Chanting Question



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Hi Wah, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your articles in the Yoga monthly magazine - I love the way you write about God! Love from Lucy Wednesday, July 1, 2009 3:17 AM

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hi, I trust all is well... going to DC to see Amma with the family. riding Amtrak from Charlotte NC up to DC! any advice? seva 7/2/07 3:37 PM

Seva, Oh WOW that is great news! I wish I was going to be in DC, I am seeing Her in NYC this year. Well.... Hmmm....You have small children so that will get you on a quicker line to see Her and get a hug (called darshan). If you have never seen Her before, that will get you a blue dot (or whatever color sticker they have) and it lets you sit RIGHT UP FRONT so you can watch Her give darshan to people. That’s worth it to do. And there is shopping and food at the dining hall and booths for astrology, videos etc, in case the kids get antsy. For three years I just sat with the band, I’m pretty sure you can’t sit on the stage anymore but you can sit close enough to watch them. Really, the advice is this:  it takes a long time to get darshan (even the quickest line is 4 hours or so), the kids (and you) will probably get tired, and not to worry, it’s part of what She does to put us all in the same soup together and watch us marinate.  Bring some blankets and pillows for the kids to sleep on (if it gets late), bring a water bottle.  Leave your shoes and ideas at the door and swim in the Source Energy she brings in. I love you, can’t wait to hear about it. wah 7/2/09 3:40 PM

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Blessed Wah, I have been meaning to write you time and time again since we spoke in March in CT and you sent me your beautiful, amazing book. I could not put it down from the moment I received it. I wanted to tell you how very meaningful the book has been to me in so many ways. I have since re-read it by sections and have shared some of your insights with my yoga students. I feel very connected to it because it reflects in how I teach and why. One of the things that had me procrastinating about writing was the place that I had come to with chanting. I unfortunately got caught up in the ego place of others for a bit and was very sad. I almost stopped doing kirtan altogether because I kept feeling that if the other local kirtan artists were going to "compete" then I wanted no part of it. I don't have that kind of ego and never did. I wanted to write and ask your advise about it all because I know you'd know what to say. But then realized after a lot of soul searching that I didn't have to be in that place. That I just needed to stay true to why I even do kirtan! It's not about anyone, not even me! It is about my connection to the Divine and how close I feel when I chant the Names! That was a turning point of sorts for sure as was an Om Namah Sivaya chant I created from my heart during that turmoil that has since become so very powerful to me and the people who come to my kirtans write to me about it and what it means to them. So humbling. Anyway I am very much looking forward to seeing you again at 700 Voices in July. Bret Duback has asked me to play with my group during the weekend. With Love and Deep Respect, Sita 6/24/09 6:25 PM

Hi sita, Don't worry about all the garbage that comes up around chanting, the media, public opinion, or your own judgments about kirtanwallahs. It really doesn't mean anything! I know that is hard to believe - we like to consider that our own careful consideration of ego will give us guidelines to protect us from the monster - but it doesn't. Ego just is. So what. We do with it what we can. Your intention is all that matters. What you want to get out of the music is all that matters. If the other artists and the "kirtan scene" distract you from your practice, then don't go. Stay in seclusion for awhile. When you are ready to join up again, you will be in your heart and stay there WHILE you participate with others. Om Namah Shivaya is where you can be 24/7. I know you KNOW all this, I'm just saying, "yes" to your heart with you! Sending love and light, How wonderful that you will be singing at 700 voices next weekend. wah 6/30/09 6:57 AM

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Wah! First and foremost, I hope that you are feeling better than the reports I've heard lately. Besides my seizures I have something developing in my hands from using the laptop keyboard & trackpad, but that is nothing compared to what you must be going through!!! For me it has made me think of the movie Spider-Man 2 (which I bought on DVD a few months ago), where Peter Parker goes to a psychologist because his Spidey powers are mysteriously failing at random. The psychologist suggests that maybe he doesn't want to be Spider-Man anymore, which makes me wonder if I should forget the computer for now. Who knows, maybe your joints are telling you to just sit down and sing for a while! I could give a huge report on the Amma experience, but the shortest story for me is that Amma hit me in the head with a full rosebud during the Arati, and I'm keeping it in a little wooden box on my puja table. My heart chakra has been talking to me daily ever since. Om Amriteswaryai Namah, James/Simran Hari 6/17/09 1:12 PM

Simran Hari -I like your story of spiderman, especially the part where Peter Parker goes to a psychologist because his Spidey powers are mysteriously failing at random. Don't you HATE when that happens? Ha ha Yes, it's true that my body is being mangled and purified from its deepest cellular level, and it has been debilitating physically. But the amount of light that is coming in in its place is unmistakeable. EVERYONE comments on it, and I now can see a distinct difference between the darkness which has occupied my body (and probably my heart too, I just didn't notice) and the LOVE which is coming in to usher me to a new way of being. I have read all kinds of books - stories of cancer survivors, and near-death car crashes and recovery and healing powers and God and more - it is not uncommon for people to go through a huge physical challenge to gain some incredible spiritual understanding. You and I can share in that. For me, I don't keep track of what I can and can't do, I just stay in tune with how I am feeling. If there is more love moving through my joints (sorry, that's the only way I can describe that feeling), I know it is healing and the swelling or break or pain is decreasing. It might not show up right away, might show up by tomorrow, but I can feel it on the cellular level. Yes, I am doing a lot of sitting. And singing. And praying on Christ Light, or Amma, or whatever that is. I trust you, too, are expanding and celebrating the good qualities that have come from your condition. Getting hit in the head by Amma sounds good to me! I'll take that any day! Love and light to all three of the beautiful Familee. wah June 19, 2009 5:14 AM

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Hello Wah! Thank you for an amazingly charged kirtan in Phili last night! I am still buzzing with the astounding vibrations! I have seen you several times at Yoga On Main and am always moved and inspired by your beautiful voice, chanting and presence! A singer in a previous life, (having burnt out on the music scene), your chanting woke up a broken heart and inspired me to buy a harmonium! Now the singing/chanting/kirtaning has become my Dharma.....WAH! I loved your description of Amma!...it makes me long to be in her arms again ~ I love you dear teacher and soul friend ~ Jai Ma! Yvette 3/9/09 9:21 AM

Yvette,Thank you for your heart-open email, your words are endearing.  After we learn all we want to learn from something, we feel saturated and that's often when we say we're burned out  – but luckily we are allowed to grow and expand beyond what we know, so it's nice to hear you are singing your heart out again! You have reconnected to your own voice, how precious is that? Amma is almost here – She has started her US tour in Seattle and makes it to Wash DC in July.  You can check her website for the correct dates.  Amma.org  May we always be joined in music of connection and joyous upliftment- jai ma, wah 6/2/09 9:01 PM 

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Hi, I`m Pablo from Buenos Aires (Argentina), Today is a great day! ;-) because I discovery to you in Lastfm, then visit your website and I`m listening your beatiful music. Thanks for your gift, is a pleasure for my soul. If you think visit shouth america, pls. make a concert in Buenos Aires, is a beatiful city. Namaste... Pablo 4/12/09 2:48 PM

Hello Pablo, Thank you for writing, so glad you find our music! Do you like the dreamy Savasana CDs better or the high-spirited chanting CDs? For now, we are connected via internet; perhaps one day we come to Buenos Aires...With kind regards, wah 4/21/09 4:23PM

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dearest wah!, for the first time i heard your music this week. (Bolo Ram). WOW! WAH! it carries my spirit so far. wah! as a sister living in this world as the same time as myself i have  a question about business. i own  a wellness center and also am producing a shu for yoga and pilates. i am questioning the morality about the concept of 'selling' a product that may be unnecessary, as are most things and also charging people for knowledge, especially when they come to be pacified for the attention. do you ever think about this? i want to go to india, so many things i seek, to insire me and it seems it always has a price. love to you!  Abel11/17/08 4:24 PM
 
Hi anabel, So nice that you enjoy the music.  Thank you for writing! I think business and spirituality are important to mix.  If you focus too much on money, you lose your spirit and enthusiasm for life.  Too much focus on spirituality, and you lose your practical understanding of the world. Both are necessary.  The teachings are universal, in fact love is universal, it cannot be sold per se.  But you can offer your service (Pilates instruction or whatever) as a way to impart love, higher teachings and higher energy to people. Perhaps at this time you are disillusioned with the intention or the way you are approaching your work.  A sojourn to India could help.  Getting out of the media and fast-paced consumerism of US will give you a new perspective.  And yes, even the plane ticket to India has a price.  If you use the money with love and greater intention for your growth, you will expand with love. Love and light to you, dear one! Wah 11/25/08 1:07 PM

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Om Nama Shivaya Wah, How are you? I felt guided to contact you. The reason being to ask you how you got started in your career and how you transitioned into being a full time artist. I know you perform a lot and have recorded lots of cd's because I hear them in yoga class all the time. I'm kind of stuck right now wondering how to move forward with the music I'm doing (mostly for financial reasons) and for some reason I felt like I needed to ask you. Maybe you can tell me something that i'm missing!! Anyway I'm here in Vancouver BC and its beautiful! Thanks for sharing your beautiful music and if you feel guided to tell me anything please do....because I felt guided to ask!! :) Love to you! Elise 11/11/08 12:08 AM

Elise, Thanks for the email. For 15 years after I graduated from music school/ college, I wrote and recorded music - for the stage, for CD, for meditation.  My husband at the time was wealthy enough to support me in this, and I loved this period of my life. I then signed to a small label for about 5-6 years, and then started my own label.  My father gave me the money to start my own label, and that small amount of money funded the first album.  The sale of the first album funded the 2nd...  and so on. One thing leads to another.  Don’t look at how you are limited.  Look at what you love, and do it.  The universe will open up for you, Love and light, wah 11/11/08 2:15 PM

Thank you!!! :) Much appreciated! Love & Blessings, Elise

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hi Marianne and Randy, I listened to the CD yesterday, thank you, really wonderful musicianship and thick harmonies. Randy’s vibes solo on the first track is awesome.  I think my general objection to the genre of chanting is the nursery rhyme musicality of many of the songs.  On one level, a I IV V chord song is familiar and cozy and grounding, but on the other hand it can get monotonous when the artist doesn’t have anything else to offer. 9/19/08

Hi Wah - Your comments about wishing you were a bit more in the world of more complex harmonic/melodic structures also gave me many reasons to sit and think, for which I am very grateful.   Admittedly, my perspective is from the other side of the coin than yours; I am feeling drawn towards more transparent and cleaner musical structures with greater potential for real communications and healing.

This path started for me about 20 years ago when I was playing a Martin Luther King Day celbration featuring Coltrane's compositions at a Unitarian Church in Princeton, NJ.  As Unitarians are given to do, there was a point in the service for members of the congregation to express themselves and one lady asked the minister "don't you think it is at least a little innapropriate that we should be bringing music composed to be played in bars into our place of worship?"  Well, without missing a beat, the minister replied, "Don't you think it is evidence of a serious problem in our society that a man, a musical genus and the son of a minister, who wrote and performed this music expressly to proclaim the glory of God had to do that in establishments funded by the sale of alcohol?"

I have been looking for ways to render my music more wholesome and to ensure that it provides a positive energy into whatever spaces I perform.  But, to do that, I feel that I  have to get back to musical structures that are cleaner. I love your music for exactly that; its cleanliness and direct spiritual connection.  I love it when you coax your bass to "move the ground under you".  That is the shit in my book. I love the way you have already brought that advanced harmonic, melodic and rhythmic vocabulary into the music you write and perform without exceeding the bounds and losing your audience.  It is a delicate balancing act and I think you do it very well.   I know I always leave your performances feeling a bliss that wasn't there when I came in, and that is what I love. When I grow up, I want to play in a band like yours in that way.  :) ... hehe) Hope to see you soon. Peace, randy Saturday, September 20, 2008 9:29 AM

Randy your email brings gladness to my heart.  I so enjoy hearing your process of spirituality and refinement and skill.  It is true that those musicians who have been performing and composing from their head have to come into their heart and that involves simplifying, even editing the solo to its crucial parts, simplifying the melody to its most profound components.  I think this kind of editing brings a level of transcendence to the music. Sometimes we’ll get somewhere in the middle of the night (you know, about 45 minutes into a really good chant), and I’ll feel a wave of ecstacy and wonder “how would this feeling be expressed in musical chords?”  it’s like, “where can we take it from here?”  It is a beautiful enigma which I sometimes have a solution for (amazing night) and sometimes don’t find (try again tomorrow).  Trying to fit music to the ecstatic experience I feel inside is a very different process than trying to force everyone to feel ecstacy from the music I just wrote from my head. And just so you know, whenever I hear a recording of the band that sounds really good, I say the same thing:  I want to be part of that band!  Sign me up! See you soon, With love, wah September 26, 2008 12:40PM

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Wah- what is the best way to learn bhajans. I am studying with a friend of mine who picked it up by watching others but I don't always have the luxury of this. I go back to India every other year and am a member of Siddha Yoga but live in a remote island where there is no one else to play with :) What to do? Any ideas? Do you know of anyone that has written any notation on harmonium? Hope you can help because I would love to learn more bhajans on the harmonium as I can sit and chant for hours :) P.S. your song COME TO ME brought tears to my eyes as I could hear my Guru calling to me and this song would draw me into that light everytime. I will play it now :) Blessings. Sincerely, Brian 8/15/08 11:16 AM

