About 2 weeks ago, @ecotrain started the meditation challenge wherein we had to meditate for 15 minutes daily and then talk about our experiences. It was quite good, but I guess I need more time to settle in to the type of meditation I was doing- mindfulness breathing meditation. When I discussed my views with @eco-alex, the @ecotrain driver, he suggested me to practice chanting for a while and then meditate because chanting really calms the mind and sets a nice tone and mood for the day. He also set it as the next challenge for the @ecotrain members and even others who wanted to participate in it.
So we had to practice chanting using any chant we liked for some time for a week. Here is my account on this challenge and how it has made me feel about chanting.
The Chanting Challenge
Chanting and meditating help you unwind and feel calm by regulating the brainwave functioning in your brain. Your brain functions on 5 brainwave states and all the 5 states are really important for your proper functioning and to live a well-balanced, productive life. You can read about the states and their effects here.
While the gamma and beta waves are really important for active thinking, planning and processing information, over-active gamma and beta brainwave states can make you prone to anxiety and chronic stress issues that results in a racing brain- a phenomenon I'm sure many of us identify with. I experience that quite often too and it is one of the major factors that leads to frustration and even depression.
Meditation and chanting help regulate all the brainwaves so if any brainwave state is overactive or under-active, that irregularity gets fixed and your brain functions efficiently and it also activates the alpha brainwave easily so you feel calm. The alpha brainwave has a lower frequency than the other two and has a soothing effect on your brain. When @eco-alex came up with the chanting challenge, I wanted to see how chanting would affect my brain so was tempted to try it out. However, I had to admit that when he did propose the challenge, I laughed a lot because the idea of repeating a word/ phrase loudly and constantly was hilarious to me mainly because I was worried about what the other people around me would think of me. Nonetheless, I wanted to try it out since I like experimenting with things and because I am looking for more ways to improve my level of mindfulness.
So about 6 days back, I started chanting. I did not begin with 15 minutes as I did in the meditation challenge because I felt the 15 whole minutes pressurized and overwhelmed me in some way so I began with 6 minutes and slowly took it to 10 by the end of the 6th day.
I used to go for walk after dropping my son to school, but that routine got disrupted when he fell sick in December and when my sister came to visit us. However, now that we are all well and he is settled in his school again, I decided to resume that routine because it felt great going for a walk every day and it also helped me lose weight better. I decided to practice chanting in the same park after my morning walk. I could have chanted in my room, but I knew if my husband did listen to me chanting, he would make some silly jokes on me which would just lower my morale and make me quit the practice. Also, when I leave home to drop my son to school, I do not make the bed at that time since I am mostly in a hurry. However, when I do return home, I make my bed and set everything in order and then sit to work. I just cannot work in a messy room (not always because sometimes I have to work in a mess and then I do it) so I knew if I went home and decided to chant there, I'd get occupied in cleaning my room and then making breakfast and then doing my work, and would never get the time to chant.
Even though there was some background in the park since there are a lot of ladies there at that time, I decided to chant there. For the chant, I chose to say "Allah Hu' which means 'God, himself' or 'God, just he.' I say this often so it came easily to me and seemed like an appropriate chant. I started chanting it slowly and in a mellow tone, and slowly raised my voice after a few moments. I kept focusing on the mantra and kept my eyes closed. There were some distracting sounds and my mind did wander off in thought time and again, but somehow the mantra kept bringing me back to it on its own without me trying any conscious effect. I felt quite wonderful and happy after the 6 minutes of chanting.
The next day, I did it again but this time for 7 minutes. I felt more focused in the practice than before and I also found it easier to just explore the mantra and nothing else. An amazing effect of just these 2 days of chanting was that on the 2nd day whenever I felt frustrated or thought of something upsetting, I would just chanting Allah hu without any conscious effort and feel peaceful within seconds. It was like the chant had engrained in my mind and used to pop up itself the minute I felt stressed. It was like a signal that helped me understand I had slipped into thought and needed to return to the present moment. This effect was just wonderful and because of this, I am chanting Allah hu quite often these days and feel peaceful mostly.
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I increased the duration of my chanting session to 10 minutes slowly and would stay on it for some time till I can move further. For me, this chant works very nicely and when I am chanting, it is like I am meditating on a mantra. I just become really involved in the practice and when I open my eyes, everything feels new and amazing. I am really happy with the results so far and plan on sticking to the practice for a long time. It is as if my soul is dancing to the beat of the mantra and I feel light, refreshed and energized. I do not have enough appropriate words to describe that feeling.
Today is Sunday and today I didn't do it like properly. I did chant it every now and then, but I didn't have a proper chanting session because I didn't go to walk today. I have stacked the habit of chanting with the habit of walking so when my walk ends, it triggers the onset of chanting. So when I don't walk, I forget about chanting too. This is good in a way that two good habits are stacked together and one reminds me of another so if I wish to chant regularly, I'll have to walk too which is good for my body and mind. However, the only side-effect of habit stacking I can see right now is that when I don't walk, somehow I cannot keep up with chanting that day too. I am working on improving on this.
If you'd like to try the chanting challenge, go ahead with it and share your views on it. Also do share your views on this post. Thank you for your support and love.
Love and light,
Sharoon.
I am running a writing contest with 5SBD up for grabs for the winner so if any of you would like to participate in it, click on the following link:
Shary's Writing Prompt Contest #2
Here are some of my articles that may interest you:
How Positive Stereotypes can Make Life Difficult
Why is it so Hard to Apologize for Your Own Wrongdoings??
Confessions of a People Pleaser...
To Sleep or Not to Sleep, that is the Question....
Parents- Guiding Lights or Dictators?
One Smile and a Deep Breath to Quickly Fight Stress
Why I am Grateful for My Hardships...
Why Do We Attach Unnecessary Meaning to Everything??
Why is it Okay to Be a Little Selfish, Focus on Your Needs and Communicate them to Loved Ones
Batman & Jesus: Why do we fear debate?
My Scar Stories- Reminders of Many Different Memories
I am a part of the wonderful @ecotrain that aims to make this world a better place so do join it if that's your aim too..
