October 27, by Shelley Enlow. At the beginning of practice we traditionally chant the following shloka. I get asked a lot about the meaning of the Ashtanga Invocation and why we chant it. It's a good question because the translation doesn't make a lot of sense if you don't know the meaning behind the metaphors. So, with the help of Tim Miller's translation I'll give you my take on these powerful phrases.

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Ashtanga Yoga Invocation. Ashtanga Prayer. OM vande gurunam charanaravinde sandarshita-svatma-sukavabodhe, nihsreyase jangalikayamane samsara-halahala-moha-shantyai. Shala Teaching: The Invocation. We always begin in Ashtanga with our hands in Anjali mudra, which is a universal, beautiful gesture of respect, and we always recite the invocation. The first shloka , I bow at the lotus feet of the guru, which we interpret as respecting the practice and asking to get some of the energy, some of the goodness from the teaching to take it in. And again for me it's a very personal thing, all of us come to our mats from different places, at different times in your lives, different experiences, so maybe the poison is a little bit different.
Shala Teaching: The Invocation
Roughly translated into English as: I bow to the lotus feet of the gurus The awakening happiness of ones own self revealed Beyond better, acting like the jungle physician Pacifying delusion, the poison of samsara Taking the form of a man to the shoulders Holding a conch, a discus, and a sword One thousand heads white To Patanjali, I salute. Ashtanga invocation chant is chanted in the beginning of each Ashtanga yoga class. Similarly it often starts the Doron Yoga class as well. Repeat the chant first slowly in call and response, so it is easy to learn. Leave us a comment below.
Ashtanga Yoga traditionally has both an opening chant and a closing chant. Because of Yoga's ancient roots, chants or mantras are offered in Sanskrit the ancient language of India , however their meaning is said to be universal as Sanskrit is the language of the heart. Chanting acts to shift the consciousness of the individual practicing the chant to a higher level of vibration. This in turn brings us closer to our Source or Higher Self — the aspect of ourselves that remains eternal — and leaves the practitioner filled with peace and feeling calm and centred. Studies have shown that when a person chants it can stabilise their heart rate, lower blood pressure, produce beneficial endorphins in the body and boost metabolic processes, so it perfectly compliments the physical practice of asana. The Opening Prayer is a blessing of gratitude offered to the lineage of teachers and their students who have enabled this ancient practice to survive through thousands of years so that we can experience its benefits today. The recitation of this mantra cleanses the energy of the space we have chosen to practice yoga, as well as preparing the mind, body and emotions for the forthcoming Ashtanga sequence. The Closing Prayer brings the practice to a peaceful end; sealing in the work done and offering the efforts of our practice to improve the state of the world.