Mantra Meditation
Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular object , particular point or activity – To make attention and awareness , we can achieve a mentally clear and peaceful state.
A mantra meditation is a sacred utterance , a numinous sound , a syllable, words or phonemes , or group of words in Sanskrit believed by practitioners to have psychological and spiritual powers. Mantra meditation helps to induce an altered state of consciousness. A mantra may or may not have a syntactic structure or literal meaning.
This meditation will take anywhere from five to ten minutes. We can recommend this meditation in five steps.
Step by step
Step 1.
Select a favorite word , phrase , prayer ,or fragment of a poem for meditation. Ideally, a mantra is composed of some few words , which you can repeat it easily without getting lost in any long phrase. Choose something uplifting that inspires you and engages your heart. Avoid those words that disturb your mind.
Step 2.
Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor, supporting your posture with a blanket or a cushion. Find a position both aligned with the natural curves of the spine and relaxed . Close your eyes and take a deep breath or do some breathing practices for several minutes, then relax your breath completely.
Step 3.
Repeat your mantra slowly and steadily, concentrating on its sound fully as you can. Repeat it in unison with the natural rhythm of your breath. Either split it so you repeat half the manta when you inhale and the other half mantra you exhale, or repeat it.
Step 4.
After about 10 recitations, repeat the mantra silently by moving only your lips ( this helps you to keep a steady peace). Then, after another 10 recitations , recite it internally without moving your lips.
Step 5.
As thoughts arise, simply return to the mantra, knowing this is a natural part of the process. Gently bring your attention back again and again , experiencing the internal sound as fully as possible.
Step 6.
Continue for the period of time you set aside for meditation. Come out of the meditation by taking a few deep breaths and then sitting quietly to see what you feel. You may feel calm and centered.
Should I always meditate in the same place?
Meditating always in the same place and time is a good help in focusing the mind. Your brain associates that place with the practice, so it is easier for you to focus. There is lees distraction involved.
I usually find it very much easier to focus when I meditate in my preferred spot. Yet, at times I felt a different freshness in the practice when I sat on different places at home and in nature.
Some Advantages on Mantra Meditation
- It reduces anxiety and depression
Mantra meditation channels the flow of energy through the mind-body circuit. It combines sound, breath, and rhythm. By doing this, brain hemisphere imbalance is regulated.
Our present hyper-stimulated lifestyle is filled with stressful situations. Thus, the main advantage of mantra meditation is that it calms up and makes up see things in a different way.
The practice balances our nervous and endocrine systems. Chronic stress and tension slowly fade away. A normalized hormone production will stabilize our moods and overall sense of well – being.
Chanting is a pleasure that transcends the senses. It soothes us in the most powerful way- on a cellular level. The word “Mantra” is composed of “man”-“mind”-and “tra” , meaning projection or deliverance in Sanskrit.
We should always do this Mantra meditation because it keeps our mind fresh and fine. Also all the negative things that comes up to our mind will turn it into positive.
2. We Become Better Versions of Ourselves
Vedic Meditation is also known as Mantra Meditation, makes us smarter and more creative by cleansing the body of stress. We gain the knowledge of the flow of nature, thus experiencing more synchronicity and serendipity.
Stress only makes us irrational because the body reacts like a wild animal would chase it. Your brain is using too much energy to fight off this threat and cannot focus on others tasks that are more important.
So one of the advantages of mantra meditation is that you become more attuned with the natural rhythms of the universe.
- It Connects the Brain’s Hemispheres
In our ordinary state of consciousness, the left and the right hemisphere of our brain function separately. Each side of the brain is doing its own thing. However , we usually don’t use the right part of the brain, leaving it in a state of atrophy.
As we all know, the right hemisphere is responsible for creativity. So one of the advantages of mantra meditation is that we can take our entire brain to a workout at the gym.
That enables us to be more aware of every single detail around us and to solve problem in an easier , more creative way. We become balanced, and our mind has the power to find unique solutions to our deepest problems.
Everybody can do Mantra Meditation. It doesn’t matter if you are the officer or a student- The practice will always make you feel better.
Some Ancient Mantras
- “Aum”
An oldie but a goodie, You can’t mess this one up too badly. The “Om” is the sacred sound of Hinduism and is said to mean, variously: It is, will Be or to Become.
- “ Om Mani Padme Hum”
Rhis one’s from Tibet and it means, roughly, “Hail the jewel in the Lotus”. The jewel in this case is the Buddha of Compassion.
- “ Namo AmitaBha”
Homage to the Buddha of boundless light.
- “ I am that I am”
This is one of the Hebrew Torah’s famous lines, and it was God’s answer to Moses when Moses asked for his name.
- “Ham-Sah”
The Hindu variant, meaning I am THAT.
- “Om gam ganapataye namah”
Ganesha is the god wisdom and success, the remover of obstacles. It is always a good idea to begin .
- “Om Namah Shivaya”
Hindu meaning , “ I bow to Shiva”.
“ Those who eat too much or eat too little, who sleep too much or sleep too little, will not succeed in meditation. But those who are temperate in eating and sleeping, work and recreation, will come to the end of sorrow through meditation. – ‘BHAGAWAD GITA’ ”.
