I was asked some questions from my previous post, How to Make Meditation Work for You. Here are my responses. Additionally, as this post is only available to my paid subscribers, I took a moment this morning to record myself doing 12 minutes of Kirtan Kriya so you don’t have to meditate with a timer or question what happens next. Also, the title of this recording will be called Kirtan Kriya Meditation: 12 minutes. Simple, so you can find it quickly. I’m writing this while I’m waiting for the recording to upload. I’ll link it to this article once that one is published.
Please keep asking questions on anything that comes up. I love questions, and I am here to answer them the best that I can.
What are the benefits/reasoning behind chanting the mantra vs just meditating silently?
Chanting mantra offers a number of benefits:
Mantra gives you something to focus on, easier especially when you get to vocalize it instead of think it. Silent meditation is nearly impossible to do successfully, even for the long-time meditators. Our monkey minds are persistent and unruly, and mantra cuts through it like a machete.
Every sound has a vibratory frequency, and they affect us deeply. They have the power to injure or heal; to make you feel small or to feel completely held and larger than life.
We choose words carefully when we speak to our child(ren), or when working with clients or students, because we want to empower them. We're much less conscious about this with our own thoughts, and sometimes with our significant others.
The sound of mantra is meant to be repeated over and over again. These high frequency sounds seed infinite potentiality and a sense of connection to the Divine, no matter what your spirituality or religion. They code over negative self talk and any repetitive thinking that limits our sense of Self.Mantra spoken aloud strengthens and balances the energy center in your throat area (aka Vishudda, or the throat chakra). This is the center that governs your ability to express truth. Expression encompasses verbal and non verbal communication, projection, and action. A balanced throat chakra helps you speak and make decisions in alignment with your deepest values. You’ll feel more authentic. This is especially good for those that are concerned with thyroid issues, or get frequent sore throats or lost voices. When you chant out loud daily, you will notice your voice getting stronger and more grounded over time.
I wasn't sure what I should be feeling [when I meditate]--but maybe that's the point, to let go of all of that, all of those expectations?
The expectations I recommend holding is this: somewhere in the beginning, middle, and/or "end," you will have tantrums.
If you meet your tantrums through your daily meditation, you will conquer the "weakest" parts of you. And, your access to Joy will be heightened.
The only expectation of time is the expectation (read: commitment) that you set to do a daily practice, and when that doesn’t happen, to not beat yourself up, you’re still amazing.
These are what’s in your control.
Would you recommend doing a Kirtan Kriya everyday?
Yes. :)
The 12 minute daily is a perfect amount of time: 2 min, 2 min, 4 min, 2 min, 2 min (out loud, whispered, silently, whispered, out loud, respectively)
When things get super crazy and you know you'll miss the day's practice, you can go for the baseline 1, 1, 2, 1, 1 (totaling 6 minutes)
If you really want to shoot for the ideal, are super motivated, and want to conquer time as quickly as possible: 5, 5, 10, 5, 5 (totaling 30 minutes)
I am excited about meditation and hope that it will help me meet my "tantrums." I have a few "tantrums" that keep surfacing, and I want to be able to meet them with more space and logic instead of emotion. Do you find that meditation helps you do that?
More accurately, meditation helps you change your relationship with Emotion. Emotions are your internal GPS. They are your truth teller, the way your Soul communicates.
It's because we create narratives around our emotions that commotion happens, and why we are so wanting to “disconnect” with them and go straight to logic, which is actually pretty slippery. Logic has its place, but the more we lean on it as a modus operandi, the more disconnected we become from our body’s intelligence which comes from our gut, heart center, intuition, and every muscle and cell that runs through us.
Emotions, used the way they were meant to be, point you to your deepest spiritual hungers, and when you understand those, your mind (what we think of as logic) can "obey" those truths.
I know this will bring up more questions - please ask away.
Thank you!