was first used. Twenty rosaries equal ten malas, a good
number of repetitions to use for a specific prayer or
mantra.
Malas can be purchased at specialty shops or through
catalogs and are not expensive. The one bead at the end
of the mala is called the meru. Hindus say that the meru
contains the accumulated power of all the mantras
performed. The Sanskrit word meru means mountain of
stored energy. Never cross over the meru when you go
around the mala. To continue chanting the mantra, start
the count again by going backward from the meru.
Hindu Ayurvedic medicine uses the power of the voice
to balance and align chakras through reciting mantras.
However, you can also use related vowel sounds.
It is not necessary to sing your chants or mantras
unless you wish to do so. You don't have to sing a
certain note or in a certain key, either. When chanting
either vowels and consonants or mantras, the patient or
healer should take a slow, deep breath, and chant while
slowly exhaling. The sounds should be in your ordinary,
natural voice. When done properly, the sound should
vibrate in your head.
Never chant on a full stomach when your body's
energy is primarily concentrated on digestion. Wait at
least an hour after eating so your body will be more
receptive. Also, relax your body as much as possible.
This will enable you to breathe naturally and produce
vibrating tones. Sit with your back straight, whether you
sit in a chair or cross-legged on the floor. This will allow
the cosmic energy you are enticing into your body to
penetrate all chakras and meridians. If the energy can't
penetrate all portions of your aura and all of your
chakras, it can't flow unimpeded along the meridians.
Thus, the cosmic healing energy won't do the best job.