Question: A little puzzled by the pronunciation guide at the beginning that you give, saying it's "Muhn-tra" rather than Man-tra. You mention it's a short "a" sound, which would indeed be the sound of the word Man, which is how this word is usually heard. You seem to be saying Muntra — which is a "u" sound, short "u" — not "a." Which is correct?

Answer: English is a very tricky language in terms of pronunciation. There are so many ways to pronounce the vowels. Luckily, Sanskrit is like the European languages so that whenever you see an "a" it's always the same. In Sanskrit, there is a short and long version of each vowel. The short "a" is pronounced like our "uh" so that the seed syllable "gam" in om gam ganapataye namaha is pronounced "gum" as in chewing gum. The long "a", which is denoted in transliteration either by "aa" or an "a" with a line over it is pronounced "ah" just like our sound "ah". I'm sure this convention in the transliteration has a lot to do with the fact that it was the Germans and British who first began the process on transliterating Sanskrit into the Roman alphabet. (See more on transliteration below.)

Question: I really enjoyed this session! I have been intimidated by mantra, so it was nice to learn more about it. As I was repeating the mantras during the session, I noticed I developed a lot of throat and jaw tension...am I doing something wrong, or is it just something new?

Answer: I'm so happy you enjoyed the session. I'm always thrilled to share about mantra. Here are several ideas regarding your throat and jaw tension. First, I think whenever we work to pronounce a language that is not the one we grew up with, there's a bit of tension to form the sounds. With Sanskrit there may be even more. I often say that you have to chew Sanskrit because of the way the letters combine in the mouth, so it can be even more tricky sometimes than one of the European languages. Also, with anything that's new there's often tension in the beginning until it is more familiar. So not to worry. Whenever you feel that tension in your throat and jaw, just stop for a moment and yawn a couple of times and begin again. Soon it will come "trippingly off the tongue" as Shakespeare says. Have fun with it.

Question: Can you repeat how to use your fingers on the mala?

Answer: Thanks so much for your question. To use a mala for your mantra practice, rest the mala on a circle made by joining the ring finger and thumb of your right hand. Have the meru or guru bead (the one with the tassel) at the top and start with the bead to the left of the meru bead for the first repetition. Move that bead clockwise (toward you) with your middle finger as you say the mantra and continue around the mala. When you are back at the meru bead, you've done your 108 repetitions. If you want to do more than one mala's-worth in repetitions, you would then turn the mala around and repeat the process, so that you never cross the guru bead. The classic practice to install a mantra into your system is to do one mala in the morning and one in the evening for 40 consecutive days. That means of course that if you miss a session, you start the 40 days over. I'm so glad you were with me for the session. Enjoy your practice of mantra.

Question: How and what deity would someone new to this start with?

Answer: This is a great question. As I mentioned in the session, when you choose a mantra, you should look for one that draws you--that feels good when you are repeating it. Then you simply leap into the practice.

If you are uncertain of what mantra to choose, I would suggest starting with Ganesha. He is such an embracing energy. And he himself is very devotional so he will ease you into the practice and clear away any obstacles to your finding the perfect mantra for you to continue with.

The best way would be to take on a 40-day discipline with the Ganesha mantra so that you can experience what the practice feels like over time. During that 40 days you might look at other mantras, using the book Healing Mantras by Thomas Ashley-Farrand, which I highly recommend to anyone starting out in mantra. There you can read about the meaning and qualities of many mantras and find one that calls to you.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I wish you all success with your mantra practice. Peace and blessings.

Question: I was taught by someone who I believed at the time was very knowledgeable about Mantra's and she said that Saraswati was pronounced "Saras-Fati", but you mentioned that the pronunciation is most important and the spelling is not as important. So what if I were chanting it wrong for 40 days?

Answer: First of all, not to worry. In mantra, as in every spiritual practice, intention is the most important part. Yes, pronunciation is important, but God is good. So long as your intention is pure, the message gets to the right place.

