The Power Of A Mantra

Free your mind and the ‘rest’ will follow

Words Joanne Togati, LMT Photography Tommy Chung

With the ever-increasing popularity of yoga and Eastern healing modalities, many people are familiar with the term “mantra.” But what is it and what does it do? That is the question….

A mantra is a spoken word or phrase that can be used as a tool for meditation and relaxation. It intends to free you from all trivial thoughts, worries or concerns—all the stuff that creates extra baggage in our daily lives. The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words: manas, which means “mind,” and trai, meaning “protect” or “free from.”

manas + trai = mantra

Mantras just may be the antidote to negative thinking. It is said that they can cancel out the subconscious patterns that keep us stuck in undesirable ruts. By using a mantra, you may be able to break up those patterns and create more space in your mind and life for the positive thoughts and beliefs you’d like to replace them with. For example, “I am beautiful,” “Life is effortless,” “I am fully healed.”

Mantras create physical sound. Sound is vibration. Everything in this universe vibrates and certain frequencies can heighten our awareness or do just the opposite: make us confused, irritable and even sick. This is where the power of a mantra exists. Channeled correctly, a mantra is a very specific tool that can help you achieve very specific results.

Originally mantras were an oral tradition passed down after being tested by the original “seer” who had received the mantra in his time of meditation and heightened intuition. A mantra was passed down from teacher to disciple only after it was used and tested for its specific results. (Talk about tried and true!)

An Ancient Art

The concept and use of mantras isn’t new. It’s ancient. In fact, at least four of our largest religious traditions—Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism—all have one thing in common. They knew that in the beginning there was the “Word.” In Christianity, the Bible says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” The Hindu Vedas say speech “is the essence of humanity”—everything that we think and then come to speak is what defines what we create. (Powerful indeed.) In mainstream Buddhist and Hindu practices, mantras are viewed as a necessity for spiritual advancement and high attainment. The Dalai Lama says that “without depending upon mantra, Buddhahood cannot be attained.”

Modern Life & Mantras

Religious or not, mantras are for those of us who want to live better and feel better. In fact, a client of mine who is a surgeon recently told me that he hardly has time for himself, and that his job is so hectic that he is burdened with a heavy feeling all day long. He wanted to know how he could have the soothing, centered and grounded energy that he feels from me.

My answer? Kundalini yoga and chakras, his seven energy centers. I told him where he could find an excellent Kundalini yoga teacher, but he reminded me again that his time is so limited that he barely has time to see me. My advice to him was to look up mantra videos on YouTube and to find one that he likes. I suggested he take 15 minutes out of his day to focus and find his center.

Practice Makes Perfect

Human consciousness is a collection of varied states of consciousness and that consciousness permeates both the physical and non-physical bodies. Every bodily system has its own consciousness all the way down to each organ and gland. Mantras start a powerful vibration which corresponds to both a specific spiritual energy frequency and a state of consciousness in its beginning form.

The only way to understand the effect that mantras can have is to experience them for yourself. Just like a child may touch a hot stove to understand the experience of touching a hot stove, you may need to practice reciting mantras to know exactly what they can accomplish for you.

Mantras are a great way to get out of the mind and into the ever- flowing energy of our universe. Enjoy the journey.

Joanne Togati, LMT is a Miami, Fla.-based certified Theta Healer and Kriya Yoga Practitioner. For more about Joanne go to: www.KiBodyworks.com
For more information on the healing power of mantras you can read Thomas Ashley Farrand’s Healing Mantras.

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