Ashtanga Vinyasa Opening Chant
24 Jun 2024 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
There is an Ashtanga Vinyasa opening chant and closing chant in Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga practice. According to the ancient origins of yoga, chants, also known as mantras, are provided in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language; nevertheless, since Sanskrit is considered the heart language, their meaning is claimed to be universal. A higher vibration is reached by the chanter’s consciousness when they raise their frequency. As a result, the practitioner has a sense of tranquility and becomes more attuned to their innermost self, also known as their Higher Self or Source. Chanting is a fantastic complement to meditation because studies have shown that it helps regulate heart rate, drop blood pressure, increase metabolic processes, and release feel-good endorphins.
The Opening Prayer is a blessing of gratitude offered to the lineage of teachers and their students starting from Patanjali who himself has enabled this ancient practice to survive through thousands of years so that we can experience its benefits today. The recitation of this mantra cleanses the energy of the space we have chosen to practice yoga and prepares the mind, body, and emotions for the forthcoming Ashtanga sequence.
Ashtanga Vinyasa Opening Chant Sanskrit Lyrics
ॐ
वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे संदर्शितस्वात्मसुखावबोधे ।
निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने संसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै ॥
आबाहुपुरुषाकारं शङ्खचक्रासिधारिणम् ।
सहस्रशिरसं श्वेतं प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥
ॐ
Ashtanga Vinyasa Opening Chant English Lyrics
AUM ( ॐ )
vande gurūṇām caraṇāravinde
sandarśita svātmasukhāvabodhe
niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne
saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai
ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ
śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra śirasaṃ śvetaṃ
praṇamāmi patañjalim
AUM ( ॐ )
Ashtanga Vinyasa Opening Chant English Translation
OM
I bow to the lotus feet of the Supreme Guru
which awaken insight into the happiness of pure Being,
which are the refuge, the jungle physician,
which eliminate the delusion caused by the poisonous herb of Samsara (conditioned existence).
I prostrate before the sage Patanjali
who has thousands of radiant, white heads (as the divine serpent, Ananta)
and who has, as far as his arms, assumed the form of a man
holding a conch shell (divine sound), a wheel (discus of light or infinite time) and a sword (discrimination).
Om
Benefits of this Chanting this Mantra :
- Chanting this mantra aids in helping us concentrate and get into a positive mindset for practice
- It’s also claimed that the sound waves purify the area and get the body and mind ready for the exercise that lies ahead.
- Chanting this mantra at the start of practice helps regulate your breathing and establish a steady rhythm.