Chanting (sleep, long, months, get)

[Bert Peters]

Anyone else here into chanting? I meditate every day, find it incredibly peaceful/relaxing. Randomly, a couple months ago, I started to do some chants whilst meditating. Just kind of came natural. Since I started I feel more energetic/healthy in general, I have noticed increased test, and I haven't gotten sick at all.

[stepka]

I had a roomie in college who did that twice a day. She was an American girl but had gotten into Nicheren Shoshu style meditation/chanting and had an altar. I was the only one in the dorm who was willing to room with her but I enjoyed it. She would get up extra early in the morning to complete her devotions and it was soothing to me as I woke up. She claimed that it had many benefits and it made her more disciplined, though I'd say that you'd have to be pretty disciplined in the first place to get up early and keep up with this 2x/day. I roomed with her 2 years--first in the dorm and then in a house and we generally got along well, but it did seem to me that over the 2 years she got more and more arrogant and then I saw her a couple of years later and she was even worse, and I have no idea if it was the chanting or she was just like that all along but we broke off our friendship and I haven't seen her in years.

But what I'd say to you is that if it makes you feel good and it's working for you, keep it up. I chanted sometimes with the roomie but it didn't do that much for me except make my legs fall asleep but then we're all different. I don't know if you have an altar but the roomie had a little scroll that she had up plus some little things like candles, incense, and a bell and you may find those helpful for focusing as well.