In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. Chanting, singing and music form the basis for many spiritual or religious practices or sometimes just for pure fun.
My early childhood memories, waking up on a Sunday morning with the sound of my mother`s voice, singing along with her favourite Sunday morning, radio show, The Bell Tower. While she is preparing the vegetables for Sunday lunch, which was always a huge feast. Many a Sunday morning my Uncle Eric would join her, they sang and sometimes he played the accordian too. Now let me be honest, its not as if they sang the Hymns because they were very big on going to church or so, they sang because they loved to sing.
My mom and her 6 siblings - they chatted, cooked and sang. The inside joke was if any one needed to get a word in side ways, you need to throw a stone on the roof - and speak quickly. But I am digressing....
Sound is the main subject here.
Much to my surprise, I must have been around 3rd Grade the music teacher was choosing students to sing in the choir. Well of course I did not think much of that because singing is like walking, you, just do it.
She lined us up, we sang, she walked slowly down the line, and if she placed her fingers on your lips it meant just that... Be silent you are not chosen to sing in the choir. Well she put her fngers on my lips, I kept my mouth shut after this incident for the longest time, I dare not sing - because I knew if you re not chosen for the choir it means just that. Do not sing you cannot sing.
Years go by, and I fall in love with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation, we practice yoga, we sing and we chant and I am in heaven. Soul food.
My first step into the KC Kundalini Yoga Center, I knew I was home www.kckundaliniyogacenter.com and instinctly new that I must become a teacher to spread this beautiful healing technology.
During teacher`s training we had an entire Saturday afternoon allocated to voice training, mantra, sound.
Learning how to project the sound, discovering that chanting is not singing. With the coaching of our dear teacher, Sat Inder Kaur, I found my voice, very shaky, scratchy, insecure at first but after all its not singing its projecting and vibrating. Now I might add chanting in a group setting it is very different to solo, I was so nervous my knees were shaking! I can say with all honesty that I conquered my fear that day. I vibrated with my entire being!
Mantra or sound repeated aloud or silently clears negative thought patterns and habits, it raises your vibrational energy and brings you into harmony with the Universe. We as human beings are experts in burying our deepest pain and sorrow, we bury it so deep so that we can forget it exists.
Becoming still, sitting in meditation, chanting, the sound current finds those hidden sadnesses and healing begins. Slowly transforming pain into wisdom, feeling lighter, more joy over time, all the hurt fades untill it is love. Pure love, all there is - is LOVE.
"Vibrate the Cosmos, the Cosmos shall clear the path." Yogi Bhajan
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Ether Tattva ~ Speak and be the living truth ~ chant Wahe Guru
My name is Elmarie van der Westhuizen, it says so on my driver`s licence. I have a spiritual name too ~ which is Nirankar Kaur, so does everybody in the Kundalini Yoga and Meditation world.
The meaning of my spiritual name ~ Nirankar : the one who sees God in all, from a formless Lord, the one who is beyond form, without form, the God energy which does not reside in any one place, but is everywhere at once and not bound by time and space.
Kaur : Princess/Lioness of God who walks with grace & power throughout her life.
(Kaur is a name that all women receive)
A dear friend of mine after listening to me explaining my spiritual name - put it very simple
"so you bi-locate"!
This specific blog is not about my spiritual name but my journey through the 90 day Meditation, which I want to dedicate to my girls in South Africa.
As soon as I heard the news of this specific Global Sadhana coming up I thought of my girls and decided that it would be wonderful to have them join me.
Taking in consideration that there is a 7 hr time difference, they have very stressful careers, working long hours, single parents, no yogic training, a little yogic experience, if you add all of this it really comes to = minimal free time.
I know the benefits of chanting and meditation and wanted them to experience it first hand. With that said
I decided to ask if they ll join me, in their own time and also to just do their best, if they can only afford to do 3 minutes, then so be it.
They both agreed and the jaw dropping bonus was when my granddaughter 9yrs old asked if she may join.
We created a chat group via smartphone technology which we used to check in daily for the next 40 days.
Wahe Guru ~ Wahe is a statement of awe and ecstasy. Guru is that which brings us from darkness to light.
Wahe Guru is the expression of complete ecstatic awe of the Divine, the Infinite Teacher of the soul expresses ecstasy through knowledge and experience.
As the days became weeks we all realized the value of the vibrational energy and pure love through the ethers. We encouraged each other, we shared emotions and helped each other through monkey mind days.
Our youngest member fell asleep sometimes, a perfect lullaby, she also did a solo 11min for her and her mom, one night when mommy was too sick and had no voice. She told her mom to just listen and she chanted her little heart out. I cannot wait for my other grandbaby to grow a little more, because I know he will love to be part of our group.
The ether tattva often described as the glue of all the other tattvas became a different glue to 4 souls closely connected by heart but 10 000 miles apart.
Every time I Chanted Wahe Guru....my heart filled with joy I soared, knowing the deepening of true love
between us. Much too soon our 40 day came to the end ~ they decided to keep on meditating daily choosing different chants as needed.
(I kept on going because I commited to 90 days.)
As I am typing this all I can really think of to say is Wahe Guru.
The meaning of my spiritual name ~ Nirankar : the one who sees God in all, from a formless Lord, the one who is beyond form, without form, the God energy which does not reside in any one place, but is everywhere at once and not bound by time and space.
Kaur : Princess/Lioness of God who walks with grace & power throughout her life.
(Kaur is a name that all women receive)
A dear friend of mine after listening to me explaining my spiritual name - put it very simple
"so you bi-locate"!
This specific blog is not about my spiritual name but my journey through the 90 day Meditation, which I want to dedicate to my girls in South Africa.
As soon as I heard the news of this specific Global Sadhana coming up I thought of my girls and decided that it would be wonderful to have them join me.
Taking in consideration that there is a 7 hr time difference, they have very stressful careers, working long hours, single parents, no yogic training, a little yogic experience, if you add all of this it really comes to = minimal free time.
I know the benefits of chanting and meditation and wanted them to experience it first hand. With that said
I decided to ask if they ll join me, in their own time and also to just do their best, if they can only afford to do 3 minutes, then so be it.
They both agreed and the jaw dropping bonus was when my granddaughter 9yrs old asked if she may join.
We created a chat group via smartphone technology which we used to check in daily for the next 40 days.
Wahe Guru ~ Wahe is a statement of awe and ecstasy. Guru is that which brings us from darkness to light.
Wahe Guru is the expression of complete ecstatic awe of the Divine, the Infinite Teacher of the soul expresses ecstasy through knowledge and experience.
As the days became weeks we all realized the value of the vibrational energy and pure love through the ethers. We encouraged each other, we shared emotions and helped each other through monkey mind days.
Our youngest member fell asleep sometimes, a perfect lullaby, she also did a solo 11min for her and her mom, one night when mommy was too sick and had no voice. She told her mom to just listen and she chanted her little heart out. I cannot wait for my other grandbaby to grow a little more, because I know he will love to be part of our group.
The ether tattva often described as the glue of all the other tattvas became a different glue to 4 souls closely connected by heart but 10 000 miles apart.
Every time I Chanted Wahe Guru....my heart filled with joy I soared, knowing the deepening of true love
between us. Much too soon our 40 day came to the end ~ they decided to keep on meditating daily choosing different chants as needed.
(I kept on going because I commited to 90 days.)
As I am typing this all I can really think of to say is Wahe Guru.
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