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Gaining the Power of Sound
The use of sacred chants has become incredibly popular since 2013, when Oprah and Deepak Chopra launched their first of what would become a successful series of 21 day meditation challenges. As an assignment from my PhD professor back then, I began following the global phenomena to report back about what was being used as tools for the participants. The experiences focused on a variety of wellness topics ranging from self-love to manifestation. Each day recipients received encouraging thoughts by Oprah followed by a new mantra presented with little explanations from Chopra. He would then lead a meditation with background music and bring the listeners back to the present moment with the sound of chimes.
As a master’s student studying the language of Sanskrit, I was trained to understand the potency and power of this ancient mother tongue. My professors were very particular and taught me the importance of perfect pronunciation. They remain valued friends and teachers as I continue to study, publish, and teach this topic.
When I questioned my one of my professors, about the mispronunciation presented in the meditation challenge style I had encountered — my esteemed professor said this to me:
Imagine you are standing on the threshold of a door. It is an obstacle you wish to get through. On the…
