Mantra

(I am first and foremost a student of yoga. I teach yoga and like to share what I am learning and what I am experiencing because it is fun and fascinating. Yesterday I was happily reminded that I am a student and have so much to learn. Yesterday I receive an email from Andrejs Gailis, the new owner of Flow yoga. Andrejs is full of knowledge on the Vedic sciences and I was grateful to receive some feedback about my mantra blog, so I can share correct knowledge and Sanskrit grammer in the mantras :). Andrejs teaches on going Vedic Lectures at flow yoga www.flowyogaslc.com)

Lately I have been talking to a few friends, and they have been telling me different stories about troubles they are facing in life: loneliness, confused about life choices, sad, sick… In most of these conversations I find myself suggesting that they try mantra meditation. The words we say produce an actual physical vibration, which can be more positive and healing or can be negative and toxic. For example, do you ever think or say “this sucks”, “I suck”, “I hate my life”…all of these words that we say to our self emits a vibration that affects the energy of our being. So yes we might be in a bad situation, but when we say things like to our self, we are just making the situation worse. Maybe next time you are in a bad situation try saying “I love my self”, “life is great” although you might not be feeling that way, you are choosing to spread positive energy and vibrations throughout your being.

When we use mantras we say a word or a series of words, normally in the Sanskrit language that are known to have a certain meaning as well as a certain vibration and energy. When we say these Sanskrit mantras, we manifest this vibration and this energy in our self. When we practice a mantra consecutively over a long period of time, our energy gets aligned with the energy of the mantra. Mantra is one of my favorite forms of meditation that I do quite regularly. Whenever I am feeling out of balance, unhealthy, unhappy, or when I confront a situation that is challenging in my life, I recite mantra.

It is important to commit to a mantra and give it some time. I like to commit to a “forty day program”. You can say these mantras silently or out loud. The chanting is stronger when done silently but it requires a lot more focus. I recommend trying both, beginners are normally recommended to chant out loud so you can stay focused. Chanting mantras help manifest energy into your life. I don’t think length is as important as consistency. Many people suggest you work toward 15-30 minutes of mantra either one time or two times a day. I enjoy long seated mantra repetition, but I also will use my mantra when I am walking (outside, in the grocery store, at school...) when I am driving my car, taking a shower, anywhere doing anything is a great opportunity to practice mantra.... I think when you put a time frame on it like 15-30 minutes it gets overwhelming and the tendency is to think “well I don’t have 15-30 minutes to do my mantra so I just won’t do it right now”. I used to use this reasoning a lot. Then I thought even if I just say the mantra one, two, three times at least I am cultivating that energy and vibration even if for just a moment. The more I think like this, the more I found myself saying my mantra multiple times throughout the day in little chunks of time. The more frequently you say your mantra, the more it becomes like background music in your brain. Which means you can CHOOSE to create a background energy for your life. Isn’t that wonderful!

Here are just are mantras, that I have connected with and use often in my life. I tried to briefly summarize these mantras and highlight some of the fun facts of each mantra. (If you would like to know more about one please let me know and I would love to elaborate and go deeper into the meaning of the God and into the Sanskrit words). Mantras are great and help me a lot in my life. Here are some of my favorite mantras:

The gayritri mantra: is a very ancient mantra that is used to help you transcend the experience of suffering. It can be used to balance the different energy levels of your body, and balance the seven chakras. This is one of my favorite summaries of the mantra, “Through the coming, going and the balance of life, the essential nature which illumes existence is the adorable one may all perceive, through subtle intellect, the brilliance of enlightenment” (Deva Premal) here are two versions of the mantra. The first is the full length of the mantra and the second is a shorten version, I normally recite the second version:
•Om bhur bhuvah swaha
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhiimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat


• om bhuuh, om bhuvah, om swahah
om mahah, om janah, om tapah, om satyam
om tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhiimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Ganapathi/ Ganesha Mantra: This mantra is to Ganapathi or Ganesha, the elephant headed god, who is the remover and placer of obstacles in our life. I think it is important to remember that when Ganesha places obstacles in our life he isn’t doing it out of anger; he is doing it to protect us or to help us learn a lesson. When the time is right, when we have learned what we needed to learn then he removes the obstacles. This mantra is used to remove energy blocks, to find the path to success or to achieve mental clarity and overcome obstacles.
•Om gam ganapataye namaha*

Lakshmi Mantra: Lakshmi is the highest essence of divine beauty. This beauty that Lakshmi represents resides in all of us and is the essence of life itself. This beauty is what shines through the sun and is the beautiful light that fills everything on the planet. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth/ good fortune, beauty and auspiciousness. Lakshmi is the principle of abundance. This mantra will attract abundance. "I bow to Maa Lakshmi who everything, who grant favors to all, who terrorizes the evil and who removes the misery of all. I bow to the divine goddess who is the provider of success and intelligence and the benefactor of both worldly pleasure and freedom. I bow to the Ultimate Mother who is without beginning and without end. I surrender to the auspicious Mother who can remove even the greatest of sins. I bow to the great Mother who resides in the hearts of devotees is the goddess of wealth, luxury, beauty, power, generosity and auspiciousness".
•Om shriim mahaa lakshmyai namaha (shriim has a long i, and mahaa has long aa.)

Durga Mantra: Goddess Durga is the Divine Mother and representation of compassion, strength, morality and protection. She protects her devotees from evil powers and keeps them safe. Durga is the mother of the whole world and all nature, she protects her children from all troubles. It is believed that by chanting this mantra regularly, that the Universal Mother would remove all the physical, mental, economic problems in our life:
• om dum durgayai namaha

Saraswati Mantra: Saraswati represents creativity, love, beauty and inspires creativity of art. She is the keeper of spiritual knowledge, goddess of wisdom and learning. She possesses the powers of speech, wisdom and learning. A translation of the mantra: "May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair and beautiful like the jasmine-colored moon and whose pure white garland resembles frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me. May you remove my lethargy and brighten my life with the light of knowledge.":
•Om aim saraswatyai namaha*

Shiva Mantra: considered as the destroyer of the world. He is one of the most popular Gods of the Hindu religion. Shiva is the supreme reality, the inner Self. It is the name given to consciousness that dwells in all. Shiva is the name of your true identity- yourself. I like to think "I am capable of becoming what i want to become" when I chant this mantra. I bow to the spirit of universal truth that pulses in and as all beings. This mantra helps us remember our intrinsic goodness:
• om namah shivaaya

Simple mantras:
•“Om” (The sound of the Universe)
•“Sat nam” (I am)
•“Shanti” (peace)


*Namaha- I offer
**Swaha- I surrender
You can replace namaha and swaha in any of these mantras. Namaha is more masculine and active, swaha is a little more feminine and passive. Most translations say namaha, however recently in my own practice I like to change it to swaha because I like the idea of surrender.