Does chanting and mantra singing work?

Are chanting and mantra singing effective for health and wellbeing? Here is a collection of some of our favourite quotes and writing about the practice of chanting and mantra singing for wellbeing. We love to share mantras and chants with our HeartSong Normandie meditation groups and retreats - such a beautiful experience and opportunity to calm, relax and feel the vibrations and benefits of the sounds and words.

Scientific studies of chanting practice and mantra singing have found both psychological and physiological benefits to our wellbeing. And the wonderful thing about mantra singing and chanting is that anyone can do it! No prior experience or belief system is necessary to experience the healing potential of sound and music. Mantra singing and chanting is for everyone whether you are a complete beginner or more experienced practitioner.

Is mantra singing effective and does it help?

"Scientific studies have found that chanting can decrease stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as increase positive mood, feelings of relaxation and focused attention. It is possible that, regardless of the tradition or belief system involved in the chanting practice, chanting may have a physiological and psychological effect no matter what you are chanting.

Repetitive vocal chanting can have a direct effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, as it can slow breathing and activate the vagus nerve."

Gemma Perry ABC news

How mantra chanting works

"Singing is an act of vibration. It takes music from the realm of the unformed -- whether that is in your mind or from that magical space of inspiration -- and moves it from within to without. From the first breath singing moves the energy in a circular way inside your body. As the breath fills your lungs, it brushes against the second and third chakras -- the centers of creation and honoring self and others. Instead of merely exhaling, pushing the air past the fourth and fifth chakras where heart charka and the center of will and intention reside, singing engages both the heart and mind. Sound vibrations from vocal chords resonate in the sinus cavities, filling the head with motion and sound while the brain lights up with the processing of the mathematics of music. This marriage of activities brings the third eye into play and opens the door for inspiration from the crown chakra before sending the sound out into the world.

Once the vibration begins, it is sustained with each note, moving throughout your body and the space around you. This can help you to harmonize your frequency with the world and with the divine. The use of the voice can bring about catharsis, a cleansing from the expression of emotion, which is why we feel better after singing certain types of songs. All of this occurs even if we are not conscious of what we are singing, but when we really connect with an intention, the power of the voice and music together are powerful tools in creation."

Daily Om

“Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It’s an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts. It deepens the channel of grace, and it’s a way of being present in the moment.”

Krishna Das

Chanting, meditation and mindfulness

"Chanting is one example of how music can enhance wellbeing and quality of life — and an interesting one, because it combines many elements of other music-based activities, but also includes meditation and mindfulness elements which may add fuel to the power of music. Vocal group chanting provides more opportunity than silent chanting for deep connection with other people, and this might help to explain the enhanced impact on altruism."

ABC News

"Chanting just hits you and you want to be a part of it. That’s the point of this whole thing. That’s what cuts through all the ‘stuff’. You get lit up. You don’t have to know what it means.”

Krishna Das

The healing power of sound and singing

"If I’m singing a good piece of music or singing a chant that resonates with me, then those feelings start flowing through me. They stop being blocked. They stop being held. A good song along with a good sense of being fully in your body will start that process because you’re connecting with yourself. By connecting with yourself, the truth of you—which is love—is going to be experienced and manifested."

Girish, Music and Mantras

"Although Western science is only just beginning to explore the healing power of sound, our instinctive natures have known that singing and uttering ancient lyrics stirs something within the soul when words themselves are not enough." 

Miranda Macpherson

Mantra chanting for beginners

"Even if you are not a singer by nature or talent, you are not left out. If you have a voice, it is your birthright to celebrate life with song. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel you have a nice voice. Chanting or humming, singing solo or with others, your voice is yours to enjoy. Whether you sing along to the radio or use vocalization as part of your meditation time, singing and harmonizing are healing activities that bring your body’s vibrations into alignment with the universe."

Daily Om

Here's one of our favourite mantras to share with our meditation and mantra workshop and retreat groups:

Om Aim Saraswatyai Namaha

Om Aim Saraswatyai Namaha is a Sanskrit mantra used for developing our self knowledge and creative energy in speech, communication, poetry and music.

Say bonjour and join us at HeartSong Normandie

Singing at the seaside - Singing retreat holiday September 2023 on the Normandy Coast, France