Hare Krshna (Krshna, Krshna, Hare, Hare)...

I recently picked up a little book called "Chant and Be Happy" from the Vedic library series. Picked up from my boyfriend, who picked it up from a little booth promoting charitable causes in New Orleans.

Its a little book about chanting the Hare Krshna to heighten your spiritual awareness, and bring about positive energies and happiness. Those who know me know that my religion is a complicated one. I was raised Christian, and as I grew older I still held fast to a largely Christian mindset, but incorporated more Hindu and New Age practices into my spiritual repertoire. Simply put, if you took the love child of Jesus and George Harrison, and named it a religion, that is the church I would fall into. (I have more reason than the average person to not get into discussions about religion.)

Moving on, this book covers the basics of Hare Krshna, what it means, and why its important. It includes exclusive interviews from John Lennon and Yoko, as well as extensive interviews from George Harrison about how he first came to learn about the Hare Krshnas, and how chanting the mantra has really affected his life in a positive way. Its a very interesting read, and a great introductory book for those who want to learn about the Maha Mantra.

Within the book is a how-to on making your own Japa beads, which are beads designed for meditation so that you can chant the Hare Krshna at your leisure and have a way to focus on something physical, (to make the chanting more real, in theory). Just as the Catholics have rosaries, the Krshnas have Japa beads.

I created my own set using glass beads in white, baby blue, teal, and an indigo/purpleish color. I wanted the beads also to serve as a reminder to keep my chakras properly aligned (chakras are energy centers in our bodies; there are seven running along the base of our spine to the top of our heads), and the fifth, sixth, and seventh chakras are represented by the colors blue, indigo, and violet or white.
The beads feel great to the touch, they can be cool or warm depending on the weather, and they are all different textures and shapes so they are stimulating to the nerve endings in my hands, enhancing the effects of the chanting and meditation process.

As you can tell, I am very excited about these beads, so I thought it was only right to take a picture of them.


Regardless of your religious background, you can't deny that this is a pretty string of beads.

-Vixen