Yoga meditation Mantras can help you explore your inner self and find peace. Learn more about how to use them in your practice here.
Introduction
Meditation is often associated with the silencing of the body and mind. It is a practice in which you focus on one point until you finally reach the state of Dhyana – also known as withdrawing from the senses and connecting to your true consciousness.
Many types of meditation allow you to freely change and choose your practice depending on your feelings and what is most appealing to you.
Meditation as a spiritual practice is very personal and individual; therefore, there is no right or wrong when exploring and learning about it. Trusting your inner guide and how you wish to meditate is key when discovering the path of yoga and awareness.
Below we would like to share some knowledge about Yoga Meditation Mantras and how to use them to delve deeper into your practice.
What are Yoga Meditation Mantras and Why are they Used ?
Mantras have roots in Vedic Hinduism and have been used for centuries in many spiritual yogic practices, often accompanying meditation and rituals. The word can be broken down into two stems: “man¨, meaning to think or mind, and “tra,” which translates as tool or instrument. That is to say that a Mantra is a tool for the mind, an instrument with which we can guide our thoughts and feelings.
Mantras can be chanted, sung, spoken out loud, repeated silently in the mind, or listened to as a vibrational experience. They can be practiced alone or in groups and have deep meditative energy when pronounced with a genuine intention for a specific time.
Mantra chanting has been used to center oneself, calm the whirlpools of the mind, and invoke a message you wish to highlight in your life. The Mantra can consist of a single sound – such as the Mantra OM –or a word or a full phrase.
Depending on what energy you wish to enhance in your yoga or meditation practice, you can choose from different Mantras to help create the space you wish to experience within and around you.
Mantras also are known to have the ability to aid your subconscious habits and impulses and to support your body and mind in finding their way to inner balance and tranquility. Practicing Mantras regularly and with pure intention is recommended to see and feel the results of the practice.
Benefits of regular Mantra chanting include:
- clearer self-awareness
- lower stress levels
- increased calmness of mind
- a more open perspective
- increased focus
- better memory
- greater energy levels
- inner peace and tranquility
The Most Powerful Mantras & Chants
Here are a few well-known and powerful yoga meditation Mantras and chants which you can incorporate into your daily practice. Chanting and Mantra repetition gets their energy from the intention and the gratitude you feel when invoking a Mantra, as well as from the energy of the practice that has been passed down for generations.
The pitch and loudness should be natural – not forced or tense. Mantra chanting can be spiritually and mentally liberating with compassion and self-awareness.
Om Mantra
The Om or Aum Mantra is connected to the sound of the entire existence and the energy vibration of the Universe. This Mantra is a powerful sacred sound from Indic religions and consists of three sounds A–U–M.
Furthermore, Om is a natural humming sound, connected to all humans and known as life’s universal vibration. This Mantra is the sound that connects us all into one being and universal existence.
Chanting Om, or Aum, can be done independently, before, or after a yoga or meditative practice.
Om Namah Shivaya
This Mantra is chanted in devotion to Lord Shiva and is known as one of the most powerful Mantras in Hinduism. The Mantra is adoration and praise towards Lord Shiva, which is said to represent true consciousness and inner wisdom. In traditional teachings, Shiva resides in each living being. Therefore, the Mantra is also a profound chant toward our true Selves.
The meaning of this Mantra can be translated as follows:
Om – the universal sound of all existence
Namah – to adore and praise
Shivaya – the True Self and inner wisdom
Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri Mantra is a universal prayer that invokes appreciation and gratitude for the Sun. It is a profound Mantra expressing gratefulness for life and the light that leads us through it.
The words of the Gayatri Mantra are as follows:
Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ
Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
The meaning of this yoga meditation Mantra can be translated as:
“O Divine Mother, our hearts are filled with darkness. Please make this darkness distant from us and promote illumination within us.”
Lokaah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
This Mantra is often recited at the end of a meditation or yoga practice. It invokes loving and caring energy towards all beings and all life. This Mantra is a chant towards peace and happiness within and for all living beings.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu can be translated as:
“May all living beings in the universe be happy and free.”
Om Gam Ganapati Namaha
Om Gam Ganapati Namaha is a Mantra invoking Ganesha, or Ganapati, the Hindu deity known to be the master of knowledge, intellect, and remover of difficulties and obstacles in life.
The Mantra is often used when feeling a certain creative, emotional or intellectual block when we need a fresh perspective, and while approaching new challenges in life.
Om Gam Ganapati Namaha can be translated as:
“We salute and call for Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.”
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
One of the best-known Mantras, the Om Shanti Mantra, is a chant towards eternal peace. It can be used on its own or maybe invoked, accompanying other Mantras, and is often pronounced after a meditation or yoga practice.
The meaning of Om Shanti Shanti Shanti can be translated as:
“Om peace, peace, peace”
The Bottomline
Yoga meditation Mantras and chants are a part of very deep and spiritual traditions which have been passed on for generations. The power and energy of a Mantra can help you reach the profound spaces within your body, mind, and spirit, as well as help you maintain peace and tranquility as you go about your daily tasks.
If you want to learn more about Mantras and meditation, we invite you to join our online Calm Your Spirit, Soothe Your Mind meditation course followed by our Online Mindfulness TTC Course.
