The Magic of Mantras

Mantras lead us to a reality that lies beyond the thinking mind – a sweet silence where thoughts have yet to be formed, and where any thought, and therefore anything, is possible.

Mantras allow us to choose our thoughts and to create our state of mind.

So many of our thoughts are subconscious and habitual – carried over from people and experiences of the past – the same patterns and loops that arise over and over again. And so we experience life in the same way day after day.

We’re often not aware that we’re thinking, or even what we’re thinking about. We’re drawn into and mesmerized by the stories of the mind, forgetting that these are really only stories, only thoughts – not reality.

Mantra practice helps us to gain awareness of our thoughts, and to slowly begin choosing for ourselves how and what we think. This dawning awareness gradually transforms our lives.

Mantras also help us to cultivate different emotional states. This is especially true of mantras in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. The sounds of these mantras (apart from their meanings) help to produce different feelings.

Think of the sounds we naturally make when we are delighted: “ahh”, “ooo”, “mmm.” Is it a coincidence that these are the three sounds contained within the mantra “aum”?

What sound do we naturally use to calm an anxious child? “Shh”. Is it any surprise then that this sound opens the mantra “shantih” – which means “peace”?

How about the sound “ma”, found in Sanskrit and across the world in a many different languages? It means “mother” and brings with it the feelings of comfort, security, and protection.

Mantras can be practised silently, whispered, spoken, chanted, or sung. There is value in practising mantras in all of these ways.

Meditation

The meditation approach I teach incorporates mantra as a tool for calming, focusing and transcending the mind.

You can find some of my free meditation recordings HERE, and/or join one of my meditation classes HERE.

Kirtan

You may also enjoy kirtan, which I offer regularly with our band SOULHUM. Kirtan is a beautiful way of experiencing and practising mantras. The mantras are set to music and sung in a group, in call-and-response. This combination of music and mantra, and the joining together of people in song, is especially powerful and uplifting.

You can learn about our upcoming kirtans HERE.

Contact me by email at: zofia@sageleafyoga.ca