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Japa Yoga - The Yoga of Chant
Japa Yoga: is a part of Raja Yoga or the “Royal” Yoga, which focuses on meditation. Japa literally means, "muttering or whispering," usually in reference to the repetition of a mantra or chant. Etymologically, the word "mantra" derives from the verb "man,” which means, "to think," and the suffix "tra," denotes instrumentality. Therefore, a mantra is literally an "instrument of thought" that concentrates, intensifies, and spiritualizes our consciousness.
The building blocks of all mantras are the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Mantras can consist of a single letter, a syllable, or string of syllables, a word, or a whole sentence. By tradition, mantras pass orally from a guru or a “seer” to his student in strict secrecy. Offered as special gifts, these mantras hold the guru’s power and energy, and to reveal the mantra would dispel its potential benefits. Although these mantras are considered the most powerful, it is estimated that there are over 70 million others, many of which are written down that also hold authoritative properties.
The words are unimportant to a Japa practitioner; rather the sound created by the words. Continual repetition of the mantra produces a vibration within the practitioner's entire system, which puts the individual in tune with the Divine Vibration. The mantra “
There are three main subsets of Japa Yoga, each specializing in a particular type of Japa.
- Shabda Yoga is an ancient tradition based on the Hindu Vedas, four sacred books: Rig Veda, Artharva Veda, Yajur Veda, and Sama Veda. These manuscripts are considered the oldest spiritual texts in the world surviving nearly untouched since 3000 or 4000 B.C.E. Shabda Yoga practitioners use mantras to experience the benefits that flow from opening up higher energies within.
- Shakti Yoga, a Tantric tradition, uses sacred sound to stimulate the flow of the body’s subtle energy centers, called chakras.
- Bhava Yoga is the practice of using exquisite melodious chants to experience the Divine Vibration.
In general, mantras are usually sung or spoken aloud. However, “Mantras may be ‘not-spoken’ or ‘not-muttered’ (ajapa). One old text, the Yoga-Yajnavalkya (2.16), maintains that a whispered mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a spoken one, a mental mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a whispered one, and finally meditating on a mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than its silent recitation. Some teachers mention a third subcategory of a japa-mantra, which is writing (likhita) out the mantra.” __ The Roots of Chanting and Mantra, A beginner's guide to the history of chanting,
Commonly, mantas are practiced at Kirtans where yogis gather to sing the most familiar and celebrated mantras. Harmonium, drums, and other musical instruments usually accompany them. This is a tradition usually practiced by Bhakti yogis, those who follow the yoga of devotion.
In conclusion, “it is important to note that mantras are intended to deal with specific problems and aspirations. [They] use combinations of sound to eliminate inner dissonance and nurture harmony. ... Sound is more than simply a medium of artistic expression. Sound has practical and powerful applications in the real world. Sound can help, and sound can heal. __Healing Mantras,