Hi brian,My sympathies, there really aren’t any western notations of chants, except for some simple ones.  KD might have some sheet music, you could check his website krishnadas.com. Have you ever gone to Jai Uttal’s kirtan camp? jaiuttal.com I am doing a KIRTAN JAM at Omega in may 2009, 3 –4 days of everyone playing kirtan, leading and jamming with others.  That might be fun for you if you have the money. You have chosen a remote island to live on.  I suggest:  sing your heart out and whatever comes is the thing to connect you.  Play the chant til it morphs into something else, and <voila> you have composed your own! Kind regards, wah Wed, Sep 10, 2008 6:11 PM

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Dear Wah, I was at the Kirtan festival in Madison, WI in April and enjoyed your music immensely, and have been enjoying it since. I hope you don't mind my emailing you about this, but I've heard you are a devotee of Amma (Mata Amritananamayi). Recently, I attended one of Amma's public programs in Chicago, and had a profound experience after strongly feel her presence in my life. Here's the issue: before getting a mantra from Amma, I had been initiated into the practice of Surat Shabd yoga (listening to the inner sound current) same mantra for everyone on that path.)I continue to feel affection, loyalty, etc. to this guru as well, and now some divisions occasionally arise in my mind as to which mantra to chant throughout the day: Amma's or my other guru's mantra. It could be that I am creating divisions where there are none. But I'm trying to find a way to faithfully, sincerely, integrate the two practices into my life--to be faithful to both, without jumping around haphazardly. Any insight you might have on the matter would be greatly appreciated. All my best, Sunil 7/24/08 7:30 AM

Hi Sunil, I completely understand your situation.  It is common for Amma to take us under her wing, even when we are not exclusively devoted to her teachings.  Amma has said it's fine to have multiple teachers on your altar, as long as only one of them is in-body (living), but I have a feeling this guru of Surat Shabd is living.... So.... My experience with two living teachers is this...  I give them different parts of the day.  I start my day with certain mantras, and include other mantras as part of my daytime or evening worship.  I have no idea if this is sanctioned by anyone, it's just what I have done. I was told that a certain path would pull me more strongly but it hasn't really happened like that.  I have dived deeply into the Mary Magdalene teachings recently unearthed.  I have dived deeply into various forms of the divine mother.  Although I don't think their altars should be mixed, I do feel they should be worshipped fully with all your Love.  Divine Mother is Divine Mother, in whatever form she takes.  And when She appears, it is a great good fortune to experience Her, worship Her, and hang out with Her.  I try not to miss any chance I get! I hope this helps.  I think if you asked MA Center, they would tell you to chant the mantra Mother gave you.  But I have had similar questions as you. It should not be a matter of comparing paths, ie which one is better and more worthy of practicing, but what you are getting out of your practice.  I hope you find deep spaces of meditation in whatever you do. In Her Love, wah Monday, July 28, 2008 7:02 AM

Dear Wah, Thank you so much! Your generous response is greatly appreciated. It's great to hear the experience of someone who's dealt with the same kind of things. I like your idea of devoting different parts of the day to different practices, and worshiping fully and completely, with love. Thanks again for the inspiration. Sunil Monday, July 28, 2008 9:27 AM

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I was nicknamed WAH by my family and friends when I was a teenager.  It just happened – no known reason.  I've been looking for it's meaning ever since (I'm 38 now.)   After reading your definition of WAH I don't know if I became the name or if the name became me.  Either way, I'm on the same boat as you. Cynthia Friday, July 06, 2007 10:20 AM

how cool!  thanks for the parallel glimpse. all the best, wah Tuesday, July 17, 2007 3:54 PM

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Hello Wah!, I'd like to start by saying I really enjoy your music, especially the CD Krishna. You have a beautiful voice, a great ear for music, and for accompanying musicians. And everything sounds very genuine, coming from the heart. In reading your comments on CD Krishna, you mentioned feeling uneasy with the Maha Mantra at one point. I have been on (and continue on) a journey through many spiritual paths, finding my way along the way. I, as well, felt uneasy with the Maha Mantra at first as I associated it with the "Hare Krishna's" and their cultish appearance. Fortunately, I was blessed to be able to trancend that stigma and reach the bliss. My real point of writing is to inquire about your own spiritual path. I notice you are a follower of Amma and am interested in knowing more about her and the teachings. What does this path view as the goal of life? Is the soul viewed as seperate and distinct from God, with God having a personality, or as the soul being non-different from God, merging with no distinction? I am certain you are extremely busy, so I appreciate any time you have to read this and respond. Namaste,Scott Sunday, March 25, 2007 5:07 PM

hi scott- thanks for writing. it is good to share honestly with each other, how we feel, what effects different practices have had on us, etc. I think it's the best symposium, and mimics the gatherings of the great masters in the himalayas - yoga was born out of sharing and refining and observing the effects of the kriyas. Amma (www.amma.org) is all about service. she says it is better to serve the poor than remain idle or even sit in a room meditating somewhere. do something for someone in need. any act done out of love is going to clean the heart, which is the goal of any meditative practice. Amma has hundreds of charitable organizations and projects and she doesn't show any sign of slowing up! There are also pujas, meditations and practices she recommends, but when you come right down to the bottom line, She feels that service to the world, especially to the poor, is the best spiritual path. To me, She is the void itself, the Source of Love, the Source. period. When I tie into Her energy, I feel guided and cared for... to answer your question, the soul is an entity which attaches or combines with a physical body to play out and resolve karmas. because the soul is Pure Energy, and God is Pure Energy, you could say they are similar, but the Universe, everything in the Universe, is a piece of Pure Energy. the distinctions are semantic. love, wah Sunday, March 25, 2007 5:35 PM

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dear wah, firstly, as a full time caregiver for 3 family members, can i just thank you for all your beautiful music,which gives me strength as well as enjoyment. i also wondered if youd mind giving me your thoughts on another matter which has been troubling me lately. as a long time vegetarian,and supporter of animal/human/earth rights,i have been having one or two comments from punk friends about my recent interest in the spiritual path. their two main points are a)buddhists/krishnas etc only dont eat meat because they think they will be punished in an afterlife,thus only really caring about themselves and not the animals. and b)which is a quote from baghavad gita along the lines of if you are a hunter in this life,you will become the hunted in the next. which seems to be implying that its ok to hunt and kill animals,because the animal is being punished for a previous life. i guess i can see the logic in their thinking,as i know the spiritual path tends to focus on oneself,but i think if you love youself,it gives you more strength to care about others. im so sorry to drop all this heavy stuff on you! i really am not such a pessimist!  thanks for listening,hope you dont mind this intrusion. many thanks,love from dave.  Sunday, February 25, 2007 8:44 AM

hi dave I don't think it's a heavy issue.  you are consciously considering what you eat and why, that's pretty righteous. as your spirit refines, your body refines.  some people refine into vegetarianism, some into raw or fruitarian cuisine...  and some people reduce sugar intake, or eliminate wheat/dairy.  I think meat is appropriate for some people.  the blood type research shows that type O blood bodies require meat.  there is no one way to eat, just as there is no one path to god.  the fact that you are discussing this is an opening into your own consciousness. if you want to look at a righteous way to eat meat, follow the native american path - hunt your own food, bless the animal you have killed, and praise the almighty for its grace.  if you want a righteous way to be a vegetarian, follow a hindu or jain path of non-harming and make the effort to not harm any other being emotionally or physically.  I think perhaps the food thing is the last horizon.  after you've studied your attachment and deep seated beliefs in other areas of mind and spirit, coming down to food is kind of the last frontier.  it's basic:  it's what you decide every moment of every day: what should I eat?.  it's an amazing connection to yourself, what you crave, what you find, how you manage your energy. I say experiment with one way or another and decide for yourself.  I enjoyed reading "Omnivore's Dilemma" and there are other books as well.  it is true that the hindus believe in karma, and that harming the animal sets you up for later suffering.  but really, can we get beyond guilt and afterlife fears, etc. and just get down to "what is the conscious choice for me right now"... do a lot of research about it, discuss it with people, and then try something and see if it changes your experience.  most people wait for a disease or health condition to change their eating patterns.  why not do it now, and examine how it changes your head, how it affects your consciousness, your meditations, your yoga practice... let me know what you find out. love wah Sunday, February 25, 2007 6:44 PM

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wah- I met you a week and a half ago at Randall's house, and then I saw you in your amazing concert last night. I sat in the front row and soaked up all the good vibes. I'm so happy I made it out last night, what a beautiful treat. I am fairly new to chanting, and I was wondering if you could recommend some good chanting books with English translations. I feel my chanting with Govindas and others will become even more beautiful if I had a clear translation/intention with what was being said..what does Om Mahadeva Shiva Shambo mean....My friends and I were singing that all the way to our cars last night after your concert, and I'm listening to it right now on your website. LOVE, Michele Sunday, January 14, 2007 12:24 PM

hi michelle, the only way to do this is chant by chant.  there are lyric pages on every chant on my website, that might be one way to start as well.  books on chanting?  hmmm, don't really know of any.
om-the sound of the universe
maha - great
deva - god
shiva - shiva
shambho - one who is calm, all pervasive
it is a mantra of praise hope that helps, wah Sunday, January 14, 2007 1:45:42 PM

Thanks for this translation. Sweet vibes coming your way. Michele

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wah - chanting is becoming my refuge and my enlightenment - or maybe my potato chips (can't stop at one) ... Jai Radhe, Ned 12/17/2006 1:15 PM

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Wah, you mention the energies from the different deities are appropriate at different times in your life. In your book, you mention each deity having a certain energy associated with it, and by chanting that mantra you can get associated with that energy. Gary Goldberg/In The Spirit radio 10/2006

Yes. I'm trying to think of a way to describe it. Perhaps you could liken it to a really good meal. There are certain things you eat as appetizers, then a salad, a main course, and usually a dessert. After you have all these different delicacies and foods, you feel very satisfied. In spiritual work it is the same way. For example, ritualistic fire ceremonies offer various foods to the fire. The fire is your altar. You feed it fruit and flower petals and grain and offer mantras. In music, you can do the same. Many programs will start with songs to Ganesh; it's like an appetizer; it's a way to open the door to the light. And then in my programs, we'll do Ram chants and Krishna chants and Divine Mother chants; these are like the main course. We often end with Shiva because Shiva is the gateway into meditation. Even though all mantras are leading into the same room, it's kind of like the seven course meal. There are different textures and different aspects you can experience through the different deities. You can access this energy through the mantras. 10/2006  Read the whole IN THE SPIRIT interview

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Om Namah Shivaya Wah, I am teaching myself major scales, double thirds, with the correct finger positions on the harmonium. I am using a metronome, real slow. I'm just curious how much time is recommended to spend each day on scales. Here's a nice quote of Amma's regarding music: Art is God's beauty manifested in the form of music, painting, dance and so forth. It is one of the easiest ways to realize one's inherent divinity…be a beginner, a child in front of God…this will enable you to tap into the infinite possibilities…and help you manifest more and more of your musical talents in a much deeper way…. Mon 12/4/2006 9:48 AM

om namah shivaya, how nice to hear from you!  scales are a discipline which most people use to warm up the fingers and voice, and reinforce proper finger/hand placement.  I would say 15 minutes per day, with another 15-30 minutes for singing and enjoyment. I am bringing more music into the house now, inviting people over for lessons, singing, whatever.  got to generate the light any way I can. thanks for the quote, She's amazing. with love, wah Mon 12/4/2006 9:24 PM

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Hi Wah, I have been inspired by your music which I use during yoga practice and when I teach.  I have a musical background and am interested in starting to play the harmonium.  I read sheet music well but have run into brick walls in finding any through typical sources.  Thanks in advance... Loved the bit about what your name means! Jai Bhagwan, Medha Sunday, August 06, 2006 5:25 PM

Medha, There is no sheet music for chanting.  It is an oral tradition, handed down from master to student, friend to friend.  In keeping with that tradition, I try to sit with people and help them when I can. With your musical background, you will only need a few lessons to start you on your way.  It's not that complicated. love wah Monday, August 7, 2006 6:13 PM

Hi Wah, Thanks for your reply.  I am interested in purchasing a harmonium but there are no vendors where I am living so I either need to get one when I am nearer to a big city or order one online.  I have spoken with some people that I know who do play and reccomend the BINA brand.  I have looked at KD's site and he has a distributor in NY that he suggests.  Do you have any thoughts on this?   Also,  I would love to come to LA and spend some time, if you would have some to teach, to study with you.  I think I am a quick learner and would enjoy that very much.  I know that I can find some accomodations with other yoga teachers who I have taken my training with or with a friend's daughter.  You let me know what works best for you as I have a somewhat flexible life at this time. I was just reading from my guru's guru, Swami Kripalu that chanting is the most direct way to God and that householder's can do it easily.  I believe that it is a very accessible way to purify the body on a regular basis.  Thanks so much for your time and interest. Jai Bhagwan, Medha Sunday, August 13, 2006 9:18 AM

hi medha, why don't you come to a retreat and we can sit together then - sept 22 in santa barbara or feb 3 next year in costa rica.  that way I would have time during the day to spend with you. if you come to LA, we could work in a lesson or two.  synthesizer is fine to start, but harmonium has a unique sound which you would enjoy playing.  keshav-imports (from KD's site) is great - keshav makes sure that every instrument he sells is in good working condition and in tune (a huge plus for an instrument imported from india)  www.keshav-music.com blessings, wah Monday, August 14, 2006 1:24PM

