This book contains words and music to more than 50 original chants. Chant traditions from many cultures are being recognized today not only for their intrinsic beauty but also for their spiritual power. Paramahansa Yogananda, a pioneer in introducing India's art of devotional chanting to the West, explains how it helps to quiet and focus the mind in preparation for meditation.

A guide to mantra recitation for ecstatic states, spiritual liberation, and higher consciousness • Ideal for those looking to deepen the spirituality of their physical yoga practice • Offers detailed instruction on the practice of mahamantra yoga and exercises to improve one’s practice and move beyond rote chanting Based on a rich and ancient tradition revived more than five hundred years ago by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in India, mahamantra yoga involves repeated recitation of a sacred phrase, such as the name of a deity, to anchor the mind and access ecstatic states, higher consciousness, and, ultimately, as you vibrate the holy names, the Divine presence in sound. Part of the bhakti devotional tradition, mahamantra yoga is considered the best path to self-realization in the current age, offering a doorway into the hidden recesses of our innermost being--the internal forest of the heart. Citing ancient Vedic texts and the insights of perfected mahamantra yogis, Richard Whitehurst reveals the methods of mahamantra yoga and his own profound experiences based on more than 20 years of intense practice. Using the core principles of this ancient tradition, he offers mental and physical exercises--such as how to coordinate the breath, vocal cords, and mouth--to move beyond rote chanting and pursue the practice consciously and joyfully. He explains how to overcome common obstacles to successful chanting as well as purification practices to intensify your efforts.

Thomas Ashley-Farrand is the preeminent authority on yogic mantras. In Chakra Mantras, he brings previously hidden knowledge from India and Tibet and teaches us through the use of mantras how to activate our secret chakras, which contain the keys to our spiritual progress. Located along the spine, the chakras process energy for all of our waking activities, and during sleep they provide energy for healing and cleansing the physical body. But there is another, higher octave of functioning that these chakras can achieve, if they are given higher states of spiritual energy in which to operate. This higher octave provides paths for spiritual development that ultimately lead to spiritual liberation or freedom from karma. A powerful method for charging the chakras with higher energy is through the use of Sanskrit mantras. With energy-invoking tools, stories from India's ancient tales, and amusing anecdotes, Chakra Mantras provides the information needed for fueling spiritual advancement through the use of healing sounds and chakra mantras.

“Through mantra practice, positive karma flows freely into our lives ... desires are fulfilled ... spiritual abilities manifest ... and we have moved another step forward toward moksha—complete spiritual freedom.” —Thomas Ashley-Farrand Karma: the consequence of all of your actions, decisions, thoughts, and emotions. According to Thomas Ashley-Farrand, karmic patterns from the past are always with you, affecting everything you do—for better or for worse. With Mantra Meditation, you will learn how to use genuine Sanskrit mantras to balance your chakras (your body's seven spinning energy-centers) to dissolve negative karma. “When you begin to chant these ancient formulas,” teaches Ashley-Farrand, “the petals on your chakras begin to resonate, and they pull in spiritual energy.” With Mantra Meditation—designed as a 40-day practice or a lifelong tool—your spiritual energy grows, your karma disperses, and your path clears to bring you everything you desire through the fusing of your own efforts and the infinite generosity of the universe. Includes 15 guided mantra meditations and instructions for Sanskrit pronunciation.

SHAKTI MANTRAS Tapping into the Great Goddess Energy Within • Enhance your spiritual gifts • Lighten your karmic burden • Improve your health and increase prosperity • Live in harmony with the universe Now, with Shakti Mantras, we can all benefit from this ancient practice. Thomas Ashley-Farrand, a Vedic priest, is an American expert in the intricacies of Sanskrit mantra. With nearly thirty years and thousands of hours of experience in chanting, he is supremely well-equipped to write the first book that teaches women (and men as well) to tap into the dynamic feminine energy of love in all its manifestations. By sharing enchanting Hindu myths and astonishing true stories from his own practice, Ashley-Farrand helps us to understand the real power that this age-old art awakens in those who perform it. Through dozens of actual mantras–each one presented with phonetic spelling for easy pronunciation and recommendations for specific applications–he enables us to increase our “shakti” (power) and use it to solve problems, ensure abundance, create health and well-being, summon protection, and invoke personal and universal peace. Whether you’re new to chanting or an old hand, Shakti Mantras will take you places you’ve never been before . . . and measurably enrich your life.

