(Photo above by Rodnae Productions / Pexels)
Tomorrow, we are kicking off our 31-Day Chanting Journey so today’s episode is filled with practical tips and advice on how to make the most of it, especially if one of your reasons for doing it is to address negative self-talk.
Our guest is Erin Harris, who grew up practicing Buddhism in the Bay Area. Erin’s own story is so moving. She grew up with a stutter and at a young age, realized that the only time she felt she could really be her authentic self and not stutter was while chanting. Today, she breaks down how chanting works, and how it can help address questions of self-esteem, inner negativity and making every day a quality one.
If you’re listening to this in August, join the chanting journey by signing up for our daily newsletter.
You’ll get daily prompts that you can combine with your chanting to fuel your growth, a downloadable calendar, as well as inspiration from others in the Buddhability community.
(You can also listen to Buddhability on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.)
Cheat Sheet
1:47 How Erin started practicing Buddhism
3:15 Her experience with stuttering and how chanting helped
6:18 How to chant and what it means
9:02 The purpose of the Gohonzon and your altar
10:47 What you can chant about
15:02 Some tips on intention-setting if you are just starting out
18:28 The role of the Buddhist community
22:25 How to address negative self-talk
26:35 Erin’s own experiences overcoming negative self-talk through a chanting challenge
32:18 Where to start if your struggle with self-esteem feels overwhelming
39:01 Why it is important to be consistent with chanting
42:16 One piece of advice for anyone starting the chanting journey