How to Chant Hare Krishna & be Happy

Free your mind with this step by step guide to Mantra Meditation and learn how to chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra. 

When chanting, it is most important to hear each any every syllable being chanted. One round of 108 mantras takes between 7-10 minutes to complete. The mantra consists of 3 words: Hare, Krishna & Rama and goes like this:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,

Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama,

Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The meaning behind this mantra is:

O Hare (energy of Krishna) O the all attractive one (Krishna) O the reservoir of all pleasure (Rama), please engage me in your loving devotional service.

You will need

• Chanting beads (Japa mala) with 108 beads.
• Bead bag (to keep beads clean - beads should never touch the floor, or the body from the waist down)
• Bead counter (to keep track of number of rounds chanted)
• Quiet/distraction free environment

How to Chant

1. Rinse mouth with water and wash hands.
2. Hold the first bead next to the furry Krishna bead between the middle finger and thumb. 
3. Place the index finger out of the bead bag hole. (The index finger represents the ego as it is used to point and fault find. It is considered inauspicious and therefore not used when chanting. Further more, the middle fingers are used to increase concentration as they are connected to the heart and mind).
4. Begin with chanting out loud the Panch Tatva Mantra for Blessings and mercy.
5. Chant out loud the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
6. Move to next bead and repeat the mantra. Move along to the next bead after every mantra by pulling the bead towards to you with the thumb. 
7. Once you reach the Krishna Bead you have completed one round of 108 mantras.
8. Chant Panch Tatva Mantra for Blessings.
9. Start the next round by chanting on the beads in opposite direction (without crossing the Krishna bead)