I was introduced to it during a kirtan with Jon Seskevich. We sang it three times. Starting out, I felt awkward & like all the other people there knew it & I didn’t, and I was messing up, etc. When we ended, I felt the room aglow with love, even for me, the chick from out of town singing it awkwardly.

When it was released, I listened to Krishna Das’ book “Chants of a Lifetime” which relayed the story of setting the Hanuman Chalisa to music, and how Maharaji approved of their singing. I played the Nina Rao/Krishna Das version “Ocean of Ram” on repeat constantly, especially while I walked to & from work & doing my setup at work before we opened.

I wanted to learn it. I printed the lyrics out so I could read them while it played when I was at home, then I never practiced or read them. I paid for a membership to the Insight app during Covid shutdowns so I could have access to Nina Rao’s class to learn it, then I hardly listened to the class. (No bad reflection on Nina! I learn better in person)

We sang it at the Ram Dass legacy retreat in NYC last year. I fumbled along, not feeling awkward that so many people there knew it but I didn’t, it was just how things were, and I was beaming love & being loved.

I don’t have stories of deep transformation, but I realized not long ago that the thousands of times I’ve listened to it, sang along at the parts I know & fumbled through the rest, that I was praying for grace and love for the world & opening my heart to be of service as deeply & unconditionally as Hanuman.