(Please note, the following entry is here-posted exactly as received; it has not been altered or edited in any way from the author’s original)

There was a chanting class for two days at the studio recently.   I signed up for the week-end because I have heard from others that chanting can be very beneficial and cathartic.  It happened to be the Chinese ceremony of Qingming or Pure Brightness, it is also known as "sweeping the graves".   This is very much like Christianity’s Palm Sunday.  In fact it happened on the Palm Sunday week-end.  Nicolas was our teacher.  He explained and basically told us what to do.  We chanted for the departed in our lives.  I knew that chanting could be very emotional.  At the beginning, the volunteers were passing out Kleenex and had placed boxes where we could get refills easily.  I didn’t understand at first, but, some people were literally sobbing with releasing their grief and old emotional stuff.  It was an amazing thing to witness.  Once I started to practice the chant, and praying, I was soon crying as well.  It is a very freeing thing, just let go and cry or do whatever you need to do, and you will get rid of emotional baggage and save yourself thousands of dollars for psychotherapy.  The wonderful thing is that no one there is judgemental at all.  If you end up sobbing and crying, they will just pass you more Kleenex. 

That was day one.  It was certainly an eye-opener for me as to the amount of negative stuff which I carry around with me every moment of my life.  Here is a way to get rid of it, if you are ready and sincere.  It will come pouring out and you will feel so much better after.

Day Two

This was a bit lighter in tone.  Nicolas had us chant (pray) for the living and ourselves.  There was a moment that I cherish very much.  Nicholas had asked us to make a wish for ourselves.  I wished for happiness.  It was realized immediately.   The chanting began.  A different chant this time, it was powerful and worked very fast.  People were chanting together and the words of the chant, well...I don’t know what the words mean exactly, as they are in Sanskrit.  The sound itself and the repetition of the words are what matters.  I was trying to visualize as instructed, but, I was awestruck at the power of the voices surrounding me.  There were two male chanters in particular who helped me a great deal.  One guy was right beside me, and the other guy was somewhere behind me.  They were the most marvellous chanters!!  They were in full voice, and chanting at mega-decibel level!  Their chanting was so very healing for me, it was almost like they were in sync with each other, one would finish the word, and the other would echo it, in a long and very melodious bellow.  It was uplifting for me to listen to these two.  They complimented each other so beautifully, yet I am sure that they were probably not even aware of each other’s chants.   I started to giggle, then laugh.  I am not sure what I found so funny, other than it was a feeling of pure joy and I had to get it out somehow!  It was like listening to an orchestra with each instrument tuned to its own pitch and doing its own thing. My stomach muscles began to hurt as I laughed and laughed, carried away by all of the lovely sincere voices.  Tears were running down my face.  It was the most wonderful feeling!  I have not had a release like that in years.  I was loving all the different voices and sounds going on around me, and knew that each and every voice was sincerely praying, and in so doing, in fact, was helping me to heal!! 

I am new to chanting so I was not sure whether laughter was acceptable.  I didn’t want anyone to know that I was laughing.  I thought this may be wrong.  So, I buried my face in tissues and carried on in absolute joy!  I felt super-charged for a couple of days after that.  It was a huge relief and release.  The chanting (or rather listening to the chanting and just being in the room, because at that point I was not able to chant due to the laughter!) must have released a lot of endorphins!  I talked to my friend and teacher about my experience, and she told me that laughing is a release also and is a good thing, and is quite acceptable.

I would like to thank the two very special male chanters who helped me so much that day.  They are the best!  I hope that one day I will be able to chant with as much enthusiasm and sincerity as they do.  However, I will need a little work.

Chanting in a group is an experience that you want to have if you can.  You can sing as loudly as you please.  You can release all the old dust and dirt that is inside of you.  It comes out.  Don’t worry about the quality of your singing.  It really doesn’t matter.  It is the sincerity in which you sing that matters.  So, go ahead, chant your heart out, as loudly as you are able.  It is all good.

I have been chanting on my own also, it gives your thoughts and wishes flight.  It allows for the release of old stuff that you can’t change, but want to make amends for.