By Barbara (Girijananda) Hess, Yogaratna

Chanting brings me to a blissful inner space, especially Gurudevi Nirmalananda’s kirtan – call and response chant – “OM Guru, OM Guru, OM Gurudev.”

This chant attunes you to the Divine Grace that flows through the one who serves as a spiritual teacher and leader – the Guru. Gurudevi and we members of the Vowed Order of Svaroopa Vidya Ashram recorded this chant during an annual retreat.

Daily, in the early morning hours before I join our Meditation Club, I play this chant. Chanting along, I am honoring Gurudevi, my beloved Guru. In this way, I arise from a night of slumber into such a sweet space. I am experiencing vyutthana — the “in between” space.

This prepares me to sit and meditate with Gurudevi and fellow yogis. Beginning with this chant, I am transported to the Ashram, sitting at Gurudevi’s feet. I linger in the sweet space of timelessness this brings. Chanting and thinking of our Master Teacher opens a doorway inside that is ever expanding.

I reflect upon our lineage of Masters who also sat at the feet of their Guru, marinating in the nectar of discipleship. Gurudevi sat at Muktananda’s feet, who sat at Nityananda’s feet.

The devotion, dedication, and deep gratitude that arises from discipleship is interwoven into the melodious, ecstatic repetition of simple words: OM Guru, OM Guru, OM Gurudev.

I often play this chant again in the evening. Beginning and ending my day with this chant to the Guru sandwiches the sweet nectar of Divine living in between.