Ancient Chants for Modern Living

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If you have never been on a rollercoaster, then you should try it out. Now. It's an absolutely exhilarating experience. First, the long serpentine queue for the ride. Once you're through the entrance and on the rollercoaster, you're taken up almost torturously right to the precipice. Then there is the drop. You start falling. You feel yourself plummeting feet first into open space, your head following in free fall. The blood rushes to your head and you are filled with fear and excitement. Finally, at the end of the ride, you feel a sense of the joy at having faced this challenge. It's all over before you even know it. You look around and see thrilled expressions everywhere. You're filled with a sense of belonging, of having shared an extreme experience together. Or maybe you're just confused about how anybody could enjoy something like this.

When you're on the ride, you have only two choices: you can either scream with fear or you can enjoy the ride.

Our journey in this Universe is the same. You can either enjoy the ride or live in absolute fear throughout your life. Your choice.

But why should life always be about making choices?

Why does it seem like we are always at a crossroads one wrong move and everything comes crashing down like a pack of cards? How do we make informed choices all the time? How can we live fearlessly with so much uncertainty and choice? I guess there is no simple answer to these profound questions that go through every person's mind from generation to generation, irrespective of where they live or which culture they belong to.

It is every parent's dream to ensure their child is well equipped before they can fly away from their nest. Providing for the education, health and safety of the child is what every parent does with love and dedication. But do we really equip the child for the real world? Providing for physical comforts does not assure a smooth ride. Are we preparing the child to be able to face emotional upheavals and mental challenges in life, especially if she / he has had a very protective upbringing?

How do we ensure that the child can be strong and empowered in every challenging situation?

The parental instinct is to protect the child from every kind of harm. Some psychologists like to call this 'overprotective' or 'smothering the child'. But there's a two-fold reason parents do this. First, they unconditionally love the child. Second, they want to do all it takes to ensure that the child doesn't get into a bad situation. This latter reason is not parental instinct but sheer survival why fire-fight a problem when it can be prevented instead?

The bottom line is that everybody wants not just a grand finale for their lives but also a great beginning and memorable chapters in the middle.

Is that possible? Well, the answers to all these open- ended questions lie in your hands.

I have experienced great joy in compiling this information and presenting it to you. The intention was not to fill your minds with information and make you feel overwhelmed, but to show you that there is always a light during dark times. Chanting and believing in the Almighty merely allows us to see where that light is, and choose the right path.

A disclaimer: These remedial actions have worked wonders for me and people known to me. To follow the yoga asanas, please ensure you are physically fit. Consult with your physician before you proceed.

The devotional songs that are mentioned in this book are those I have on my own playlists. They have helped me through all the challenges that I've faced. I have mentioned specific singers to help the reader download the original and legal version of the song with ease. The inclusion of the songs is purely a personal choice and is not influenced by any marketing strategy. I have found peace listening to them, and wish the same for all my readers.