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Hi Wah, (I keep mistyping your name "Hi Way," which may say something.) I need to share this. I am suffering this morning as I often do after a night of spiritual intoxication.  last night at your Kirtan I went to the place I always long to be -- fulfilled in the presence of others who understand.  I got home in an ecstatic state and wrote a friend a note about my feelings -- I just needed to get them out for some reason. She wrote back "that's nice."  I'm sitting here now consumed with the emptiness of realizing that I am a spiritual infant. The way the ball bounces dictates how I feel.  X Sunday, August 13, 2006 10:50 AM

X, your friend has not accessed a place of infinite longing like you have.  she doesn't know where you're going, and doesn't understand what it's doing for you.  you want to share it with her because it's so amazing, you don't want her to miss this experience. don't judge spiritual progress, it is impossible to know the whole picture.  one who is a spiritual infant may have mastered some other area of life in the meantime.  things are not as they seem.  we are all working on something.  if you are just becoming aware of spiritual bliss states, enjoy and relish every moment of it!  how beautiful that you can experience this at all!  maintaining a childlike innocence about the wonders of life is the best attitude. and sharing with your friend from a childlike point of view might be your best approach - sharing the wonderment of something new in your life.  not that it is the answer to everything and she should try it, but how cool it is that you have stumbled onto something good for yourself.  with love and gratitude, wah Monday, August 14, 2006 11:04 AM

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WAH! I have so enjoyed your concerts over the years as well as your words of wisdom. I was introduced to your music a few years ago by a friend who invited me to a concert that was held at Tim Miller's Yoga Studio in downtown Encinitas and your music has been very uplifting for me.  I recently heard you play with Krishna Das at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art and would appreciate if you would let me know what type of amplification system you use for your violin.   I too am a violinist and play locally in Encinitas to support the various Kirtans held here and would like to amplify my instrument!   Thank you! Namaste, June Monday, July 10, 2006 6:32 AM

hi june, I use a Baggs pick up and pre-amp, which then often goes into effect boxes (delays, any kind will do).  I think the main thing is having a pickup on the bridge of your violin so it sounds good.  for a live setting, pick ups are better than mics - they allow you freedom to move onstage as well as avoiding mic feedback. best of luck to you, wah Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:19 PM

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Hi, Wah. Just surfed across your great website. I have a question that you might be able to help me with: At the yoga studio I go to, the teachers close with "om bolo sat guru bhagavan ki, jai," which they explain means "god is the only real teacher, alleluia." I think it's a wonderful thought to meditate on. As far as I can tell from Googling, though, the individual words translate to: om = OM, bolo = proclaim, sat guru = true master or teacher, bhagavan = lord, ki jai = "amen" or victory Is the teacher's translation simply a more poetic one rather than literal? Or am I missing something? Thanks for any light you can shed! Namaste. R Monday, July 10, 2006 7:47 PM

Hi R, om is om, bolo means to speak, satguru is the teacher, bhagavan is a respectful name of lord or higher being, ki is to, jai is victory or praise. So..."Speak the praises of the realized being." is one way to translate it. I hope that helps. Many different names can be interjected into this phrase - jai bolo satigur amritanandamayi ki jai or bajrang bali ki jai, etc. wah Tue 7/11/2006 12:10 PM

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Hello Wah, You have probably been asked this a million times but I would very much appreciate a direct translation for the chant Om Tare tutare Ture soha. with warm regards and a smile from Tasmania, carolyn Monday, June 19, 2006 4:30 PM

carolyn , the translation is -  Om (sacred sound) Tare (to tara) Tutare (to tara) Ture Swaha (praise), so it reads " Praise Green Tara, Mother of all Buddhas!" hope that helps. wah Thu 6/22/2006 9:57 AM

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Wahness: First of all, I made the leap and just bought a harmonium. The 2 or 3 kirtans I learned the keys for I've played a few times on other harmoniums but usually just use a little Casio keyboard small enough to hold sideways in one hand and finger with the other. And more often I just sing or drum to others' accompaniment. I can trust who I bought it from, and that's what I'm writing you about. http://hasupatel.com/ Hasu is one of Greater Cleveland's best kept secrets, being the rarity of an accomplished female sitar player. She was just telling me she wants to talk to you next time you're in town (which I see you'll be doing again with the funky Clyde.) She's noticed how what she's known all her life has been catching on in recent years with Americans and wants to knock around ideas with you. The harmonium was the next step of this unexpected karmic path I realized I'm on, i.e., take a yoga class just for the exercise, discover it's so much more, become a teacher, discover the music, organize a kirtan group, etc. I never expected to have the guts to pursue an instrument, but that's my path so now I have to really apply myself. In the kirtan workshop in NYC last October, Jai said you keep saying the SA, RE, GA etc as you go up and down the keys and gradually you get a sense of playing by ear. Right now, my mind's just locked into those few chants I've memorized the keys for. I know it's just a matter of time. frank Saturday, June 03, 2006 7:31 PM

wow frank, congratulations on your new harmonium. taking a new path takes courage! starting yoga, meditation, and now chanting! wow. hats off to you for following your heart. I think Jai is right - as you continue to sing the notes, they become more familiar. but you don't have to sing sa re ga, you can sing the chants you are familiar with. it doesn't matter what form your chanting takes, it only matters that you sing and you gain divine energy from it. I would love to meet hasu. Thank you for all that you do, frank, in keeping people connected in the chanting community. love, wah Mon 6/5/2006 5:33 PM

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Dear Wah, Could you answer a question about Amma? When I go to the website amma.org she is scheduled to com to NYC in July. Yet, I got a flyer that said Amma Sri Karunamayi will be in NY May 26-29. That website is karunamayi.org. And at Dharma Mittra's website they say they are hosting an Amma satsang and kirtan fundraiser on May 20. Are there two different women using the name Amma? If there is, which is the Amma that you speak about? Namaste Nadine Monday, April 17, 2006 1:28 PM

hi nadine, There are many ma's and many baba's. That is why I always joke:  "WHICH ma?  Karunama?  Anandamayi Ma?  Amritanandamayi Ma?  Shree Ma?"    "WHICH Baba?  Sai Baba?  Neem Karoli Baba?  The Milk Baba?" The lists go on and on.  They have basically dropped their names and their identities, so nicknames like "Ma" or Amma and "Baba" usually are used. BUT, for us to distinguish them, we give them specific code names so we don't get confused (as you just did).  Karunamayi Ma is a different person than Amritanandamayi Ma, even though they both go by the nickname "Amma".  The Karunamayi NYC visit is in May ( www.karunamayi.org ).  The Amritanandamayi NYC visit is in July.  The fundraiser at Dharma Mittras is for Amritanandamayi Ma ( www.amma.org ) hope that helps! with love, wah Monday, April 17, 2006 8:44 PM

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Dear Wah! I have a question that I hope you can answer or direct me to get an answer. I am wondering what the translation of Jai is. I have read and talked to others who say something like "victory" or "innocence". I had thought that it was more in the lines of an exclamation of wonderment- joy and all things positive. Thanks for your time. Much love, Namaste, De. Sunday, March 26, 2006 10:08 AM

hi De, India was ruled by Britain for many years and so the old translations are often in British English.  Many texts have since been translated again into modern English, and the outdated words have been replaced.  The typical British translation of the word "Jai" is indeed "victory" but I find that translation falls short of describing its feeling.  Victory often refers to military strategy and not matters of the heart.  In my investigation, I found the words "Jai" "He" "Jaya" and "Wah" have a common sound and common usage when describing the Indescribable.  It does seem to be used only in exclamation when expressing wonderment at the Universe or the beautiful beings in it. keep the faith, wah Monday, March 27, 2006 8:27 PM

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Blessings and greetings, I wanted to thank you for offering your chanting 'workshop' last night and encouraging us to to ask you questions or relay our expiriences. The funny thing is I have many deep questions of life and keep searching for answers. I have been practicing and teaching yoga for some time and feel really connected through this process of cleansing and rejuvination. At times it is a lot of work. I had a very good time chanting with you last night and look foward to chanting again tonight. When we did the 'MA' chant , meditation, it was bizarre, on the first side I had a hard time hearing the harmonics because I felt like i could hear all kinds of talking. On the second side I heard 'talking' but i could also hear beautiful harmonics. It was beautiful, thank you for sharing this wonderful practice with us. thank you for sharing you music and heart songs. namaste, Jordan Fri 3/3/2006 11:38 AM

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Hi Wah! We met briefly after the kirtan today with Krishna Das. I asked you about local LA kirtan events and you suggested trying the site chantlosangeles.com & to email you if it didn't work. Do you have any other leads on a web site for LA kirtans or any email addresses or phone numbers or anything like that?Thank you so much for your contribution to the workshop today and for your playing at the Wadsworth event with KD Saturday night. I really appreciated your violin and bass! I hope to see you again some time next time you're in LA.Namaste, Eric Sunday, March 12, 2006 7:01 PM

hi eric, well things change, that's for sure. they changed their site to worldchant.com. another chant email list just starting up is kirtan@losangeles.com - that's rasmus, he is into kirtan and wants to let people know what's happening in LA. Self Realization Fellowship has programs on Monday nights, Siddha Yoga has programs on Tues and Thurs (I think). and there's more - Vedanta, Sivananda... And Steve Ross leads yoga once a month at Maha Yoga in Brentwood. also www.yogafinder.com has chant listings by region, you could punch in CALIFORNIA. I hope these links get you into a regular practice. let me know how it goes! love, wah Monday March 13, 2006, 5:55 PM

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hola !! que tal ,,,, espero que bien,,al igual que yo,,, te queria decir que tu musica es un néctar y tu vos es maya para mis oidos ,,,,,desde que te conoci por internet y vi algunas fotos tuyas cantando y tocando instrumentos ,,,,me tenes enamorado,,,,,espero que krishna me ayude a olvidarte ,,,,jajajajaj!!! aunque sea un poco,,,me encantaria conocerte personalmente o por fotos ,,,,va que se yo ,,,,, no te asustes que no soy ningun crazy,,, soy deboto hare krishna ,,,bueno no te molesto mas ,,,espero tu mail ,,,,,muchas gracias ,,,hare krishna ,,,,, haribol. PD: me mandarias algo de informacion tuya donde vivis ,,, los recitales ,,,donde das las clases de yoga ,,, lo que vos quieras !!!! te mando un beso.  Narashimha  Das Friday, March 10, 2006 07:40 AM

hello! I hope you are well, I would like to say to you that your musica is a nectar and your voice is pleasure for my ears... since I find you by Internet and I saw some photos of you and yours singing and playing, you are enamored to me. I am a devotee of hare krishna. Good, I do not bother you but I wait for your mail. Thank you very much, hare krishna..... haribol. PS: please tell me some information where you give recitals, and give the classes of yoga.. I send a kiss to you. Narashimha Das

greetings narasimha das, it is great to hear from you and know that you like the chanting. We are mostly in the US, Canada and Europe. I teach yoga in Los Angeles. Sending a kiss back! wah Monday, March 13, 2006 5:43 PM

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Dear Wah, I have heard two of your CD's and I am spellbound by your devotion that you express in your voice. I am a 19-year-old spiritual seeker. I know that my life purpose has to do with dance performance in some way. Realizing God through dance and inviting the audience to discover and explore their own God selves. Like what you do through your music, only in dance. But where to start? The audience and all other circumstances around don't appear out of thin air.  If you have any suggestion as to where I might start, I'm all ears. I have performed to your song "Come to Me" to a small audience. It was one of the most tremendous experiences of my life. I opened up to the audience and I just felt like this is what I'm meant to do! A temple dancer of the West, is the closest way I can say it.  Wishing you all the best and thank you so much for your music, Mariel/Sweden Thu 2/23/2006 6:45 AM

mariel wow, that is great!  I am so happy you are dancing and finding your true expression of self. I am sure if you pray for more opportunities to dance for people, they will manifest.  One thing will lead to another and your path will reveal itself to you.  Offer yourself as an opening act at a music program or a yoga center event.  If people know you love to do it, they will support you. Have you read Shiva's Fire by Suzanne Fisher Staples, or A yoga of Indian classical dance by Roxanne Kamayani Gupta? love, wah Mon 2/27/2006 9:00 AM

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Hey Wah: In one of my favorite kirtans to lead, I tie together two different Radha-Govinda chants. But with one I pronounce it Rad-ha and the other Rad-hey (Radha vs. Radhe) Of course it may just be regional differences, but sometimes the particular flow of words and music seems to sound better with one pronunciation or the other. Have you ever heard any kind of explanation of that other than regional differences? It'd be neat if it was just the flow, making music a determining factor in the language, but that's probably not the case. frank Saturday, February 11, 2006 11:47 AM

frank, you are correct, like most languages, the endings of words indicate verb tense and grammatical syntax. in this case, it's a noun and radha is the name for her; and radhe is "to her" - the e ending indicates a preposition "to"  It's a grammatical thing. If you have a sentence there in the chant, it should make sense grammatically; but if it's just the words Radha Govinda, or Radhe Govinda over and over, you might be fine with either one. love, wah Wed, February 15, 2006, 6:56 PM

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hi, I have made prayer wheels on my computer for chanting and found out its not exactly a good idea? more bad things happen to me... why? diana Sunday, January 29, 2006 12:36 PM

diana, bad? not bad. you should call them "old" energy patterns. when you put out a positive prayer wheel, it purifies your environment and/or your life. the old energy patterns, the old ways of thinking manifest as "bad things happening". It's just an old, habitual, ingrained response, like haven't you felt this way before?- powerless to make it better, oh well, I'll just give up-   I don't know your situation so I can't say for sure, but it often happens that junk surfaces when you purify. The old, negative stuff has to surface so it can be resolved and finally given away. Keep your focus on the best possible outcome for this prayer wheel - why did you make the prayer wheel? what do you want to have happen? focus on that and stay in the love and light, keep praying, wah Tuesday, February 7, 2006 5:24 PM

