Ani Choying Drolma: A Singing Nun With a Mission

I am an admirer of Ani Choying Drolma, also known as Choying Drolma and Ani Choying.  She is a Buddhist nun and musician from the Nagi Gompa nunnery in Nepal. Throughout the world Ani Choying is known for her compassion, her lovely smile, and her beautiful voice.  Rather than just relying on prayer alone, she is […]

MUL Mantra

The Mool Mantra (also spelled Mul Mantra) is the most important composition contained within the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs; it is the basis of Sikhism. The word “Mool” means “main”, “root” or “chief” and “Mantar” means “magic chant” or “magic portion”.  It is a most brief composition encompassing the […]

Aad Guray Nameh

The Sanskrit word mantra- (m.; also n. mantram) consists of the root man- “to think” (also in manas “mind”) and the suffix -tra, designating tools or instruments, hence a literal translation would be “instrument of thought”. I’m sharing three different versions of the Aad Guray Nameh mantra in this article, hoping you will give an ear […]

Om Mani Padme Hum

Mantras can be orally chanted, intoned,  visualized and/or repeated mentally to oneself. Mantras can also be sung.  I love singing. Vocal improvisation and mantras are a part of my practice.  In this post I’m sharing two very different versions of the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra and I hoping you will give an ear to […]

Birdsong: Five Minute Nature Meditations

Humans are by nature perceptive and compassionate beings in tune with nature and with others but these qualities are usually lost in the deluded busyness of  life.  The more exposure we have to the stresses of  life in a busy world the more important it is that we make the time to relieve the pressure […]