Soul Food

Basking in Savasana, post sweaty yoga flow, with an open heart, I didn’t stand a chance. As my teacher began to chant and play the harmonium, the deep vibration traveled into the depths of my soul, and I was hooked.

Upon initial introduction to chanting and mantras, I had a bit of a push back. Having worked in the medical world for ten years, my initial reaction to Kirtan, and chanting, was similar to the way that I approached learning a new treatment plan to offer my cancer patients. What is the rationale behind this offering? Is it safe? Is it effective? Please state your references and supporting data. Who?What?Where?When?Why?

With increased  openness, and exposure to chanting and mantras, I began to allow my inner knowing to take the lead. With a quiet mind, and an open heart, as chanting ensued in yoga class, I began to simply feel the vibration. Slowly, I began to hum along, intermittently quieting the monkey mind which questioned, “What the Hell is this? Really, Jules, this is what you’re going with?” With time, when the mind attempted to interject, I simply hummed louder. Soon, humming turned into singing; singing turned into nourishment. That day on the mat, laying in Savasana, when the harmonium began to play, a shift took place deep within my being. Although my mind cannot define it, my soul was sated.

Chants and mantras are now a regular part of my yoga teaching.  I sing and play the harmonium, from the heart, as a way to pay forward that which has moved me so deeply. The sacred vibrations have a way of warming the heart and feeding the soul; fostering connection to the divine. I no longer try to figure it all out, I simply tune in.