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Dear Wah, Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my email and question. Nada yoga is a fascinating subject that I will continue to study deeper. I did send email to KD, Jai Uttal and Bhagavan Das. It seems they are all out on tour. If I do not get to finish the project for this level of my training I will try to continue it for the level 2 or 3 course. It will be interesting to read different interpretations. My favorite quote comes from a book written by Swami Sivananda Radha called "Mantras, Words of Power." There is a saying, Kali Yuga Keval Namah Adhara which means "In the Kali Yuga the holy name is the boat to cross the ocean of maya." I understood it as soon as I read it because I just had a dream about going through all sorts of struggles to get to a kirtan that was being given on a boat by KD! When I read that quote not long after having the dream I stared at it for a very long time, it felt like it was just waiting there for me to find it. Teachings come from odd places at times. I've always wondered where that saying comes from. Any idea? Have you heard it before? Much Love and Light, Nadine Monday, February 06, 2006 7:29 PM

nadine, yes I have heard the phrase before. it is used in many poems and teachings from india. the world or maya is often called an ocean - the world ocean, the ocean of fire, etc - and the Name or mantra is a ferry or boat which can be used to cross that ocean. I am not sure of its original use, you could check patanjali's sutras and see - I think there is reference to world ocean - and you can keep backtracking from there, going to earlier and earlier texts.  well.... there's a project for you! A quote from Amma about the KaliYug and the Name: Darling children, to gain concentration in this age of materialism (Kali Yuga), bhajan is easier than meditation. By loud singing, other distracting sounds will be overcome and concentration will be achieved. Bhajan, concentration and meditation, this is the progression. In fact, constant remembrance of God is meditation.    -- Ammachi      Kaliyug is the most difficult Age to live in because there is less light, less interest in divine. As we move out of the Kaliyug and into Dvapara Yuga (Copper Age), there is more thirst for spiritual practice. I can feel and see that momentum now in the world. And as far as the guys answering your questions, well, we all tour, all the time.  it's not that the guys are out on tour- I am also out on tour- they just don't type very well and don't really enjoy emailing all that much.  I'm a writer, so chatting about things over email is comfortable for me.  if you want to talk to any of those men, you will have to talk to them in person, or maybe schedule a phone interview. best, wah Monday, February 06, 2006 8:10 PM

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Dear Wah: What does Jai Ma translate as? Thank you. Love and Blessings, Hadassah Wednesday, February 1, 2006 02:53 PM

Hadassah, Jai means "wow" and Ma means "mother." It often translates as "Praise the Divine Mother" or, in my casual way, how about "Hey Ma, Divine and Glorious Mother, you are amazing." love wah Wed 2/1/2006 2:44 PM

Oh, wow, Jai Ma... Thank you so much, Wah! Continued Infinite Blessings... Love, Hadassah Wed 2/1/2006 2:48 PM

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Hi, Is this a harmonium Wah is playing in this photo? Most specific information on type, maker, etc would be appreciated. Love the music, Inayat, North Carolina Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:36 AM

Hi inayat, Yes it is a harmonium pictured at: http://www.wahmusic.com/pr_files/images/chanting.jpg I can only give you an approximation of the type and maker, estimated by a harmonium expert. The harmonium expert I contacted said the harmonium is about 70-75 years old, the reeds and keys were made by a north indian maker whose name I can't remember (Jagdeep Singh? Mohan Singh?), and the insides were switched into a very lightweight ash box by Bina, who slapped their tag on it and sold it. The reed maker is no longer alive, and apparently the artform of hamonium making is dying off, not many eager students out there who want to learn the artform. I recommend Keshav Das (www.keshav-music.com) in NYC. He makes sure the harmoniums he sells sound good and are in good repair, and he has a wide selection. Hope you find something you like, Best, wah Sun 1/22/2006 1:05 PM

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Hi Wah, I just wanted to share with you that as of this afternoon, a beautiful January day three weeks after the darkest day of the year (Winter Solstice), the sun has moved just enough to begin to come thru my bedroom window and isn't that great!!!!. Currently it is only about an inch but it is a start and a reminder that the sun is moving right along and days of light are coming!!! lotsalove, Tom Monday, January 16, 2006 7:59 PM

awesome tom, thank god the light comes back. when the goddess contracts back into herself, all I can do is join her and watch the universe through closed eyes seated in meditation.  now we get to open again, a little bit at a time. pray pray pray, wah Thursday, January 12, 2006 7:23 PM

prayer indeed! ! ! ! ! ! T Mon 1/16/2006 10:13 PM

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Dear Wah!, Where can I find the words to Jai Ma from Planet Yoga? I would love to chant along with the music. Thanks, David Tuesday, January 03, 2006 12:16 AM

Hi david, On the CD page for Hidden in the Name. Amritamayi Anandamayi Amritanandamayi Ma are names for my teacher Amma. best, wah Tue 1/3/2006 3:10 PM

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Hello, wah - I, too, have developed an eclectic approach to spirituality. And this weekend, I added an amazing new dimension to my practice--I participated in the Michigan retreat with Amma. Wow!!! Given what you've shared about your experiences, that's probably all I need to say for you to know what I'm feeling now! There was an amazing synchronicity to everything that transpired during the five days. I felt so welcomed and integrated in the most sacred ways! Amma gifted me with a mantra. And after working through my issues with secrecy and confidentiality in regard to yoga teachings, I participated in the Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique course--and walked away with a powerful new dimension to add to my Sadhana. I recognize already that the impact of this weekend will continue to exponentiate with each new moment!!! Now, more wonderful experiences ahead including kirtan with Russill Paul, Celebrate Peace Tour and more. If you're in town, I'd be delighted to cross paths with you and thank you in person for all the gifts you've shared with me! Much love and peace to you, wah... Adam :-) Wednesday, November 30, 2005 9:45 PM

thanks adam you have signed up for a major influx of light, wow, I am in awe of your innocence and your openness to receive light...  it all goes together somehow doesn't it?  I really have experienced that with Amma, through Amma.  She doesn't change a thing about how you are, what you practice, what your religion is, and She juices all of it.  You walk away more integrated, more in tune with yourself.  How does She do that?!!  A miracle to be in Her presence, have Her touch your life.  so glad you went.  thanks for sharing, love, wah Monday, December 2, 2005 8:37 AM

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Hi Wah, I remember when you talked about how things speed up and you work through karma much faster when you receive a spiritual name. I was wondering if you could elaborate a little. Amma gave me my name the day after thanksgiving in Michigan. It actually felt really powerful and like an initiation I got up to go to the men's room and my head was tingling all over . I know that the name is now setting me on a trajectory. I imagine that now I really need to meditate on it and let it unfold itself but as one who has experienced it I wondered what you could tell me. Prabuddh Monday, November 28, 2005 1:52 PM

Prabhuddh, Amma transmits spiritual energy as blessing when she gives you the name. The tingling is perfect, great sign. The spiritual name is an energy, a key to your destiny. When people call you your name, it helps to call forth that energy which is your soul's destiny. Speeding up may be in the cards, or it may not. The name brings you closer to your essence and Amma has blessed its pathway to do its work on you. A very sweet and dear name, Prabuddh. Like a sweetheart name between you and the Universe. All sweetness, love, wah Monday, December 2, 2005 8:22 AM

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Hare Krishna Wah, Thank you so much for sharing your chanting with us at Shiva Rae's workshop. All of us from the Krishna community were all so moved.  Your chanting was from such a wonderful space that Krishna became very real to us, your emotion was so sincere.  I hope that we get to dance/chant and do yoga with you again and often.  I am so inspired how you have maintained the yogic serenity in your path and just absorbed yourself in chants to God. It was very healing for me since I feel so connected to several different teachers and traditions and these mixed callings have caused me so much suffering. But I am now getting the opportunity to explore them together.  This is really inspiring to me and I hope that Krishna allows me to learn from you some time, I love the space you are coming from. Love, Ananda Thursday, November 24, 2005 3:11 AM

hey ananda it's so true!  all these paths that we experience really DO combine into one lovely path!  and you are not alone, I am not alone.  these paths are all converging, it is a phenomenon at this point in history.  there are buddhist/sufi/quakers  and hindu/amma/agape devotees    ....   so many paths have come forward since the 60's and now that the teachers have passed on, there is a quickening, people are finding a way to integrate the best parts of what they have experienced and express it as a new whole. I heartily encourage you to express yourself in this new conglomerate way.  make an altar that has all your favorite things and people on it.  and then celebrate how wierd and far out it looks!  pray and dance in front of it, this is what has brought you to the present moment. I am so glad I could come to Shiva Rae's that morning.  it all worked out on its own...  for me to be available at 8 am on a sunday morning, are you kidding, it's only because I had to drop someone off at the airport at 7 am that it all worked out so perfectly.  I am grateful I got to meet you. keep shining! and let's stay in touch, really, email me any time, we can chat love wah Thursday, November 24, 2005 2:32 PM

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Wah - i recently, with little musical background or particular talent, was moved to spend A LOT of money on a harmonium! I teach yoga here in Portland Oregon, and have been leading little kirtans with my students using only percussion and kartals. This harmonium appeared to me as an opportunity, and i just did it. How can I learn how to play it? I have several books and I understand the basics of piano scales etc. but I cant seem to connect singing with the playing of the instrument. i fall out of tune and also out of my rhythm when i sing anything more than om with it. Is there a harmonium chordbook or something that i could find to try and play along and teach myself with some popular chants by folks like you, Jai Uttal, KD etc that you know of? Most of the chants that i know and sing come from you all, except a precious few that have come to me on my own. Any insight you have would be greatly appreciated! Once again thak you for the light you shed. You are treasured. Jai Ma! Lisa Mae   Friday, November 18, 2005 9:20 AM

Lisa Mae - congratulations on buying a harmonium!  To get comfortable  accompanying yourself, keep chanting OM. And then you can pick out melodies you remember, or I can give you chords to specific chants. We can also do a lesson on the phone - it's not hard - just start and I am sure you will find it flows for you.  Love , wah  Monday, November 20, 2005 11:53 AM

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wah-ji, a quick question, can a harmonium be left in the open position, bellows out, stops pulled out, for a period of time? for instance, for a couple of days, if conditions of humidity, heat, cold, etc, are not extreme? sometimes i play a bit in the morning, and then think i may have time to play again in evening, but not certain... the act of having to open and then close it up, keep me from doing quick bits. love is showering us all around, like the autumn leaves currently coloring the world. ramdas Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:17 AM

Hi ram das, Yes you can definitely leave the harmonium set up (i.e., if it's a suitcase style, you don't have to close it down every time) The stops being pulled out makes no difference out or in, there's no air going through them I recommend closing the bellows (there should be a latch there) so the delicate paper connections between the bellows don't get torn, eroded, wet, or tripped on by a passerby. wah Thu 11/10/2005 7:17 PM

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Hello Wah! I am hoping you can  help me find a recording of Govind Jaya Jaya perfromed by an Indian Woman. 20 + years ago, I was living in Santa Cruz,Ca and heard this recording playing in a local pizza shop.I asked the guy behind the counter about it and he ultimately he offered to give it for me and i ended up listening to it alot on the old walkman while strolling around. I vividly recall her high strong, otherworldy vocals and would like to find it again if possible. I have forgotten the artists name but in my recent search found your recordingon CHANTING WITH WAH ! which most resembled what i remember so i thought having sung it in that fashion you might have an idea of the young Indian performer i heard all those years ago and be able to at least connect me with a name. All is well whatever so thanks for your consideration, Chris Sunday, October 09, 2005 3:11 PM

chris, I don't know the indian performer to which you are referring.  perhaps it is even more profound to have it stuck in your head as a great remembrance.  it is more effective that way!  once having found it, you may find your thirst for it wanes. with loving kindness, wah Mon, Oct 10, 2005 6:54 PM

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Hello Wah, I saw you at the omega chant on Labor day weekend. What an amazing time I had.   Thank You!  You said something that I found very valuable about when to chant certain names.    I believe you said- Brahama & Saraswati- are for starting projects.  Krishna & Rama - are for sustaining.  Kali is for when things fall apart.  Ganesh is for- I think- starting new projects. You said a few others I was hoping you could tell me a few more.  I did not have a pen at the time and could not wrtie it all down. Thank you for sharing your beautiful gifts. Blessings,   Kim Wednesday, October 05, 2005 2:33 PM

kim, Brahma and Saraswati are for beginning.  they are the source of creation. Ram and Krishna for sustaining and nourishing relationships, businesses, projects that are already started. Krishna for unending love. Shiva and Kali for embracing the falling apart, and the new beginnings (phoenix out of the ashes kind of thing).  shiva is also amazing for going deep into meditation. ganesh for obstacles, it is often done at the start of any project or any musical program.  ganesh opens the doors. all love, wah Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:36 PM

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dear Wah, thanks so, so much for the time you took, the attention you gave, helping me with the harmonium. Your tailored suggestions exquisitely zoomed in on an excellent beginning course of action for me. I feel deeply appreciative of your generosity. I couldn't locate you at the time to say this in person, but did leave a couple quickly scribbled notes.
100,000 dakinis will surely bless you with their abundance and piercing prajna. Ram ram, Jeff [Ramdas] Sun 9/18/2005 1:55 PM

ramdas, I was hoping you would write! I have your note here by my desk, I was vibing you... it was a great pleasure to sit with you, and sing and learn. when I come to princeton we can do more if you want. it's a beautiful energy, love, wah 09/18/05 9:17 AM

