Breathing While Walking

by Shakila
(Fremont,CA,USA)

Hi Daljit. While doing our morning walks I used to chant the MAHA MANTRA, "HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE, HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE!" SO while chanting it seems like we used to breath through mouth. Is it alright to chant or need to be chanted in mind while we do deep breathing and walking? Which is more beneficial and why?

Answer

I can understand that you are chanting the Mantra audibly. This helps in our mind getting more focussed, shut out inputs from sense organs and increase our self awareness.

Chanting While Walking

Take a deep inhalation through the nose and then chant the mantra. In this case you inhale through the nose and recite the mantra on exhalation (through our mouth).

For example, you can take a deep breath through the nose and then chant the mantra "HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE, HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE!" during exhalation.

You require to maintain the rhythm, for each breath the chanted mantra should be of same duration. For example you can chant mahamantra once during each exhalation. Maintain the consistency.

Chanting audibly is to get into rhythm and feel the vibrations/power of the mantra. Once you continuously recite the mantra, you can have better control on your thoughts, you can make your mind to stop wandering.

Chanting In your mind

Once your concentration increases, better method of chanting is to sit in a meditative pose and align the mantra with your breathing. Most important point is the rhythm of breathing. Now align your mantra with your breathing. Ideally the ratio of inhalation and exhalation will be 1:2. Align part of your mantra for inhalation and other part for exhalation.

You can do this type of chanting while doing other tasks like cooking, walking or driving.

To stay connected with your Mantra at all times is the best form of meditation. As you progress further, there will come a stage when you become a part of the Mantra, the Mantra starts getting repeated in the mind automatically without any effort. 

Hope it helps,
Daljit