I will preface this blog with this thought, I am not yet into the chanting meditations, but I tried this meditation and ended up stopping it part way through. I thought perhaps it was because I have an issue with chanting, but I still wanted to keep up on this blog, so I did some research. According to one article from the Spiritual Research Foundation (Google is an amazing tool!), "chanting only Om, can have adverse effects if the person is of a lower spiritual level (ie. spiritual novice) as [they] may not have the capacity to tolerate the spiritual energy generated from the chant."
It is also believed that women should not just chant Om by itself as this energy creates a wave of heat that can have adverse reproductive effects. They should only use the word 'Om' when coupled with other words. I know this might sound crazy, but if chanting 'Om', creates a high amount of energy due to the vibrations created by this chant, it is possible that these effects are a reality and if you still aren't sure, why take the chance right?
In my personal opinion, I don't feel that I am far enough into this meditation journey to take on a chant, which might be why I felt uncomfortable with doing it. It was a reminder of an event a month ago that Sis Laura and I went to. It was just a tradeshow type thing, but a gentleman had a Tibetan Bowl and he made it sing beautifully. Sis Laura asked if I wanted one and I answered, "no, I am not at that skill level yet."
When it comes down to it, like with anything we do, there are different levels of expertise. Karate has progressive belts, Tai Chi and Yoga have different classes for different skill levels, sports have different levels from farm teams, to minor leagues to professional leagues based on varying skill, so why not meditation? If you have no knowledge of Karate, you wouldn't automatically move to a black belt, you might work your way up there quickly, as some might do in meditation, but you don't skip from the beginning to the end. I know my skill level and it is important for anyone beginning any new journey to know their skill level. Aim high, but don't hurt yourself getting there. As a friend reminded me recently, "Slow and steady wins the race."
So long story short, no matter what you try or how excited you get about something, if you are having reservations with a certain part of it, it is okay to skip it and maybe revisit it later, or perhaps find an alternative that might be more comfortable for you. I realize now that perhaps this challenge is meant for me to create a habit of meditating everyday, even if just sitting in silence and quieting my mind. Or maybe going back through my day and fixing in my mind what might not have gone as planned, so it doesn't "stay" with me, you know a way to move beyond it.
Until tomorrow...don't feel pressured to do something you don't want to do and if you are trying something enjoy the experience from novice to expert, you will learn things about yourself and gain the full knowledge of what your journey of choice is.
Hi Shelly! You are totally correct! It's okay to just focus on your breath and say nothing! In fact, (As a fellow meditation noob) I find that focusing on the breath and trying to get it into a good rhythm is a good way to start. You're also preparing your lungs for this journey. I got one of those Leaf health trackers, and the breathing exercises it offers have beginner levels, on up to expert. It's been a really helpful guide through the process. Good luck!! -Tracey
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