Let's All Chant

Back in my disco days there was a song called, Let's All Chant by the Michael Zager Band.  The lyrics were easy enough to learn.  "Your body, my body, everybody work your body," followed by numerous vocal hooks like "Ah-ah, eh-eh, let's all chant" or "Ooh-ah, Ooh-ah."

For the full impact and a good belly laugh, you may want to click on the above link.  Or turn down the lights and turn on the disco ball hiding in your basement, get out the leg warmers, and transport yourself to Studio 54.

The thing about this quirky yet interestingly infectious hit is its complexity is disguised as simplicity.  Like most mantras or chants or power phrases or affirmations, there is something about simply saying certain words or phrases that activates our superpowers.

Just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz clicking her heels and repeating three times, "There's no place like home," I often rely on a series of pleas to get me out of a jam or signal I am in one. 

Admittedly, I sometimes go unconscious and silently scream, "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t," when I've done something irreversible like dropped my step counter in the toilet.

If I know I'm going into a tense situation, I often say, "Grace, grace, grace, grace, grace" as quickly and convincingly as I can in hopes I can invoke that presence in me. 

When I used to swim a lot and attempt to keep track of my laps, I'd eventually forget and just start repeating the mantra "om mani padme hum."  This is a common Buddhist mantra that loosely translated means the jewel in the lotus and is all about practicing compassion. It's helpful in difficult situations.

I'd recite one word with each stroke and see how many times I could repeat the phrase before I reached the side of the pool.  Once there I'd stop and defog my goggles, fiddle with my flippers, or mess with my earplugs until I caught my breath or the Let's All Chant song cycled through my water iPod, inciting a freestyle frenzy.

Tonight as I was researching meditation cds available on the spring forest qigong website with Chunyi Lin, I spotted a six-word meditation cd.  How synchronicitous for the six word summary!

Naturally, I was curious.  Now I'm certain you are too, so I will share these words as my six word summary for the day.  They could arguably be the most interesting of the summaries so far.

Today's six word summary:  "Ong, Ma, Lee, Bae, Mae, Hong."  


Here's the description from the website.

"Ong" relates to the heart of wisdom. The "Ong" sound can help with problems in the eyes, the ears, the nose, and with all kinds of headaches and head problems.

 "Ma, Lee" relates to a person's heart, which is full of changes.  "Ma, Lee" can help with problems in the throat, shoulders, elbows, heart, and lungs. 

"Bae, Mae" relates to the purity of the heart, the emptiness. "Bae, Mae" can help with problems in the spine, back, kidneys, stomach, and intestines.

"Hong" relates to the enlightenment of a person with the wisdom of the universe. "Hong" can help heal problems in the joints of the body and the legs. 

The six words together in combination can help to balance the energy throughout the body and help connect you to the healing energy of the Universe."

So, there you have it.  Now you know what they are.  Whether any of us know how to pronounce them is another thing.

Basically, any mantra is “a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of ‘creating transformation.’” ** See also our posts on the Green Tara mantra, White Tara and her mantra, and the Buddha Shakyamuni mantra.
This mantra naturally comes to our hearts in any kind of difficult situation. For example, when I was in an earthquake in Dharamsala once, when the earth started shaking, I automatically started praying, “Om mani peme hung.”
- See more at: http://www.yowangdu.com/tibetan-buddhism/om-mani-padme-hum.html#sthash.D12lMPfH.dpuf