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hi Wah! i'm looking forward to your next visit to tucson, as many others are also. i was reading your notes about Savasana 2, and have some thought questions (or at least thought that i thought i had some questions which all seem to be disappearing at the moment, ha), maybe you have some thoughts or reflections from your own travels and practice. this year i have been working more with some Kriya practice to go deeper/ be more open, etc // in the tradition of SRF, and one of the things that we talk about in the practice is that eventually we open up to being able to hear the Divine OM, starting from behind us, maybe like a bee buzzing or a hummingbird, and so on, in the whole realm of the Harmony of the Spheres kind of thing. i believe i've had auditory glimpses of this but it flies away again like the little bird in the hand. it was interesting to read your thoughts on NearDeathExperience and the harmonic threads to Source. have you re-discovered any practice that re-connects us to these threads besides total immersion or intense emotion? we all have daily tasks and stuff to get done, so immersion is diifficult, or maybe it just seems difficult and is a state of mind. i love the immersion of Kirtan, and that energy "lasts" into the next few days, then things even out again, kind of like having a large spike on a sine wave and things then equalize down to a flatter sine wave. i know with the teachers i have visited with over the years, they recommend always keeping "God" or _____ (insert any name for the Divine here is my understanding) in mind in all that we do, yet even that is difficult ( at least it seems that way). This is making me laugh because there are moments when i seem to have clarity on these things. My fiancee Shosho and I got to meet AMMA for the first time this year in L.A. at Devi Bhava. pretty rockin time. it was auspicious to see you on the way in the the water puja. we only knew a few people there , it was nice to see some familiar faces. :) I am curious as to your experience / thoughts you may want to share over the years that you have been to see AMMA with regards to the gathering of energy happening during the water puja. i've been working more and more with energy over the past few years here in school, and it was definitely a feeling for me of a Huge gathering of energy in the room. as far as phenomenon go, that moment during Puja to me was particularly interesting. (never mind the next 18 or so hours). safe journeys Wah!, see you here later this month,Keith Sunday, September 04, 2005 10:51 AM

Hi keith, You have many questions and it seems you also have all the answers, or at least are on the path to finding them. Let me just say that there are no real answers, only guidelines - spiritual work is unique for each person, so it will look/feel/be different for each person. I once did a meditation to see auras and after completing the weeks of practice I could not see auras but I could read people's minds. What's the difference.... You do the practice, you get what you're supposed to get. And who cares anyway? What is there to achieve in the end? You want to hear and/or manifest the divine OM ? For those who have actually done this miracle, I can say that they were not thinking about the miracle at all, they were only thinking about their connection to Source. I recommend doing the same. Make the sound of OM for a long enough time (1-2 hours) and you will hear it all day, guaranteed. The car engines will sound like OM , the planes, birds and the dishwasher will sing OM , it's crazy, the whole world will seem to be in the same vibration. We do enough practice to get ourselves connected. Then the karmas and blockages arise so we can work on them. For me, they usually wipe me out, mess me up energetically, so I have to go back to my practice and get connected again. I know there are beings who always stay connected, but I am not one of them at this moment.As far as the water puja, it is an energy exchange between disciple and master. Hopefully some of the divine energy of the master spills down onto the student... but, again, ALL of the rituals have that potential. I helped Amma feed people this year and the effect of that was that I continued to feed people almost every day for the next two months (very unusual behavior for me), volunteering at soup kitchens, cooking for neighbors, musicians and studio help. Amma does not leave a stone untouched. Every moment of the day has significance. If it is 6 am , if it is 9 am , Noon , or 10 pm , She has united me with some sort of divine memory. If I am feeding people, if I am singing mantra, if I am in silence, .... She has touched every part of my life. How can I not think that She/God/Source energy is not there at every moment? Peace out, See you soon, Love wah September 7,2006 11:58 AM

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Wah, I want you to have this song from Master Sivananda. The whole song is traditionally repeated twice, ending with the first line "serve..."
Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize
Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize
Be Good, Do Good, Be Kind and Be Compassionate
Be Good, Do Good, Be Kind and Be Compassionate
Inquire Who am I? Know Thy Self and Be Free
Inquire Who am I? Know Thy Self and Be Free
Imagine if people made that song part of their yoga practice! I think the
whole world would change. Jimmie Fri 8/19/2005 7:22 PM

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Aloha Wah...Have you ever been to the Big Island?...Do you have plans of coming here to the Hilo side of our island in the future?..I would love to have you come here...My husband Ken & I went to Pahoa Yoga Center last night for their first Kirtan gathering & was so beautiful...I have been wanting a Kirtan gathering to happen for awhile now and my request has been answered by the Divine...I have been drawn to Bhakti Yoga once again these past several months (my first experiences were at Self Realization Center in Pacific Palisades at the Lake Shrine in the 70's & 80's)...and when I looked Bhakti Yoga up on the internet to my delight I discovered that many people are gathering to sing these most healing blessed chants...I am thinking of buying a harmonium...yet want to make sure this is an instrument that resonates with me...the woman who lead the Kirtan last night has a harmonium and I am going to get together with her so she can show me how to play ....If you have any information about what I should look for when purchasing a harmonium...please I would appreciate this...Such as...Importance of type of wood harmonium is made of ( we have high humidity & lots of rain here on our side of the island)....the number of half octaves...number of notes...number of drones...number of stops...piano cut keys...tuning @ 440...the weight of the harmonium...etc...I have been looking at the Signature 23 model traveler harmonium on the Keshav Music Site... I would love any information you would like to share with me.... Thank you so much for your sharing of your musical gifts and of Kirtan...Many Loving Blessings Upon You....Aloha...Mary Saturday, August 06, 2005 4:46 PM

hi mary, a harmonium should be in tune with itself, it does not have to be A=440, although it helps when you are playing with other musicians who have standard tuning. The reeds of a harmonium are made of metal (usually brass), so don't worry about surviving monsoon seasons; they are designed to withstand the swelling that comes with rain. The things I look for in the harmonium are the ease with which you can play the keys and the ease of pumping - many but not all harmoniums have a springback mechanism in the bellows so you only have to pump it in (it springs back out). That is a real plus. Good luck finding one and happy moments chanting! love, wah 08/18/2005 5:50 PM

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Greetings Wah! I am gathering instruments for a beginners only (!) walla walla band. I have harmoniums and tablas and now want to get either a tanpura or a sarod? I love both instruments though in my ignorance it seems the sarod is a bit more flexible in what you can do with it..what would you recommend? (we are all beginners --learning curves all appear steep!)Thank you! and Pranams Elizabeth Thursday, July 07, 2005 6:52 AM

elizabeth, for beginners, the tamboura is the one you want. it is a beautiful instrument, easy to play, and develops perfect pitch when you sing with it. have fun! wah Thurs 07/07/2005

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Hi Wah,     I have what may seem to be an odd question.  What does "Wah" mean to you? Is there a meaning that you know of for it? It you can email me back and let me know, I will let you know why I wanted to know...interesting story. Thank you Ma Sri Zjavanee Sunday, July 03, 2005 1:27 AM

hello Ma wah is a universal sound in many languages.  here is what I know so far: this is from the website ( http://www.wahmusic.com/chant_pages/whatswah.html )What does Wah ! ~ mean? (Hindi) perfect, divine bliss. (Chinese) flower or joy. (Korean) energy, chi. (Japanese) peace, circle. (Vietnamese) harmony or flower. (English) wow ! wah 07/03/05

Hi Wah, This is so cool. I was given my name Ma Sri Zjavanee at the age of 44 and was told it meant Mother of Divine Purpose. Five years ago, my 3rd grand child was born and from the time she could first speak she has called me Wah and the name stuck like glue. I took it as a title.  She tells her friends that I am grandma and I am Wah. It is nice to fine someone with the same name. Love, Light, Blessing and Laughter Ma Sri Zjavanee 07/03/05

wow, that is so great. in hindi, wah is also a colloquial spiritual term - when everything is great, perfect, couldn't be better, they say "wah....    wah....." what a beautiful title for you

Thank you for all the info, I was listening to parts of your CD's you have on line. I love the chants, I find myself chanting in strange languages when I am in meditation.    I write children's book, self publish and right now I am looking for a way to get picked up by a real publisher...someone other than me...lol     I only have one of my chant tapes left, fires and floods fort of mess those things up.. the way it is sometimes.     God is good to all in the ways we need. Giving that little push as we need it...lol Keep in touch when you get the chance.  Ever been to Eureka CA or My Shasta? Love, Light, Blessings & Laughter Ma Sri Zjavanee Sunday, July 03, 2005 1:40 PM

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Jai Jai Maa! I was wondering if you know of any LA kirtan groups that meet regularly for chanting and are open to the public? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. Katie Friday, July 01, 2005 4:16 AM

katie, yes, there are currently 2 email lists that announce local events -- chantlosangeles@yahoo.com and kirtan@losangeles.com. there is something this weekend (Sat) in santa monica; next weekend I play in Manhattan Beach, hope this helps! love, wah Fri 7/1/2005 10:53 AM

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Wah-- how to mic a tamboura...

Tamboura pick-ups are better than mics, because you can plug directly into a mixer or amp and avoid extraneous noise from being miced in a live concert situation. Silver Bush Music charges about $200-350 for a custom pick-up/bridge. Or you can get cheaper pickups but they may not have the full frequency response needed to pick up all the harmonics the tamboura makes. Brian Godden will be happy to help you. (707) 579-8432

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Jai Wah! I'm currently harmonium hunting, and am wondering if you or Ekongkar can offer any tips. Someone local has one, not portable, for $200. I'm concerned about the non-portability, and the fact that there are only 3 folds in the bellows. There are at least 4 stops and as many drones. Good again to see, and thanks in advance for harmonic advice sent my way. Namaste' Jeff Tuesday, March 15, 2005 7:28 PM

jeff, so portability is only a factor if you are going to travel around a lot. carrying a big harmonium from house to house isn't so bad, it's only when you go touring by foot in India or travelling on planes that it's a problem. play every key and make sure they all work! every single one! make sure there are no AIR LEAKS in the bellows - put your ear near the bellows as you play and listen for escaping air. it has to be sealed tight to work properly. $200 is a good deal if it's playable and in tune. bellows and pulls are not such a big deal, just if you like the quality. and if you want to shop further...

ISCON (800) 829-2579 they are in houston and I know they are selling harmoniums. I bought some drums there that were great.  Keshav Imports, he's a friend of Krishna Das', devotee, nice guy, good quality instruments. Bazaar of India Imports on University Ave in Berkeley (510) 548-4110 has great quality stuff, right near the Ali Akbar Khan School of Music. love, wah Fri March 25, 2005 7:52 PM

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Dear Wah, I am a sadhak and a music student. I am wanting to clarify and explore the role of performing and being a musician in a life directed towards spiritual evolution. When the purpose is the Ultimate: How Music and Why Music? I would love to hear how you have married the two. Sincere thanks. Om, Aasha Monday, March 21, 2005 11:32 PM

Aasha singing meditation is easier than silent meditation. if you sing your mantras you will stay present. perhaps you should come to a retreat sometime and explore this process. singing in a group is a very powerful way to meditate. wah Tuesday March 22, 2005 10:45 PM

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Hi Wah: A friend and I are trying to figure out how to play the Gayatri Mantra that you have recorded on Jai Jai Jai. But we're getting stuck on the bass part for the second line -- i.e. tat savitur varenyum. It sound like you play three descending notes, but we can't seem to identify them; we've tried D, B, E, (among others) but it doesn't sound right. Could you please help ?We'll be playing this for a Kirtan in Madison,WI in a couple weeks and would like to stay true to your composition -- since it sounds so beautiful.andrew and ed Friday, March 04, 2005 11:19 AM

hi Ed and andrew, bass line on gayatri:
G......... C......... G F# E
G......... C......... D..... C.. D (dedba)   hope it goes smashingly well. we love madison, WI  wah Fri March 3, 2005 11:43 AM

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Wah, I've been playing the tanpura, taking some workshops and getting a lot of instruction. I bought an electronic pocket tuner along w/some tuning tapes. I think I'm starting to get it... but still have some basic music questions (scale/keys) in relationship to tuning the tanpura to whatever the harmonium/singer is keyed to. A google search on tanpura tuning will drive you nuts... so I'm thinking about signing up for lessions at the Ali Akbar College over in Marin. Can I ask you a question or two (when's the best time):-) I really am enjoying playing this instrument, maybe because I know so little... and I haven't given up on banging rocks (kartals) either:-) Jai Ma! Joy & Peace PJ Sunday, November 28, 2004 6:48 PM

dear beloved rock banger, the lessons connect you both to the energy of the music and to like-minded people. by all means, go for it. I'd be happy to talk anytime. tamboura has only two basic tunings Pa Sa Sa Sa, and Ma Sa Sa Sa. If you are playing with a number of different musicians and they all play in different keys, you will have to tune to their key each time (very time consuming). Tell everyone they have to play in the same key! much love, wah 11/29/2004 7:23 PM

Hey, great to hear back from you so soon. Well, of course I break string one tuning it the other night. I replaced it and it sounded different... so I checked in w/ Kirpal the owner of the Bazaar of India. Turns out that I bought the tanpura with the wrong #1 string . I replaced it with the correct steel string, and now it sounds different. I'm familiar w/ pa, sa, sa, sa and ma, sa, sa sa and I've got some tuning tapes w/ sa, sa, sa, pa & sa, sa, sa, ma in the key of C but what's got me confused is that my favorite tuning is in the key of C (according to the tape)- it's a deep base sound- but the individual notes are E, E, E & G (according to the pocket tuner). So the question/confusion is can any given key contain multiple sets of notes?; i.e. if I tune the strings to G, C, C, C it's then considered to be in the of C right? My questions shows how little I know...guess I better take a basic music class... and I know it's probably best not to keep re-tuning to different keys so that the strings don't get streched and loosened so much... (you're right, I'll need a couple each of female & male instruments). Next question- so why, if your changing keys for every song, do you not have to re-tune the base for each, or is the concept for base different than that of the tanpura? MAYBE I SHOULD JUST SET THIS TANPURA IN THE LIVING ROOM CORNER AS A PIECE OF ART and stick with banging rocks which is hard enough. Thanks for all your love and encouragement. Monday, November 29, 2004 10:00 PM

no no no! don't leave that tamboura in the corner! I see so many tambouras that sit in houses and never get played. They become stagnant and sad. I don't mean to sound overly wierd, but I believe acoustic instruments made out of wood are alive and have an energy to themselves. (see the movie Red Violin if you want life from a musical instrument's perspective). If instruments aren't played on a regular basis, the wood doesn't resonate. and the energy stagnates. OK, and now for your online lesson: The reason I don't tune the bass for every song is because I am not playing open strings. the tamboura is played with ALL open strings. does that make sense? Pa is the 5th note of the scale and Ma is the 4th note of the scale. If you are in the key of C, the standard tuning will be G, C, C, C. That is to say, G is in the middle, C is the high octave, C (hich octave), and then C (the low octave). That tape you had says you are in the key of C, but with the notes E, G, G, G, you are actually in the key of G.

