"Why chant? Chant is the one spiritual discipline I've found that helps me with all of the rest of life. It even helps me enjoy other spiritual disciplines (go figure). Chanting helps me to listen for the here and now, giving me a better grip on reality; it improves my receptivity and focus; it helps me to remain open when I'd rather say, 'thanks, but no thanks'; it helps me connect with my inner world; it prevents me from feeling overwhelmed by life (so far). Chant grounds and calms me, and if I'm tired, I can use it to raise my energy level; it opens me to things I find uncomfortable and painful in such a way that I'm able to work through the pain and discomfort. Chanting helps me to be a better listener by helping me remain emotionally and spiritually available to whomever God sends through the door, enabling me to hear and see what people are actually saying beyond the words they use. It allows my intuition to be more accessible in my everyday life, which means I have more to work with than the gut mere reliance on that roiling, amorphous feeling that tells me 'something's up.' Chanting can be a raft in a storm, even a luxury liner sometimes — not often, but occasionally. I'm sure it's helped to keep me off the streets and out of the loony bin (although I like the tunes in there). Sometimes chanting is hard work, but other times it flows like water."