The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice (The Art of Spiritual Living)

The Sacred Art of Chant: Preparing to Practice (The Art of Spiritual Living)

Open your mind and heart, lift your voice, and discover how the sacred art of chant can enrich your spiritual life. "Chanting with an intention to open our hearts and minds to the presence of God in us helps us to be quiet in the face of mystery and learn how to hear what it has to say to us…. Chanting is holistic. It will transform you, you will embody the change, and people will notice the new, more grounded you. More important, though, you will notice the new, more grounded you." ―from the Introduction The Sacred Art of Chant invites you to use your own voice to create sacred sounds―no matter your religious background or vocal ability. Drawing on chants from several different faith traditions, this invigorating guidebook is ideal for anyone who wants to enliven their prayer experience in a unique way and navigate a path to a conscious relationship with God. Chant isn't just about monks or ancient Hindu gurus―this dynamic spiritual art continues to be developed and practiced today. Like other spiritual disciplines, chant can lead to limitless and unexpected benefits. With a steady practice and an open mind, you may find that chant helps you to: Cultivate clarity, focus, and compassion in your daily life - Improve your listening skills - Raise your energy level - Improve your receptivity to other people - Transcend the limits you impose on yourself - Feel more comfortable in your own skin - Ultimately, lead a more complete spiritual life In this folksy yet practical guide, composer-musician Hernandez describes chanting as a spiritual practice that intimately involves music. One can chant just about anywhere, in a group or singly, and Hernandez maintains that chanting helps one develop powers of intuition and can be an excellent means for transforming relationships by changing oneself. She discusses her own practices--chanting variations of mantra, plainsong, and chants from various traditions five days a week, 30 to 75 minutes a session; suggests ways to bring chant into one's life; and recommends the best situations for chanting, namely places that encourage peacefulness and clarity together. And she describes how to chant, using sound, music, meditation, and breathing to achieve the most effective results. She also describes various kinds of chants: those of devotion and gratitude, and for peace and healing. In addition, she features more than 20 examples of sacred chants, complete with notation and pronunciation keys, and a list of CDs recording various traditions and styles. June Sawyers Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "This is a marvelous touchstone of heart-song for all who feel the spirit singing in prayer, meditation and daily life. Ana Hernández brings the personal powers of chant to light for the neophyte, the curious as well as the monk." ― Don Campbell , musician and author of The Mozart Effect and The Roar of Silence “One can hardly imagine a more engaging introduction to the practice of chant! Ana Hernández, with honesty, humor and musical expertise, provides the reader with all that is needed to begin immediately to draw upon this spiritual resource.” ― Katherine Le Mée , author of Chant and The Benedictine Gift to Music “This call to practice is indeed inviting.” ― Publishers Weekly “This book about chant is much more than that, and it reads like a letter from a fascinating and unusual friend. I started humming to myself as I read it.” ― John McQuiston II , author of Finding Time for the Timeless: Spirituality in the Workweek “Even if you're convinced you can’t sing, Hernández’s refreshing and unpretentious book convinces you that you can chant, awakens your wish to do so and shows you how to begin. You won’t be able to resist her joyous invitation to enter with her into the realm of sacred sound and silence.” ― Lorraine Kisly , author of Prayer of Fire: Experiencing the Lord’s Prayer and editor-in-chief of Parabola: The Search for Meaning Wake up your spiritual life with a practice that stirs the soul! More than a how-to guide, The Sacred Art of Chant uncovers the meaning behind this often intimidating ritual, offering inspiration to incorporate chanting into your spiritual journey. Weaving her own exploration of spiritual chanting with some religious background and much helpful advice and instruction, Ana Hernández provides the inspiration and education you need to begin your own chanting practice. Resources include: Over 20 sacred chants written out with notation and a pronunciation key Suggestions for further reading about health, music, prayer, and more A list of recommended audio recordings from various traditions and styles Recommended Web sites and audio files for exploration of music and spirituality Ana Hernandez is a composer, arranger, and performer of sacred music. She is also a member of the recording group HARC. For more than a decade, she has conducted workshops that encourage people to explore the effects of rhythm a