Perhaps the best use of this instrument is for YOU to do the singing. I would play along at group gatherings on the songs that match your instrument. and be sure to tell everyone you are in the key of C, to encourage them to play in that key, so you can play along. Wishing you beautiful music moments, wah November 30, 2004 9:50 AM

A co-worker who plays the piano was just explaining the 8 notes, and where 3rds, 5ths are, etc. It makes a little more sense now... and your explanation of Pa being the 5th & Ma the 4th note puts it in perspective. No, I'll not set the tanpura in the corner. It's way too much fun making/feeling the gourd vibrate Ommmmmmmm and the reason I like the Key of C is because it fits the mantra Om Dum Durge Namaha so well. In reading up on tanpura tuning they say you know your tuned right in Pa Sa Sa Sa if you hear a 5th note Ga (combination of the other 4 strings resonating) and that it's this tuning to the 5th note in relation to the other instruments that gets one dialed in so to speak. I haven't quite figured out how one tunes to the 5th harmonic note yet but if I bang my head w/ the rocks I'm sure I'll hear the right bells. I'm not sure if there's a 5th harmonic note in other combinations of sa pa or ma sa, but something seems to be there. PS: hope your violin is happy. Tuesday, November 30, 2004 11:51 AM

"hope your violin is happy" ! hmmmm, is that a hint?!! ha ha  My daughter practices orchestra music every day from 6:30am-7am and I play along. It's a hoot and a holler I'll tell you, and definitely keeps my violin happy when I'm not playing with Krishna Das... Hearing the harmonics is something that refined people brag about. In fact, I had a friend whose teacher left the tamboura uncovered in the corner when he wasn't using it, and then spoke in such a way as to trigger the strings vibrating, so it resonated all day long just from the sounds of people's voices. Would that be called "remote control" in India? ha ha. wah December 1, 2004 4:35 PM

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Inspiration by Clarissa Pinkola Estes - Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able vessels in the waters than there are right now across the world. And they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history of humankind... Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you. Even though your veneers may shiver from every wave in this stormy world, I assure you that the long timbers composing your prow and rudder come from a greater forest. That long-grained lumber is known to withstand storms, to hold together, to hold its own, and to advance, regardless.

In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong or unmended in the world. Do not focus on that. There is a tendency too to fall into being weakened by dwelling on what is outside your reach, by what cannot yet be. Do not focus there. That is spending the wind without raising the sails. We are needed, that is all we can know. And though we meet resistance, we more so will meet great souls who will hail us, love us and guide us, and we will know them when they appear. Didn't you say you were a believer? Didn't you ask for grace? ... Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.

Wah! Namaste, This comes with much love and a prayer that you remember who you came from, and why you came. I still think about the Omega Ecstatic Chant Labor Day weekend - much shakti.- Ken Thu 11/11/2004 7:21 PM

Thanks Ken, after 3 weeks of touring in Europe, your email is a blessing. wah 11/28/2004 3:35 AM

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Hello Wah, I would like to add your website to the link section of my Yahoo Amma group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ammabhakti  Thank you, Om Shanti, Tom Sep 25, 2004 7:32 AM

Tom, I am happy to be part of your amma group online...wah Mon, 27 Sep 2004 09:41 PM

Hi Wah, Thanks for permission to use your link. I feel that it is important for every one of Amma's devotees to be aware of you and your music, in case they are not already familiar with you. Your music has become an important part of my own spirituality. You are extremely talented, and you give a fresh and beautiful interpretation to traditional chants. peace--t Mon 9/27/2004 7:50 PM

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Namaste Wah...I would first like to compliment you on your music. You are extremely talented. I am also a musician with a passion for Indian, African, and Reggae. I love jazz as well especially the more spiritually aware musicians (John and Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders). I first became aware of you after purchasing your cd of chants at one of Amma's Darshans. It is wonderful. You may find it interesting to know that the short but beautiful "Sri Ram/Om" has become my favorite walking song, as you have said yourself in the liner notes. I would like to ask you for a suggestion: when chanting my mantra, given to me by Amma, I try to find the right tone to cause an internal vibration. Is there any recommended tone, or should a person find the tone that suits them. Also, is it proper to chant with a melody, or is monotone better. Om Shanti...Thomas Thursday, August 12, 2004 7:49 AM

hi thomas, which tone you use for mantra chanting is a matter of personal preference. in classical indian music, each person finds a tonic (called "Sa") which is comfortable for them. traditionally a lady's Sa is Ab and a man's Sa is C, but really it can be whatever you want. I recommend monotone chanting in the beginning to really absorb yourself in the sound of the mantra and its meaning. Monotone chanting (actually it's two tones - Sa and the note below it - back and forth between the two) confines the spectrum of energy and gives you a more focused experience. After that, or in addition to that, you can sing your mantra in a melody during the day. perhaps it would fit into the same melody as the walking song Shri Ram/Om. well, perhaps not, the seed syllables added to the mantras don't usually come out to 8 syllables. anyway, the point is to have fun. any way you can relate to it is good. and if you get something out of it, you'll be more likely to do it for a long period of time, hopefully years and years and years. love, om, wah Thu 8/12/2004 10:58 AM

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Wah, At the Long Beach concert you said you like to receive e-mails of people's lives. I have an interesting story relating to you. I was given a copy of one of your CDs ( which means I didn't have a picture of you yet). Hearing you sing I began to create who I thought "Wah" was. I saw your face more clearly each time i listened to you....I was taken aback when I was given a flyer of yours for a Tucson concert. The face that I had pictured and seen in my mind's eye was the image on the poster! Wow! Wah! I do have a tendency to create a person from a voice ( I believe it's called "radio DJ syndrome") but you are the first I have been almost 100% correct on....hopefully this does not weird you out about me. I find it very interesting myself and wanted to share it with you. Erik Sun 7/25/2004 5:06 PM

Erik, you are very intuitive ~ a gift. wah 7//28/2004 4:12 PM

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Dear Wah, I want to thank you for encouraging me to stay until I received Darshan from Amma this morning.Remember, I was the fella that was so tired, but not after the Darshan. And, I really enjoyed your performance a couple of months ago at Sacred Movement Yoga. Thanks again.Eduardo Sunday, June 27, 2004 9:23 PM

eduardo, thank you so much for writing, that really made my day. Amma programs blow me wide open, I lose perspective on which actions were helpful and which were off the wall! your email reminds me to trust the energy - what She does is incomparable. til next time wah 6/29/2004 12:40 PM

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Wah, I saw you perform for the second time at Free Spirit Yoga this Friday and was once again entranced by your chanting, singing and stories. I was interested in taking Darshan on AMAH but cannot remember the website you mentioned for details. OM, Peter Monday, June 21, 2004 12:43 PM

peter, www.amma.org and www.ammachi.org. The program this year is at the LAX Radisson. if you need any other information, please ask! love wah Monday, June 21, 2004 3:00 PM

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Wah, I took your workshop at Omega last June and have met you in Princeton a couple of times. I am coming to Omega this Sep when you will be there. I have just finished a Yoga teachertraining program at Saraswati River Yoga in New Hope PA. I have been wanting to get a mantra for myself but have not asked anybody yet. I would like to ask you how well does the person have to know the student in order to give one away? What I am getting at is would it be appropriate to ask you for one? I admire the things you do and what you speak about since I know for a fact that you speak the truth. I have been inspired by you and it would be an honor to have a mantra created by you. Since I don't know how you handle these things I thought that I would just ask. Annelie Tue 6/15/2004 12:10 PM

annelie, thanks for the email, glad you like the CD. that is an interesting question, about a mantra... if we were meeting in person, I could sense your energy and offer a mantra, but you can do it too. what mantra are you drawn to? even if you go to see a guru, they often ask if you are attracted to devi, krishna, shiva, etc. before they give you the mantra. look at your life and see what is missing. is it love?-repeat a krishna mantra. do you need sustenance, prosperity, a house, better business?-repeat a ram mantra. need more purity, concentration, intent of purpose?-repeat a shiva mantra. life falling apart?-worship kali. You do not have to take a mantra for life. Notice what deity you are attracted to, and then go ahead and worship that for a year or two. See what happens. Chant the mantras, find out as much as you can about their qualities, read stories from books, even comic books from India.

Shivabala Yogi, a great saint in India, was a child when he started entering deep states of samadhi. After several years of very strict meditative practice (23 hours a day, to be exact), he doubted if his practice was true. If there was no guru, and he had no mantra, how could his meditation be valid, he thought to himself. As he was running away, he claims that Shiva himself stopped him in his path. He demanded a mantra. He got one. It was Om Namah Shivaya. So, you know... The Universe will guide you, just ask. love, wah Tue 6/15/2004 12:10 PM

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Blessings Dear Sister, We had a dream about you last night and felt to write. You and the director of our yoga center were on a bed, she was crying and you were passed out tired. Pray you are getting enough rest. We were looking forward to possibly seeing you sometime this year. Oh well. We really know how that is, the Divine calls you go. Anyway we pray for you. Highest Divine Truth and Blessings for all you do for the upliftment of the planet.Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!!Kateyah Tuesday, June 08, 2004 5:56 AM

kateyah, not sleeping, hibernating! doing some much needed inner work. thank you for your beautiful email. we will try to do florida next year, for sure. trusting that all is well and the community is buoyant. sending love and flowers, wah Thursday, June 10, 2004 8:45 AM

Blessings, Blessings, Blessings!!!!!!!!!! Friday, June 11, 2004 5:39 PM

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Dear Wah, I am writing to you because I am confused. I went to India and was allowed to be very close to Amma very quickly and some of the other devotees became openly hostile. Things happened that I am still having repercussions from. I was not allowed to sleep, people kept flashing lights and banging doors all night long...When the terrible things started happening, I first asked Krishna to be with me, not Amma. Yet since I left India, Amma has appeared to me twice, once doing a puja through which she sent me divine energy and again later to give me darshan. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do. Is She testing me to see if I'll come back to her through all of this, or is She showing me that I don't need to come back, that I don't need to be with Her physically to receive Her love, or is She sending me back to Krishna? ... I still have many vasanas that I need removed, and until this time I'd made so much progress with her as my guru. I know you have much more experience with gurus than I do... I have only been her devotee for about a year now. Please help me if you have any insight. Florence Monday, June 07, 2004 2:04 PM

florence, Spiritual matters are complex. It sounds like you got some good energy from Amma, and now you are being asked to integrate it in your life. Krishna and Amma are both sources of divine energy which can help your daily duties. You do not have to choose between them. They can both be present in your life. Don't worry about how many vasanas you have. Go to work, do your job, be kind. When we worry, we focus on our problems. Don't try to figure out who is doing what. Live with love, and do some kind of practice regularly. love, wah Mon 6/7/2004 8:01 PM

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Wah, I've been trying to answer this question for along time...looks like you can help! Could you translate the Tara Chant: Om Tare Tuttare Ture So Ha ...? And does this 'belong' to Green Tara,or Red, or....? all best blessings, Carl Tuesday, May 11, 2004 2:05 PM

carl, OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA. The Green Tara – Goddess of Goddesses - The source of the other 20 emanations/ aspects/ mantras which follow (I think there are 20 other mantras that begin with Om Tare, each concentrating on a different aspect of what Tara Goddess can do) peace, wah Wed 5/12/2004 12:13 PM

