Ten Tips to Incorporate Intentional Song, Chant, and Mantra into your experiences with Early Teens
1. All three are short and repetitious. They can be used as a transitional tool to get a focus or move into another activity.
2. Early teens resonate with repetition and rhythm and movement. Their fluidity allows the intention of the song to impact the cells. Putting rhythm into things feels natural and is balancing and familiar. There may be some resistance but, continued use will assist in clearing energetic blockages.
3. Call and answer works with early teens. They love repeating back what you just said. Thus chanting and song and mantra are quite easily assimilated especially when done in Kirtan style (chanter chants and children repeat). Vary the speed and tempo, perhaps even increasing periodically.
4. Chanting and singing give children the opportunity to use their voice with passion and joy. Sometimes children are already quieted by life circumstances. Introducing these modalities is powerful and useful in helping to clear lower frequency vibrations and give the voice back to the little ones.
5. Mantras carry a specific energetic frequency of intention. Aligning it with your talk/lesson or exercise amplifies the experience and contributes to a powerful, memorable time.
6. Intentional songs can help shift negative thinking patterns. Singing it a lot allows the message to integrate into the subconscious, initiating new belief and action.
7. Mantras and chants can be used to explore cultural and spiritual traditions and practices.
8. Chanting singing together unifies groups and communities. Performing chants in front of the congregation is an opportunity to face fears and achieve personal success collectively.
9. All three can be used to create ritual in a class or program or event. We always start with this chant. We always end with this mantra. Familiarity creates safety and a willingness to take risks.
10. Chanting/singing/mantra all raise vibration into higher frequencies. In these places one is alert, calm, intuitive, inquisitive, open, connected, and willing to explore.
11. In these tumultuous inner times at this age the use of chant, mantra, and intentional song can assist mightily in balancing the mental and emotional. The vibration of the music is enough to unify them, even without discussion or understanding. Singing or chanting the waves of emotion is a natural flow that impacts profoundly.
Enjoy the experience and the adventure!