Chants of a Lifetime offers an intimate collection of stories, teachings, and insights from Krishna Das, who has been called "the chant master of American yoga" by the New York Times. Since 1994, the sound of his voice singing traditional Indian chants with a Western flavor has brought the spiritual experience of chanting to audiences all over the world. He has previously shared some of his spiritual journey through talks and workshops, but now he offers a unique book-with-audio download combination that explores his fascinating path and creates an opportunity for just about anyone to experience chanting in a unique and special way. Chants of a Lifetime includes photos from Krishna Das’s years in India and also from his life as a kirtan leader—and the audio that is offered exclusively in the book consists of a number of "private" chanting sessions with the author. Instead of just being performances of chants for listening, the recordings make it seem as if Krishna Das himself is present for a one-on-one chanting session. The idea is for the listener to explore his or her own practice of chanting and develop a deepening connection with the entire chanting experience.

ABOUT THE BOOK:Awaken to Superconsciousness provides easy, gentle guidance to help beginners quickly feel and benefits of meditation and allows long-time practitioners to break through blocks and deepen their experience. Drawing upon decades of experi

Original Writings of Paramhansa Yogananda Paramhansa Yogananda is best known for his Autobiography of a Yogi, a book that he said the Lord Himself commissioned him to write, in response to a silent call among many souls for a "practical religion" that would enable them to know the Divinity that dwells in their own hearts and souls. Those who met Yogananda were overwhelmed by the magnetic power of his love. Saints and sages recognized him as one of their own. Sri Anandamoy Ma, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Rama Yogi, and Mahatma Gandhi-these and many other great souls perceived in him an avatar, God incarnated with the power to redeem not only a few close disciples but a vast flock who would be transformed by his divine ray. "As a bright light shining in the midst of darkness, so was Yogananda's presence in this world. Such a great soul comes on earth only rarely, when there is a real need among men." - The Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, spiritual leader of millions of Hindus. Though divinely tasked with bringing a practical teaching, Yogananda preferred to express his wisdom not in dry intellectual terms but as pure, expansive feeling. To drink his poetry is to be drawn into the web of his boundless, childlike love. Nor was his vision limited to this earthly plane - in one moment his Songs of the Soul invite us to join him as he plays among the stars with his Cosmic Beloved. Then they call us to discover that portion of our own hearts that is eternally one with the Nearest and Dearest. Like his famous Whispers From Eternity, this volume is a bubbling, singing wellspring of spiritual healing that we can bring with us everywhere. (Also included is the addition of five poems not included in the original, 1923 edition.)

"Sound is more than simply a medium of artistic expression. Sound has practical and powerful applications in the real world." Mantras, or simple chants, are short phrases packed with energy and intention--specifically designed to generate powerful sound waves that promote healing, insight, creativity, and spiritual growth. Healing Mantras is the practical, how-to guide that makes the strengths and benefits of mantras available to everyone. The transformative power of sound has been passed down to the present from the sages of India, the classical scientists of ancient Greece, and the medieval monks of Europe. Mantras, sounds, and chants have inspired, comforted, and mended the lives of individuals, religious orders, and even entire cultures. Even though the science and discipline of chanting and formal prayer are practiced in every religion around the world, this is the first time that ancient Sanskrit mantras have been explained and adapted to Western needs. One of the few Western experts in Hindu and Buddhist mantras, Thomas Ashley-Farrand has practiced mantra-based spiritual disciplines for twenty-five years. In this illuminating book, he explains how and why mantras work and shows how to use them for everything from controlling habits to overcoming fear, from curing specific ailments to finding inner peace. In each of the more than fifty mantras, all translated from the original Sanskrit, Ashley-Farrand unlocks the power of every word, explains its appropriate application, and tells you how to pronounce it in easy-to-follow phonetic symbols. Inside, you'll find mantras for - Health - Worldly Success - Habit Control - Protection - Grief - Anger - Controlling Fear - Personal Attraction - Wisdom - Concentration and Mental Clarity - Healing Life Issues - and more! These mantras can be repeated aloud or in silence and can be used by people of any religion or spiritual practice, "as you wash dishes, as you drive on the freeway, as you meditate, or as you cook." Sound can help and sound can heal, and Healing Mantras now makes this sound medicine available to everyone.