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Wah- From the deepest part of me I offer my gratitude. Your sweet, clear voice continually guides me along the path. You are like the North star that helps to guide wandering souls back from our self-created darkness. At the most crucial moments your voice and spirit awaken the recognition of Divinity within me and pure love bursts through shining tears. At the verge of the Vernal Equinox I am working on renewal, re-creating myself, regenerating for the bounty of Spring and Summer. Every time a bird sings I am absolutely giddy with delight. And then I remember that I can hear that sweetness within your songs, within all of our songs at any moment. How awesome is this life! Thank you for all that you offer, so generously. You touch so many hearts and minds, you are a jewel. I am looking forward to seeing you sometime this year. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the "Six Days on Freedom" conference, I'm tempted just to study with you. But maybe you'll make it to Detroit this year. Great and Infinite Blessings on you and your family, Jana Friday, March 19, 2004 7:38 PM

jana- your words are precious and kind, thank you so much. our travels go only as far as Madison, WI in June, but perhaps the Omega retreat on Labor Day weekend would be possible - it's me, Krishna Das and Deva Premal sharing a weekend at the Rhinebeck, NY campus. I send you Golden Light and healing rays, wah Wed 3/24/2004 6:42 PM

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Dear Wah! I have become very inspired by chanting and listen to your CD's daily. The power of the Sanskrit words are undeniable. Do English words have the ability to carry this power in their vibration? Is the power of their meaning transmitted in the sound? If one could be inspired by a phrase set to music could this change the vibration of their mental thought patterns? I have a "mantra" that was inspired in me, and it opened a tremendous spiritual force that transformed my life. I would like to put it to music so that I can reinforce it within my self as well as share it with others. Rachel Monday, February 23, 2004 10:00 PM

rachel, I have done quite a bit of english affirmations (check out "walk thru that door" ) English has a different effect, some people associate it more with Christian music. But there are some great English songs/mantras out there - "Door of My Heart" and other songs by Paramahansa Yogananda are alive and well. wah Tuesday, February 24, 2004 5:47 AM

Dear Wah, Thanks for answering me so rapidly. I enjoyed "walk thru that door", I will have to make it a part of my collection. It is funny you said English "chanting" is associated with Christian music, because the center of my affirmation is Christ. One day, I had a feeling of great darkness on me and I felt I needed protection. I started repeating a certain phrase and it precipitated a great cosmic force to enter my crown chakra and exit through my heart. From that moment forward life has been a whirlwind. Rachel Wednesday, February 25, 2004 9:35 PM

yes, I totally understand your experience. this excerpt from a wonderful spiritual healer named Patricia Cota-Robles: [In the 5th dimensional Solar Spine, every chakra reflects ALL of aspects of Deity ALL the time. If we want to amplify one aspect of Deity for a particular reason or in a particular situation, we simply ask our God Self to increase that specific Divine Quality, and it instantly expands through all twelve Chakras simultaneously.] As far as singing your mantra, perhaps it does not need to be sung. perhaps it is already in your vibrational field, which is the desired end-result of singing it. wah Thu 2/26/2004 4:53 PM

Wonderful news!!! I hope to share with you some of my recent inspirations with you. You are the first person that has given me an explanation to my experience. Eternal Love, Rachel Sunday, February 29, 2004 9:58 PM

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Dear Wah, I am in Taiwan now and your music continues to bring me back to myself and my practice. I've been wanting to write you and tell you how much chanting to your music has impacted me...softening me to feel my heart and just let the feelings be. It's something I return to over and over again. Thank you so much. You have been my teacher and guide, just through your CDs alone. Wish you well. Blessings, Anny Wed 2/18/2004 11:08 AM

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Hello Wah! It was so great to hear you in person after listening to your CDs in class. I took much pleasure in watching <the yoga center owner's> peaceful smile as you were chanting and everything was 'wah'. Im so inspired by how youve made music, yoga and family your life. Thanks for bringing your blessing to the new studio. I hope you will be teaching yoga there sometime in the future. Ill add my email to your mailing list. Tuesday, January 27, 2004 12:15 PM Peace, Mandy P.S. I do actually have a question. As I sing along with you in yoga class I often find myself harmonizing. Are you not supposed to harmonize while chanting? Forgive me if this is a dumb question.

mandy   so glad you could come and share in the beautiful energy. I'm sure I'll see you in yoga class soon. as far as your question, harmonizing is fine, and so is unison singing. you should probably experience a little of both - unison gives you an experience of oneness with everyone, harmonizing creates beauty. both are good. love, wah Tue 2/10/2004 9:44 PM

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So, Ms. Wah, maybe it's like saying Ganesh (gah nesh) or Ganesha, (gah nay sha). Similarly, I've heard JAYA as "jay uh" (long A) or "jy uh" (long I.) I'm going to use the latter when I start leading our kirtans with "Govinda jaya jaya, Gopala jaya jaya." When I first played that particular Wah CD in one of our teacher training classes, Bhumi enthusiastically joined in, doing the "jy uh" as you were doing the "jay uh." I'm curious what your take on this would be. frank Wednesday, December 31, 2003 6:21 AM

frank, both pronunciations are correct. for example, in English, pronouncing the word "car"... would you say a person with a Boston accent, a New York accent, or a Southern accent is correct? Jay (rhymes with say) and Jy (rhymes with sky) are different ways of saying the same thing. follow the leader...wah Sat 1/3/2004 11:02 PM

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Are we in the Kali Yuga (the Dark Age?) I think I heard you say we are not, but all the literature I read tells me we are. Help! A seeker... Friday November 21, 2003 10:07 PM

Seeker, thanks for writing. Indeed we are out of the Kali Yuga, but the calculations were messed up somewhere along the way, and yogis and philosophers became convinced that the Kali Yuga was supposed to last about 4 million years! (ouch, that's a lot of Darkness) The Procession of the Equinoxes is a 24,000 year cycle, and the Kali Yuga is only 1200 years per cycle (it began around 702 BC and ended 1698 AD). We are living in the Dwapara Yuga (the Bronze Age) which will last til 4098 AD. More light and more light is gathering and the consciousness of the people and planet is becoming less dense. That's a good thing, and is probably responsible for the upsurgence of yoga and healing modalities in recent years. Still to come, the Silver Age (4098 AD-7698 AD) and the Golden Age (7698 AD-12,098 AD)

The best place to learn this information is from a video called The Great Year. (http://thegreatyear.com). It explains the Yugas, their calculations, and how they tie into the astrological cycles we already know (Piscean Age, Aquarian Age, etc.). Other web pages to visit: www.binaryresearchinstitute.org and www.yugaproject.org/about/index.shtml and
www.1spirit.com/eraofpeace/1st.html (free newsletter by Patricia Diane Cota-Robles)

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Hello, I am looking for some traditional Indian chants on CD done by Indian musicians. Any links or advice. Thanks, Lowell Friday, November 28, 2003 5:09 AM

lowell, have you tried any of amma's CDs? (www.amma.org) her swamis and swaminis do wonderful bhajans, and She does as well! there's also www.saibaba.org/online.html and have you tried searching google for the mantra you like? that brings up many hindu and wonderful sites. wah Sat 11/29/2003 3:40 PM

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hi wah, i was wondering what the meaning of your name is and the origin> thanks, Lara Thursday, November 20, 2003 10:51 AM

lara, my name means bliss, in many languages. In Hindi, 'wah' translates as 'perfect' or 'divine bliss'. In Chinese, 'wah' means 'flower' or 'joy'; in Korean, it means 'energy' or 'chi'. In Japanese, I have just learned, it means 'bliss' or 'circle'. In English, it's 'wow'. Somehow it seems to mean the same thing in every language. wah Thu 11/20/2003 4:08 PM

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just wanted to let you know wah in japanese means peace or circle. i'm sure you have heard of it, but since i didn't see it on your website, i just decided to e-mail you, just in case. ;-) masako Saturday, 11/15/2003 3:29 PM

thanks masako, I didn't know wah also meant circle, thank you for that info. in chinese, it depends on the tone inflection (wah can mean flower or bliss, depending if the tone goes higher or not) thank you, wah Sun 11/16/2003 8:28 AM

you are very welcome! i am looking forward to attend your music/chanting tomorrow night @ om yoga! ;-) i have been hearing so many great things about you from so many people!!! masako Sunday, 11/16/2003 3:10 PM

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wah, some inspiration..."When the great love invites you, go. Never falter. Don't hold yourself back. You may wait for the time to come again, but time doesn't stop. It moves on. When the great love beckons to you, do not question whether the love will be filled with difficulties and hardships--just follow. When this great love speaks to you, listen, follow its command. Give yourself to the awakening. And if its voice within you threatens to shatter all your concepts, let them go." Swami Chidvilasananda, emailed from Keith Monday, November 03, 2003 10:58 PM

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Hi Wah, Thank you for your very blissful and ecstatic kirtan on Nov 1 in San Rafael. Suvani and I had been waiting nearly a year to meet you, and have the opportunity to join voices with you in singing the divine name. It was very special to meet you and it adds yet another layer of pleasure when we listen to your CD's, as we "know" a little bit better who you are and what your kirtan means for you. You are a very gifted woman, so thank you for sharing your gift with us and the world. As part of our own path, Suvani and I create kirtan at our own home - just for the two of us. Suvani playing the harmonium while I play the guitar. Lately, our passion has been to "copy" as best we can the chants that most resonate with us, so that we can create them in our own voices. We both go into bliss listening to your Durge on Jai Jai Jai. Just amazing energy! I have been able to find all of the notes of the various phrases of your chant on the guitar, but have no clue about the chords. So far, the chords are an absolute mystery to me. Could you offer me any help (or hints) here. Sending you many thanks and blessings, Wah, for being EXACTLY who you are. Thank you for adding light to each of our individual paths. Love and Blessings, Louie & Suvani Tuesday, November 04, 2003 7:35 AM

hi louis, Durge is in the key of Gm. so, it goes Gm F Bb F Gm, Dm F Dm F Gm. and then Dm C F Gm, Dm C Gm.  and then Bb F C, and then Gm F Bb F (Durga durga jai jai jai kali kali jai jai jai...) after that, it's more of the same chords, in various combinations, yeah, keep that chanting going, LOVE, wah Tue 11/4/2003 9:24 AM

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wah, thought I should share this with you... The Tao has no expectations. The Tao demands nothing of others. The Tao does not speak. The Tao does not blame. The Tao does not take sides. The Tao is not Jewish... anjaneya Monday, October 20, 2003 10:20 AM

...the Tao goes homeless and cares not for the world... earthly accomplishments dissolve in his hands... wah Tuesday, 10/21/2003 9:15 AM

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Wah, When you performed in Cleveland, you talked about Shiva in such a beautiful way before we chanted Om Namah Shivaya—you talked about offering all of yourself up to Shiva for transformation. I have read that Shiva is the destroyer, but you used a different term that was so inviting (and I can’t remember what it is!). Do you remember? Love & blessings, Pamela Thursday, October 02, 2003 4:21 PM

Pamela, Shiva is purification. The stuff that gets "destroyed" is the stuff that was not correct, not in balance with our lives. Just as a huge storm comes and sets right the balance of nature, such is the amazing power of Shiva and (in female form) Kali. They occasionally blast through our lives and level it, leaving us pure and all the more humble. praise, wah Fri 10/3/2003 9:59 AM

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Hello Wah!, I attended your chanting session in Cleveland a few weeks back and it was moving. You are a beautiful person and musician. I loved your music and voice. I am currently teaching Yoga lessons in the evenings and I am also taking vocal and guitar lessons --- I was wondering if you have notated music that I can purchase somewhere to both learn to sing and play. tara Monday, September 29, 2003 1:04 PM

hey tara, A chanting chord book is a great idea, but I haven't gotten that together yet. If you sing along, you can learn the melodies; and then your guitar teacher can transcribe the chord patterns. Don't start with a complicated medley like "Hare Ram" from Hidden inthe Name - that is a medley of many chants put together. Start with something simple, like "Jai Ma" or "Come to Me" or "Om Namah Shivaya" or the first part of "Om Namo Bhagavate." wishing you many happy hours singing....wah Wed 10/1/2003 12:53 PM

Wah, I have to laugh....the song I chose is precisely what you stated not to begin with! Congrats on the new cd. Tara Thursday, October 02, 2003 12:08 PM

LOL! wah Thu 10/2/2003 2:30 PM

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wah, My husband and I want a spiritual cable TV channel that offers chanting, guided meditations, yoga sessions, tai chi, etc.....do you think you could work on that in your free time?! We'd be the first subscribers. wendy 09/05/2003 5:40 AM

wendy, try www.mysticradio.com it's a great online music station and the DJ is giving so much back to the world thru his heartfelt service. it's music, don't know of a TV show yet, but it shouldn't be long til one exists. there are some yoga centers offering video classes online (thru their websites), but the technology is not quite there. soon! wah 9/8/2003 7:58 AM

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Namaste Wah! I attended your kirtan in Cleveland last weekend and absolutely loved it. We were so lucky to have you here, it was a joyous heart opening experience. Thank you! My question is this: are Gopala, Govinda, Ganapataye and Vasudevaya all names of Hindu gods? I am very curious to understand the meanings of the chants but have a hard time finding translations. Jan Nelson Sunday, September 14, 2003 4:37 PM

hi Jan, Gopala and Govinda are names of Krishna. He was a saint and king of mythological proportions who lived thousands of years ago. Ganapati is the elephant God you often see on altars and yoga centers. (aye means "to" so Jaya Ganapataye means "Praise to Ganapati") Ganapati was the son of Shiva and Parvati, and is prayed to at the beginning of anything. He removes obstacles. Vasudevaya is a realized being, the indweller of your own heart, also a name for Krishna's father.

