WHY WE CHANT
When engaging in any transformational practice, such as yoga, it is traditional to set an intention that we use right effort in our work and use the fruits of our practice in the service of others. In Ashtanga yoga we use the following chants for this purpose.
The first half of the Ashtanga Yoga Mantra can be interpreted as, with gratitude I will work faithfully with the practical and time tested teachings of yoga in order to improve the quality of my life and to overcome my worldly suffering and delusion.
The second half is a description of the sage Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras.
The Mangala Mantra is an ancient chant that we chant at the end of our yoga practice to offer the merits of our practice for the benefit of all beings and the earth.
In other words we set the intention that, the benefits from our yoga practice, which purify and uplift our own life, should be offered for the benefit of all beings and the earth. |
