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Thread: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

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    Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Namaste,

    (I hope this is the right place for this, mods, feel free to move this thread, just please tell me if you do)
    I chanted too much without drinking water and got a sore throat. I told my vocal teacher about it and she told me to stop chanting. I told her I had to chant it was part of my religion, and she said "do it in your head". She was on the other line with the city at the time so i guess she was a little impatient but how do I explain to her that chanting mantras is vital? I have lessons with her tomorrow. She told me to come in anyway and today to just drink warm water with honey and not talk too much... She also had issues with my incense burning. Is it ok to tell her i'm just gonna do Japa Maalaa anyway, like i told her about the incense? Or should i follow her instructions and do the Japa in my head? I heard there's a type of Japa Maalaa that you do inside your head, perhaps that would be better for me? Or should I just keep a glass of water near me when i do Japa Maalaa? Someone please advise me on this matter!

    Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Namaste catnip,

    I agree with your teacher that you should chant in your head. Right now you are a sore throat. It would better by you follow your teacher's recommendation. Your throat will come back to be normal again too.

    Chanting in your head or we're going to mean "chanting in your heart" is ok and I think it's one of good way without any problem or any wrong. If you cannot chant without voice properly. You can do it by "silent" You can try to chant by speaking without voice instead. And you concentrate in the mantra. That's work perfectly due a sore throat too! After your throat comes back to normal. You can back to chant with voice again.

    For myself, I usually do chanting in the head (heart) or chanting silently when the place or situation that I cannot chant with the voice That's work well too.

    Let's try in sometimes

    Om Shanti,
    Om Sri Saraswatiya Namah

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Vannakkam:

    Even the (well-trained) priests do it in their heads. At kumbabhishekhams the chief priest looks like he's never doing much at all except for the really high point things, and he doesn't seem to chant much. But then I was told how he's chanting all the time on the inside. That's another reason why priests seem 'distant' during pujas, unfriendly. So you should always wait until a puja is completely over before questioning one.

    Same with japa, you can say it to yourself.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Namaste,

    Thing is, i thought she was forbidding me from doing vocal chanting (japa maalaa, etc) permanently. I went to voice lessons today and she said its more a problem with m everyday speech that she's noticed, i need to speak softly and make my consonants less harsh. she says she had the same problem in her past.
    She told me to just speak softly, and say my mantras softly and drink water while doing japa maalaa and i should be fine. I bought a cd recording of some basic mantras online and she said i should bring it in if i have it by next lesson because she wants to hear what I've been up to!

    Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Namaste,
    Quote Originally Posted by catnip View Post
    She told me to just speak softly, and say my mantras softly and drink water while doing japa maalaa and i should be fine.
    That is solid advice. you don't have to scream when doing your japa, just speaking softly or even whispering is fine. We are all different and some people have to drink water at room temp (or Lukewarm) to keep their throat from acting up. So I would heed her advice. It is sensible to do japa silently when throat acts up and let it heal before even attempting any audible whispering.

    Pranam.
    Last edited by Believer; 04 June 2013 at 11:36 PM.

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Doing japa inside your head is better than doing it out loud, although it requires more concentration. It's an advanced method compared to chanting out loud. If you have vocal trouble, you should give your voice some rest for a few weeks, doing japa inside your head is not a problem. There is probably something you are doing with yourself while you are chanting that is causing you to get vocal troubles. You could explore the Alexander Technique to help you with this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_technique
    Last edited by Sahasranama; 05 June 2013 at 02:57 AM.

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Namaste, Catnip.

    You should listen to your teacher. If you have a sore throat, you should rest it up for a while, lest you develop laryngitis or do permanent damage to your vocal chords.

    Yes, Mantras can be chanted in your head (manas jap) and it is advisable to do that sometimes...even if you don't have a sore throat.

    However, a 'vocal chord rest' should not only apply to mantras, but to everything. It's like 'yeah, my throat is too sore to chant mantras, but I can still yell at my baby brother or sing a song on the radio' (for example).

    Take this opportunity...a few days, to practice mouna or total silence. If others wish you to speak, point to your throat and croak a bit.

    Even if I don't have throat problems, I will do this from time to time...especially when I live with two other people who won't allow me to get 'a word in edgewise'. I just sit there and nod a lot and will do that for days.

    It's amazing how much stuff we all miss because we are too busy talking.....it's also amazing how much unnecessary banter we miss as well.

    Drinking warm water with honey and lemon is excellent.

    If you are not on a satvik diet, squeezing the juice from garlic or onions in it can help too.

    Just remember the rule:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n03g8nsaBro

    ...and get well soon.

    Aum Namah Shivaya

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    Re: Problems with Vocal teacher and Japa Maalaa

    Namaste,

    I took her advice the day i told her i had a sore throat and it went away the next day. Her advice was: don't talk much, don't sing, don't chant and drink warm water with honey. The thing is, i did about 10 repetitions of 108 times around incense with no water and it was that extreme that messed up my voice i think...

    Namaste Necromancer,

    Mouna sounds interesting to practice, would i be allowed to type messages or would I be completely mute? I think my boyfriend would miss me if i didn't type to him at least. He was fine with me just typing to him on the day that i was advised not to talk, in fact he scolded me when i called him that day hahahaha.

    Namaste Sahasranama,

    Thank you for your tips! i will check out that link.

    Namaste Believer,

    I wasn't screaming >.< i was chanting at a speaking volume.... she meant very soft or whisper...

    Om Gam Ganapataye Namah

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