You are a cosmic flower. Om chanting is the process of opening the psychic petals of that flower.” ― Amit Ray.
The power of Mantras.
What is a Mantra?
A mantra is nothing more than a collection of words strung together to create a positive effect.
The word mantra comes from two Sanskrit words: man and tra. On the one hand, man is the Hindi word for mind, which also originates from the word “man,” woman, or human.
Tra means vehicle or instrument.
Words like “train,” “travel,” and “transportation” are derived from the Sanskrit root tra. In other words, a mantra is a tool to transport the mind from a state of activity into stillness and silence.
Essentially a mantra is intended to provide clarity or spiritual guidance.
In nearly all traditions, the most basic mantra is the word “I am.”
When Moses asks God, “What’s your name?”
God replies, ‘I am, that I am.’
Hamed, ha hum, and Om — are all basic sounds of mantras.
They’re especially helpful in the meditative process because they allows us to block out everything else while we focus.
As former Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius would say, “Erase the false impressions from your mind by constantly saying to yourself, I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire or any kind of disturbance–instead, seeing the true nature of things, I will give them only their due. Always remember this power that nature gave you.”
Here’s a quick exercise: Close your eyes, mentally repeat the word “I am.”
Soon enough; it will quiet your mind.
The Om Symbol
In general, mantras are phrases designed to free the mind.
Typically, most mantras consist of sounds, syllables, or vibrations that don’t necessarily have any meaning behind them. But their values lie in their vibrational quality.
Om is the ultimate vibration of the Universe.
Just as white light contains every spectrum color, Om includes every sound in the vibrational spectrum — Including those, we can’t hear with our ears.
The chanting of Om is the oldest sacred mantra vibration since the dawn of creation. For this reason, they go beyond the realm of sound.
The sound of Om is also called Pranava, meaning that it sustains life, such as the breath or Prana.
In its original spelling and pronunciation, Aum (pronounced ahh-uhh-mmm) is a mixed vibration of the three states of consciousness into the one-ness of three distinct syllables: A, U, and M.
These three vibrations also represent our known existence stages: birth, life, and death.
- The first state of consciousness is the waking state. Represent by the vibration “A” (pronounced” ahh. Like the sound you make opening your mouth at the doctor’s, for instance). It is said to be the waking state of the Universe and the beginning of all things.
2. The second state is the dream state of consciousness, which lies between the waking and the deep sleep states. Express by the letter “U.”
3. The third state of consciousness is the deep sleep state, defined by the letter “M,” pronounced as in -sum or hum.
Historically, the Om mantra was first mentioned in the twelve verses of the ancient Vedic text and the Mandukya Upanishads. which explains why the three primary states of consciousness are: waking, sleeping, and dreaming.
The Power of Mantras: Benefits of Chanting Om
- Om mantra frequently improves the vocal cord.
- Research shows, people who meditate using mantras feel a lot more empowered after each session. Reasons why is that it helped quiet the mind and bring inner peace.
- Using the chanting Om in your practice is just a plus. A regular breathing technique meditation can also get the job done.
- When under a lot of stress or feel depressed, chant Om multiple times throughout the day will help strengthen your mood and brings more inspiration into your life.
A quick side note: Mantra doesn’t always have to be spoken words. Written affirmations are also effective. Often when I need to feel motivated, I might repeat, “I am inspired, energized, strong, love, and whatnot for a minimum of fifteen times throughout the day. Thus, I am constantly affirming all that is good in my world through mantras.
Thank You for reading!
I hope this post was helpful to you.
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References:
davidji, (2012-2017). Secrets of meditation. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc. Psychoneuroendocrinology 35, no.3 (2010): 430-441. Davidji—secrets of meditation, 45 (2012) Dugosh, K. L., P. B. Paulus, E. J. Roland, et al. Department of psychology, the University of Texas at Arlington.