Here is what one google search brought up for the word vasudevaya.... "Vasudevaya means 'to Krsna,' the son of Vasudeva. By chanting the name of Krsna, Vasudeva, one can achieve all the good results of charity, austerity, and penances. By chanting this mantra, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, the devotee offers respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Krsna." You can try google search for any of the mantras, it's usually an interesting result, but let me know if you have any other questions. I love exploring the meanings. peace, wah Monday, September 15, 2003 9:38 AM

Dear Wah!, Thank you for the swift and thorough response. I find the mantras really fascinating, thanks for offering your insight. Om shanti, Jan Monday, 09/22/2003 6:51 AM

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Hi WAH!, What is the meaning of "Bolo"? I and my partner sing many chants, and "bolo" appears in many of them. I tried searching the WEB for an answer, but unfortunately, I cannot spell it in the Sanskrit alphabet. Namaste, Louie & Suvani Friday, August 15, 2003 3:39 PM

hi louie and suvani, bolo means "speak"  ~  also "sing" (like someone will yell "Bolo!" when they want everyone to sing along) or Bolo-ji or Bolo-Satyanam, that kind of thing. chanting is about repetition and singing (and breathing and rejoicing), so you find the word Bolo a lot. peace, wah Sat 8/16/2003 11:33 AM

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wah, I noticed you mention the other chant artists out there (on the forum). You should mention europe as well. bhakti music in the netherlands is great. here is their website: www.bhakti.nl/ thanks and greetings, byodo Friday, August 15, 2003 12:15 AM

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WAH! I have a question about linking word together for chants... is ther protocal for name placement? Can Ram, Govinda, Gopala be together? I'm thinking that since chanting is birthed from the heart, that pretty much all is acceptable, but do want your input. blessings of loving peace, Pamela Thursday, August 14, 2003 7:21 AM

hi pamela, I would not put words together at random. there are many good sources for chants and bhajans. I would use the mantras that are time-proven. Although chanting opens the heart, it is not birthed from the heart. It's a science just like yoga and while I think there is some leeway it's highly recommended that you get the real stuff. Do you need help finding links to chants? There are lots of sanskrit, vedic chanting, sai baba chanting, Siddha Yoga chanting and zillions of other websites to choose from. Do a search using specific mantras (sita ram, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, etc.) and it will get you to some great sites. wishing you great success in your practices, jai! wah Thu 8/14/2003 9:22 AM

Thanks Wah! And is it important to also follow the traditional melody/arrangement? Pamela Friday, August 15, 2003 5:48 AM

pamela, For me, the mantra is important to keep intact. The melody can flow from the heart. I myself have studied ragas and classical Indian music, but my music is influenced by my love of reggae and indigenous African music as well. Krishna Das chants using chord progressions like Bruce Springstein. Whatever opens your heart... jai! wah Tue 8/19/2003 8:46 PM

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we had our first day of demolition on our new house today- we are both tired and exhilarated- and now you can see all the way from the front door to the back of the house! past the walls that aren't there anymore. shiva lives. xo, tina Tuesday, June 17, 2003 7:18 PM

shiva lives~    wah June 18, 2003 7:17 AM

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Good morning Wah, Nice hearing from you! I don't follow astrology much but perhaps you can shed light on something for me. Recently I've felt estranged from God and Guru. I know there are periods like this in the spiritual relationship and it doesn't alarm me. I'm good for the journey. However, I wondered if Mercury retrograde has this kind of impact? Grateful for your comments. Peace, Alan Thursday, May 29, 2003 9:37 AM

alan, mercury retrograde impedes all communication. computers don't work, phones are less than adequate, you don't get your cellphone messages, you are re routed unexpectedly while travelling, etc. Because the connections aren't working right, it leaves us with a sense of isolation, as if we're not doing something right, can't put it all together. I recently heard an astologer advise that mercury retrograde calls us to turn within. the outer communications are screwed up for a reason... so we don't put as much meaning on them. that had an amazing impact on my experience. turning inwards when things go awry (and they do go awry continually, during mercury retrograde) has really helped me to understand the purpose behind the whole thing. wah Thu 5/29/2003 10:16 AM

wah, (I thought you would get a kick out of this).. After I read your email, I thought to myself, "Well, MY stuff is all working fine!" and then lost my cellphone! alan Sat 5/31/2003 3:14 PM

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WAH! I met up with you at the MidWest Yoga Conference, for the second time. Last Year was at Healing Earth. Just to let you know how touched I am with your depth of sharing and your voice of chant is delightfully stirring. I am curious to know who the person is who fired you in front of 100 people, that story you were telling us. Is Ammachi your teacher? Mother guidance is quite refreshing, filled with nurturing qualities as well as facing the challenges. I have seen Her each year for about the past 13 years. She comes through Chicago suburbs in July. remain well and happy, Pamela Thursday, May 08, 2003 6:24 AM

hi Pamela, yes, Ammachi is my teacher and switching from male teachers to Her was quite a change for me. Mother's energy is so all-inclusive, nurturing and at the same time, She is so hard-core! She is the one who basically arranged the Universe for me to start touring. To protect people's public image and mine, I don't mention people by name in my stories. It is important to me that people understand how the growth process happens, not the specifics of industry gossip. So I try to tell my stories from this vantage point. in Mother's Love, wah.

Wah! Thanks for the quick response. Now, I have a question for you. Since you have been involved in music, is this a passion, addiction or both? I ponder these two words & wonder if I mix them up. Your insight would be helpful. Pamela Thursday, May 08, 2003 7:48 PM

Pamela, the music is a method for me to meditate. Meditation is not an addicition, though it is important to have on a regular basis. More like food, in my opinion... can't go too long without it. My music has allowed me to penetrate deep states of consciousness which I have not accessed in regular practices of yoga or silent meditation. I am convinced it is the vibrating of the bones from the inside that changes you. my 8-year old daughter defines addiction like this~ I'm angry so I take it, then I'm angry that I took it so I take some more. Music does not fall into this category for me. very separate concepts. jai, wah Thu 5/8/2003 10:49 PM

WAH! I like this example, may I pass it on? Passion, to me, has less of an edge than addiction, even though the depth permeates every cell. The feeling behind the action seems to separate the two, one from fear, one from love. May I pass your daugther Sweet Girl's, definition on? I like her perception. Music does reach deeply, for me also, but not as deep as silence. I am new at playing the harmonium and lead a short chant each month at our drumming group. I also play it during savasana. I do not practice very often and have been inspired since the conference. on my way with the day, thanks for the words, shanti om, Pamela Friday, May 09, 2003 5:40 AM

pamela, hmmm, that's true.... a person's proficiency at music and/or playing an instrument has to go beyond when you're "thinking" about doing it. Once you have a higher degree of skill, you can let the training go and just allow yourself to be led through the music. It's what great jazz players, Indian classical musicians, and others experience when they create a good improvisation. and yes, I agree it takes a lot of skill before you reach a deep place of meditation while playing. thanks for the thoughts, I'll remember that when I am in the studio today finishing the tracking for the new album. You can use Sweet Girl's definition, she'd be honored. yes, on with the day, thanks for writing, jai, wah  Fri 5/9/2003 7:37 AM

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~Wah~ Blessed day to you! This past year I have faithfully been practicing yoga. Currently I have started attending Universal Spirit Yoga / DAWN in Naperville, IL and they are always playing your CD's singing & dancing around to your music. They ordered me Hidden in the Name and well I must say that your voice and the music flows through me like a feeling so familiar. Beautiful!!!! And anyways, I love to sing, my Native American name given to me even reflects that. Well I tend to make up my own chants a lot of the time but I would love to really "study" chanting diversely. Meaning learn maybe specific techniques if there are such things... I do not have a lot of money so I can not really travel or pay for fancy workshops, but I was wondering if you had any suggestions of CDs, books, music, connections etc.... or whatever that I may find useful in my journey? Thank you for your time and for sharing such radiant love and light with the world. You are touching many souls and helping people voice their love by bring them to centering balance. Bim Wa Bimoos, Manitou *Walk with the Spirit* Mowin Ikwe (good singing woman) Shannon Wednesday, March 12, 2003 10:08 AM

Mowin, Hindu chanting you can pick up by chanting with CDs - besides mine, there is www.krishnadas.com, www.davestringer.com, www.jaiuttal.com, www.bhagavandas.com, www.devapremal.com. If you like chanting with a group, there is www.sivananda.org www.siddhayoga.org , www.ammachi.org , and well, there are so many, I can't even write them all down. Native American chants are used in Dances of Universal Peace, which you may like. www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org   blessings, and love, wah Tuesday, March 11, 2003 8:18 PM

You are beautiful. Thank you for your suggestions. *Shanti~ Thursday, March 13, 2003 8:02 AM

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Wah!, Thanks for the beautiful chanting and info you gave our teacher training class. I'm still amazed at that exercise where we cupped our hand under our ears and chanted "ma". Do you have any more details about this? I heard the most beautiful, subtle, glass-like bell sounds. Thanks for the hug Saturday night after your concert and thanks for filling me in on Shakti on Sunday. (feminine aspect of Shiva and "I wouldn't mess with her"). My main question is, where does Babaji fit into the creation, continuation, destruction scheme? <Charlie> December 21, 2002 9:28 AM

hi Charlie, thanks for the email. we had a great time at Peachtree, sharing and being with you all. the Ma meditation I did is an experience of hearing the unstruck sounds. Spiritual practices will help you see the unseen, experience the unknown, and heighten your intuitive senses. These precious developments are given to help you heal yourself and those around you. The bells you heard are apparently "there" all the time; we just don't hear them. It is the same with the blazing Light around people, their auras and energies. Small doses of healing energy are very beneficial to body, mind, and spirit. When I outlined the categories of chants, I was referring to deities. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva is the basic trinity in India. Babaji is a realized Being, a rishi, a saint in human incarnation. Sadhus, saints, rishis and yogis direct you to their source of healing, which is often Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva or Divine Mother. If you chant to Babaji or Ammachi, Jesus or Swamiji or any saint directly, it will call on them specifically to connect you. And then you'll be connected through their source of Divine energy. make sense? <wah> December 21, 2002 9:48 AM

Yes that makes sense. Is Babaji connected to Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva? Or is Babaji just connected directly to that all encompassing source that I was asking you about when you spoke to us at teacher training? Charlie December 21, 2002 12:51 PM

Babaji is a universal being, a realized soul with an infinite energy in the Universe, maybe He has always been there - like the Void, like the sound of Om. He was in body at one time, some say he is still in body but doesn't reveal himself. Who knows... His prayer is for the evolvement of all souls on the planet. Paramahansa Yogananda (Self Realization Fellowship) talks about Babaji in his book Autobiography of a Yogi. wah December 22, 2002 11:23 AM

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Hi again! I just read what you had to say about your name - and your reference to Korea and our word for 'hwa.' That was so nice to see! I am from Seoul. Born in the U.S. but raised there - I've since come back to N. America, and to Canada but my family is all still there, grandmother and aunties, etc. Anyway, somehow it was nice to see that. again with Love, <Tina> August 23, 2001 3:25 AM

That is so amazing that you were born in Seoul. For awhile, I worked somewhere where there were two 'wah's. My friend from Korea was named "Hoe" - because my name and hers sounded exactly alike, we got "tags" on our names. She was Hoe (the Korean) and I was Wah (the Guru) - that was as close as they could understand yoga at the time! <wah> August 23, 2001 11:19 AM

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Wah, I saw you perform in boston on july 13 with a friend. I found the music and words fascinating and entrancing. I did experience resistance to the full depth of the sound because it stirred the notions laid in me years ago in regard to devotional chanting (as seen with Harre krishna devotees).It would be very helpful if I had a transaltion of the words. Either the specific translation of the song sheet given out that night, or a general 'glossary' of the terms, or a place to look this stuff up. Thanks for any help you can offer and it was a wonderful meditative night of musical healing vibration! Be Happy! <Ted> July 19, 2001 8:37 AM

hi Ted, thanks for writing. I too had resistance to the words, wondering what they meant, and what they would "do" to me if I chanted them. I think it's just natural. On the CD Krishna album, I related the story of my living for 15 years "just around the corner" from the Hare Krishna ashram, and all the while feeling like what I was doing was "better", not "brainwashing" or whatever. And then after 15 years of really heavy yoga practice, I realized the only thing keeping me from the Hare Krishna mantra was my own fear. I feared that I would give away all my possessions, wear strange clothes, strange hair, and be estranged from society..... I looked back at myself and realized that all that had already happened through my own yoga practice! The last laugh was on me! And then I, for the first time, honestly gave the Hare Krishna mantra a try. I found it to be truly meditative and mesmerizing, and did not have any power other than love. --- this was a very powerful and simple lesson at a crucial time in my life. All the knowledge I had achieved and acquired simply melted in the face of bliss. It was very powerful, and also very acknowledging.

So, there's the short story of my own resistance to the mantras. As far as translation, I can translate any mantra you send my way. I prefer to translate word for word. Hare = flowering aspect of God; Krishna = the blue guy with the flute, God; Rama = another incarnation of Krishna. So, Hare Krishna mantra translates as "God Krishna God Krishna, Krishna Krishna God God, God Rama God Rama, Rama Rama God God" It doesn't translate all that well, in my opinion. The mantras are expansive words of praise, creating an expanded experience inside you, through your chanting them. As the mantra flows through you, you can meditate, relax and sort through your thoughts. It's a pleasant way to meditate, it's about opening your heart and seeing what's there. every path is the right path. blessings, <wah> July 20, 2001 5:42 PM

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