Chanting As An Effective Meditation

Many people think that to meditate one needs to sit quietly and do it in a particular way. In fact, meditation can come in all forms and shapes. Any activity that helps calm the mind and that’s beneficial to your body and mind can be considered as a form of meditation, such as walking with mindfulness, singing, and chanting can also be a great form of meditation.  
Chanting as a form of meditation has a long history and can be found in many traditions. If you love singing and chanting, then Nianfo (Amitabha-recitation or Amitabha chanting) could be your perfect meditation. 

There are a lot of benefits associated with chanting as it works directly with the mind to help us transform our negative thoughts into positivity, filter any negative and irrelevant thoughts, to remove or reduce anxiety, depression and any negative emotions, and help us stay centred in the moment.

A good chanting meditation session is like a shower on our mind. Just like our body needs to bathe daily, so is our mind, to wash away all the dirt, to transform all the negative and irrelevant thoughts, to help us become detached from thoughts and emotions that do no good to our mental and physical bodies.

Nianfo can be a chanting meditation. You can chant the name of Amitabha Buddha (Amituofo) or sing it in whatever melody you prefer. You can choose whatever tune you like and sing along with it, and you can even create your own, whichever way that makes your heart sing literally. 

When we love doing something, it’s much easier for us to focus, and we are naturally in a meditative state, sometimes even without knowing. You can chant while walking, cleaning or doing other things that do not require so much of your mind. It’s a perfect meditation that can be integrated easily into your daily life.

Again it’s not religious, anyone from any background can practice this meditation to gain the benefit and obtain peace of mind in the moment. And don’t worry about I can’t sing, don’t have a good voice etc. You are singing not to compare with anybody, it’s not a competition, but you are singing to make yourself feel good and happy in the present. 

Namo Amituofo

Namo Amitabha Buddha