represents materialism. 0 represents nothing/energy break, 8 represents wisdom and spiritual inclination.
These are the most prominent meanings of these two numbers, apart from other traits. 108 in Numerology means your journey from materialism self to nothingness followed by a higher spiritual self.
In Vedic Astrology, there are 12 houses x 9 planets = 108. There are 27 Nakshatras x 4 Padas = 108. There are 108 energy lines or nadis in the human body.
Science – The diameter of Sun is about 108 times that of Earth. The distance between Sun and Earth is 108 times the Sun’s diameter. The average distance between Earth to Moon is about 108 times the Moon diameter.
Hence, when you chant 108 times, you are binding yourself to all the elements of the universe.
Concluding
As I explain to all my clients, chanting is not about pleasing anyone. It is not about a ritual. It is about sound, form, vibrations. Chanting helps you align yourself better.
The purpose is to awake the dormant energy channels in your body. The resultant effect is that you are mentally and physically alive. Your decisions, actions and reactions are better.
As a result, you live a better life. Your associations, relationships, health, psychological and physical aspects are all in balance.
-xoxo-