Durga for strength and courage

Thank you, Jane! xx

Haha! I love that! Such a sweet image, the frogs & crickets chanting together with you... love it! x Irina

You're welcome, Sarah! x

Jai for cleansing fires! Yes, the effect can be super powerful and immediate... So happy you experienced this and will continue the practice. Perfect to do this every new moon, beautiful! Even more perfect with your skull-mala! Love, Irina

Thanks, Gesine! I love the suggestion, and am working on it. ;-) For now: most of my classes (online and offline) combine mantras (even if it is 'just' an AUM) with asana and pranayama. Might be an option for you as well - until the suggested classes are ready and online. xx

Haha! Well, maybe next time try it out with them near - they might get so inspired and touched by your chanting that they join you! Happy you enjoyed singing (on your own) though! xx

I'm so happy to hear this! Glad you're chanting and loving it. Much love - Irina

Dear Irina, Wow! Thank-you for your words of wisdom - I just did the entire meditation !!!! I just needed those tips to make it happen - Thanks for taking time to help me!!! You are awesome!!!!

Hi Laurie, Sorry to hear the pace was too fast and made you feel uncomfortable. There might be a slower version of this in the future, but for now my suggestion is to practice the words slowly by yourself a few times a day. Just saying the mantra out loud - om dum durgayei namaha - will help you to get familiar with it. If that feels comfortable, try repeating it in a slightly faster manner, whil still focussing on the breath in the belly (belly rises on an inhale, draws in on an exhale). If that goes ok, chant a few rounds with this video. Every time you loose touch with your breath, just stay silent and listen for a while. You can also repeat the mantra inside, so without chanting out loud. It's still very powerful that way. Hope this helps. Love, Irina

I'd love to follow one of your workshops ! I'm French but I live in South Korea and no Ekhart teacher comes close to Korea for events ;)

Good idea! :-) I think it's a bit far away for you (you live in France, right?) but I'll be teaching a whole workshop on Durga at a Yoga Festival in the Netherlands soon... xx

You're welcome! Much love!

Glad to hear, Kathrin! xx

Jai Ma! Keep listening to your body - if you feel an urge to move, move. xx

Such a sweet suggestion, Natalie (and Irina)! Thank you. I love the idea, so hey... why not? I'll see how and when that will manifest. :-) xx Irina

Me too!

great idea!! would love that

Happy to hear that, Liesbeth! Thanks.

Graag gedaan, Rachael! I love Sally Kempton and that book! Sounds like perfect timing & synchronicity. x Irina

Hi Kat! So great you've just had your first experience chanting! Hope it'll continue. The number’s significance is open to interpretation, but 108 has long been considered a sacred number in yoga. Traditionally, malas come as a string of 108 beads and are used for counting as you repeat the mantra - the way I do in the video. The number 108 is viewed as a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means “great joy”). Also, in astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108. This number also connects the Sun, Moon, and Earth: The average distance of the Sun and the Moon to Earth is 108 times their respective diameters. 108 may be the product of a precise mathematical operation (e.g. 1 power 1 x 2 power 2 x 3 power 3 = 108) which was thought to have special numerological significance. According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body. There are many, many more ways to explain the significance of chanting 108 times - that might be something for a blogpost or a whole new video. ;-) x Irina

Thanks, dear.

Thanks for sharing this, Libby! Beautiful. Jai Ma! x

Thank you, Claudia! Glad you enjoyed it. As for the time of the day: it doesn't matter that much - but in the morning after pranayama sounds really good. That way it'll sink in deeper and you'll enjoy the benefits during the rest of your day. x

So glad to hear, Hilary! And so sweet he joined in with his own version, love that! x Irina

Thanks for sharing, Lou! I feel the same way about this mantra - releasing, strengthening and relaxing. Glad it was a good way to start/end the day with for you! x

Beautiful experience, Chantmor! Thanks for sharing. And yes, Ekhart Yoga is the new, alcohol-free cocktail bar for sure! :-) xx

Oh, I LOVE that! Thank you, dear Teresa, for sharing. xx

Thank you, I did the embodied meditation then chanted one round, I will certainly do this every day for few days or weeks and begin my chanting. Thank you once more.

Thanks for sharing this, dear Gargi. Sometimes the mind has a hard time winding down. In that case, sometimes it's helpful to try a simple embodied meditation first, and after that try another round of chanting, if needed/desired. This meditation might be helpful for those days: https://www.ekhartyoga.com/classes/688/from-doing-to-feeling Warm hug to you!

Thanks dear. I hope it'll support you throughout the weeks. x

You're welcome, Gargi!