Regarding the "w" in the name Saraswati, keep in mind that transliteration is tenuous at best. It involves someone who probably is not a native Sanskrit speaker writing down in the Roman alphabet a sound he or she hears from one unique Sanskrit speaker in one location somewhere in India. In my experience native speakers from different parts of India pronounce Sanskrit somewhat differently in the first place and then we have the capabilities of the listener/transliterator, You can see that transliteration is not an exact science.

In addition, what we see in the Roman alphabet as a "w" is especially interesting. There is no "w" in the Sanskrit alphabet. There is a "v." But, in some areas of India, that "v" is pronounced very softly, sounding like our "w." That's why you'll see the transliterated word "swaha" spelled sometimes with a "w" and sometimes with a "v."

Back to your mantra teacher's "Saras-Fati." "V" and "f" are vocalized in the same position in the mouth; the only difference is that "v" is voiced and "f" is unvoiced. So it's often tricky to differentiate the two in spoken language. If you were following the pronunciation of your teacher without looking at the written name Sarasvati (note the "v" is another accepted spelling of that name), you might well hear it as an "f". Again, not to worry. People will just think you're from a different part of India!

I'm thrilled to hear of all the mantra practice you've done. Keep it up. Peace and blessings.

Question: Is there any difference between "nama" vs "namo"? Like masculine vs feminine?

Answer: Namah and namo basically mean "name". Om namah Shivaya on one level is I am calling out the name of Shiva. Often it's translated as well as Salutations to Lord Shiva or in the old language I bow to Lord Shiva. There are rules in Sanskrit governing whether the form is namo or namah. When namah is in the middle of the mantra, there is a slight aspiration of the "h"; when it comes at the end of the mantra, the "h" is even more aspirated, becoming namaha, as in Om Shri Lakshmiye namaha. Good questions. Keep exploring. And enjoying.

Question: I personally like the third Mantra the best of the three. Thank you for sharing. My question is, is there any difference in the speed at which you chant these? If you become fluent in the pronunciation does speeding it up make any difference rhythmically?

Answer: Yes, the Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya is a great one, especially with that tune! Good question about the speed. You can do the mantras at any speed, depending on how you feel and how much time you have. Sometimes you will be very much in your heart space and want to do the mantras slowly and reflectively. Sometimes you may need to hurry your practice to get to work on time, so you speed up.

Also you can put any emotion you're feeling into mantra repetition. If you're feeling lots of devotion, you might linger on every syllable, but you can also put irritation, anger, or any kind of upset into the mantra as well. In fact, one way to transmute those negative emotions is to put them into loud repetition of your mantra. You may find that they move into very different emotions through the recitation. Try it! And enjoy.

Question: I grew up chanting the phrase "Om Nama Ha Shiva", can you speak to the significance of this Mantra? We would also chant/sing "Sita Rama, a Ram, a Sita Ram, a Ram".

Answer: Om namah Shivaya is a very ancient and very powerful mantra. There are some who say that only Swamis or those under the direct tutelage of a teacher should use this mantra. It is a call for spiritual transformation, and as the old phrase says: Be careful what you ask for! It's fine to use it, but if you are someone living in the workaday world, you just need to be aware to stay balanced in your spiritual practice so that you can maintain your worldly responsibilities. One meaning of the mantra is "Thy will be done, not mine." So it is a surrender mantra.

As for the Sita Rama, it probably wasn't "a" Ram, but "jai" Ram. Sita is the consort, or feminine aspect of Ram, one of the incarnations of Vishnu, the sustaining power of the universe. Sita and Ram are all about compassion, and chanting to both together is chanting for balance in your life.

Thanks for the question. Enjoy your practice.

I achieved my Advanced Communicator-Gold this past fall, and I have just finished what's called a High Performance Leadership project for my Advanced Leader-Silver. When you achieve those levels in both tracks, you automatically become a Distinguished Toastmaster or DTM. On Tuesday, March 29th, I reported to my club on my High Performance Leadership project, which was to create, market, and deliver a workshop called "Speaking Out with Clarity and Confidence" all about using the voice safely and effectively in any situation. So I'm now a Distinguished Toastmaster!