Question 1

What is a chanthem?

Accepted Answer

Chathems are Anthems you can chant! You could also see them as poems that you sing. Chanthems ground you and directly connect you to your experience, so people call them meditative.  I also like calling them Sonic Meditations.

They come from the Buddhist tradition of writing short poems that can be recited for the purpose of staying present.  Those poems are called “gathas” and the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh hahs written many popular gathas for driving in a car, washing the dishes, and for many other moments in life.  So you could also think about chanthems as gatha songs.

Question 2

How should I use these chanthems?

Accepted Answer

Use these chanthems in your daily life for the purpose of maintain a Sound Mind.  When our minds are sound, awakening follows. This is as much a community endeavor as it is an individual pursuit.  But it’s hard to keep the mind steady.  We have to work on it moment by moment.
People report using chanthems in so many different ways!  I hear that people start their meditations with them, using them as a focal point for their practice, or as their object of meditation.  I also hear people use them when their meditations don’t feel rooted, when the mind won’t quiet. That’s when they play a chanthem and sing along, because singing has it’s own pathway to quieting the mind, just like meditation.
And you can use chathems in daily life too.  When you’re angry, you can sing the “Anger” chanthem, either out loud or in your head. When you notice you’re feeling impatient, you can play the “Patience” chanthem.  It’s that simple.  Singing and chanting will remind you of your wish to have a Sound Mind. That wish will guide you through.

Question 3

Are you my acupuncturist?

Accepted Answer

Probably :)

I don’t hide my identity (my professional website is even linked here!) but I don’t believe these chanthems come from “Nikki.” I see them coming from the universal and shared experience of living this human life. Chanthems are from the part of our souls that suffer, and the part of our souls that rejoice. The project of life is not always easy, but we are bound together, in action and in sound. May we never forget our connectedness.

Spiritual friendship, bound by sound. That is the origin of the chanthems. That is Songha.

Question 4

I need more of this in my life. How can I book you to come to my event?

Accepted Answer

Just send an email to: Alittlesongha@gmail.com(mailto:Alittlesongha@gmail.com)