THE SECRET POWER OF SANSKRIT MANTRA
Part 1
Discover the secrets of Sanskrit mantra and how you can get the power of vibration for your practice and your life ... even if you don’t like chanting.
I’ve been fascinated by the Sanskrit language since I started practicing yoga. It’s hard to miss - every single yoga pose you will do has a Sanskrit name. You might call it “heart melting pose” but it’s really called “anahatasana”, अनाहतासन.
And then I discovered mantra meditation. Have you tried it?
I find it to be one of the most effective meditation techniques to help us reduce stress and anxiety, to stay calm and grounded amidst the swirl of emotions and challenges and events, to find the space in our minds for peace and joy. And to ultimately realize our full potential.
And I also find that it is extremely effective in helping us to support our intentions, like an invocation of our deepest desires and our best self. To the point where I’ve even named my brand with a Sanskrit bija mantra - HUM.
What is “mantra”?
Mantra meditation is done by repeating a Sanskrit mantra over and over (either aloud or silently). Using a mantra is an excellent way to stay focused during your practice and will help you to side-step the busyness of your mind, move it away from negative thoughts.
In his book Handbook of Meditation, David Fontana explains the origin of the word mantra: “The word mantra is thought to be a combination of the first syllables of the Sanskrit words manna (thinking) and trana (liberation from the bondage of appearances). A mantra therefore is liberation from thinking.”
But I’ve discovered that there is a lot more to Sanskrit mantra than meets the eye, it’s much more than just a tool for concentration and focus during meditation. I discovered that mantra practice is rather magical with “secret” powers that can greatly enrich our practice and our life.
Harness the Power of Vibration
It’s all about vibration. Mantra practice uses energetic vibrations to help us to connect with something greater than ourselves, to energize our minds and bodies, and to create a specific state of being for ourselves. The vibrations of mantra are the result of sound, but not just any sound.
The ancient Eastern traditions believe all things are composed of vibrating energy, a life force that is called prana (in the Indian traditions) or qi (in the Chinese traditions). And modern science has proven it, proven that everything in the universe is made up of energy vibrating at different frequencies. Sound, light, heat, motion, even scent are all forms of energy that is vibrating. Even things that look solid are made up of vibrational energy fields at the quantum level, including every single cell of our human body. Albert Einstein himself said: “Everything in life is vibration.”
And the same ancient traditions believe that all matter and energy in the Universe was created from the most perfectly harmonious sound generated by Sanskrit seed syllables called bijas. Bijas are single syllables that can be used as a mantra on their own or combined with others to create a longer mantra. The best known bija is OM. According to the tradition, OM is believed to be the primordial sound that brought the universe into being and created the tree of life. It is said that OM contains all possible sounds of nature (elements, animal sounds, human speech, alphabets…).
OM and other bija mantras can help us connect with universal energy. How is that possible? The sound created by chanting OM vibrates at the frequency of 432Hz, which is the same vibrational frequency as the earth’s natural electromagnetic pulses, the same frequency as everything in nature, and some people believe it is the frequency of the Universe itself. So by chanting OM we symbolically and physically tune into that same frequency and connect with all other living beings…and maybe even with a higher power.
Augmenting this secret power is the unique vibrational and sacred quality of the Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is one of the oldest documented languages and said to be over 3500 years old. Joseph Campbell described it as the “great spiritual language of the world” - it has been used around the world in different cultures for thousands of years, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. The first mantras are found in the Hindu Vedic writings from over 3000 years ago. It is humbling to know that these mantras, that we still use today, carry the wisdom of ancient sages into our own modern lives.
All words and sounds create vibrations. But what makes ancient Sanskrit a more vibrational language than our modern languages?
Apparently, Sanskrit is the most mathematical and most musical language in the world. The name “Sanskrit" means “well sculpted”. It is believed that when this language was created, great sages made it more and more precise and musical so that every single word contained particular vibrations.
And it has to do with number of soft sounds as opposed to hard sounds created using the Sanskrit letters. In any language, the soft sounds that are more resonant. The Sanskrit alphabet is made up of 49 letters and 35 of them create a soft, more resonant sound. This gives Sanskrit its unique resonance.
The Sacred Language
So there is power and meaning in the sounds and the words of the sacred Sanskrit language - it’s a powerful energetic system. Even if you don’t understand the language, its symbols and sounds, you still absorb its particular energy and vibration, and it can affect your body, mind and soul.
You don’t even have to chant out loud to get the benefits! You can chant silently to yourself.
Just let it fill you head, your heart and your soul.
How’s that for a little magic?
What Sanskrit mantra should you choose? There are so many to choose from. Next week I’ll offer you a choice of mantras and their meaning so that you can find one to match your intention at any moment.
Experience the vibrant and sacred nature of OM
You can connect with the vibrant and sacred nature of Sanskrit mantra by chanting the universal sound of OM - ॐ. You just can’t miss the powerful experience of the vibrations when you chant a Sanskrit mantra. TRY THIS very simple exercise right now to harness the power of vibration:
As you can see, mantra practice is rather magical, so much more than meets the eye. It’s amazing to think that something so simple as the chanting or repetition of a few Sanskrit words can help you stay focused in meditation, energize your body and mind, and even connect you with all living beings. I think it’s definitely a fabulous way to “get the hum”.
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DISCOVER HUM Yoga and Meditation
People wonder why I called my brand HUM. There are many ideas and implications inside this simple looking three letter word - you might see vibration, music, humanity... The core inspiration for me has always been the mantra. HUM is a powerful Sanskrit bija mantra that invokes creativity, passion and fiery brilliance as well as an all-encompassing spirit of wisdom and enlightenment. As I mentioned above, HUM means "I AM", and when linked to another Sanskrit word it works as a declaration and affirmation of a particular pure quality: SO HUM…I AM…love, joy, courage, clarity, confidence, peace…
For me, HUM is the invocation of a state of mind and heart I want to embody. And it's the manifestation of my dream and my creative vision, the calling for the inspiration, confidence and courage to make it happen. And this simple mantra was my driving force through all the challenges of bringing a dream to life.
Please discover our COLLECTIONS of original, earth-conscious creations designed to raise the vibration of your home yoga and meditation practice. HUM yoga bolsters and props, meditation cushions and shawls, incense, essential oils, singing bowls and our beautiful Shanti Collection of yoga apparel… Each mix-and-vibe-matchable colour, motif, texture, scent and sound was designed to help you create a delightful, sensorial practice. And to make it your serenely beautiful soul-happy place.
Made with love in CANADA.
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