"Happily may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished."
~ Navajo Night Chant
The Navajo, known as Dineh ("The People"), are the second largest Indian tribe in the United States. Their 16 million acre reservation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
"Before me peaceful, behind me peaceful, under me peaceful, over me peaceful, all around me peaceful," echoed a Navajo Proverb with radiant joy.
For the Navajo, chanting is a celebration of life, harmony, and healing. Like a heartbeat, the sacred songs have kept the culture alive for generations. With mythology and ritual, chanting medicine men and women celebrate symbolic sand paintings and superstitions to help heal the sick, prevent illness, and protect people from evil.
And so, another Navajo chant goes:
"The first woman holds it in her hands
She holds the moon in her hands
In the center of the sky, she holds it in her hands
As she holds it in her hands, it starts upward."
Celebrate the beauty all around you.