The Power Of Mantra
The Power of Mantra
Mantras are sound projections that alter the thought patterns of the mind and the chemistry of the brain. The word mantra means “man” = mind, and “trang” = wave or projection. The power of the sound has a definite predictable effect on the chakras and the human psyche.
One of the most powerful tools we have for meditation is the power of using mantra whether it’s internal (silent) mantra in the mind or chanting aloud to create the sound vibration. Mantras are used to elevate and modify consciousness through the meaning and rhythmical repetition. The rhythm of the mantra allows the mind to come into the neutral meditative mind to change the thought patterns and break repetitive or negative thought cycles.
The use of mantra is known as Naad Yoga. It is based on the experience of how sound vibrations affect the body, mind, and spirit. Mantra works through the movement of the tongue on the meridian points. There are 84 meridian points located on the hard palate of the roof of the mouth - 32 pairs (64 points) on the hard palate surface directly behind and along the inside of the teeth and 20 points located in the curve on the central part of the palate. As we move the tongue to chant mantra we create a code that helps to change the thoughts and the mind. It is no different than a phone number - if you want to ring a friend you dial their number but if you ring any random number you will not be able to get hold of your friend. Mantra works in a similar way. The mantra that you chant works like a code on the upper palate of the mouth to stimulate the meridians to affect the energy flow in a particular way through the body and mind.
There is no system of nerve connections between sections of the brain but instead there is a neurotransmission of fluid. Different chemical liquids are excreted into different parts of the brain and messages are transmitted to different parts of the brain through fluids.
We can project the authentic self through the use of our word. Chanting mantras either silently or aloud is a conscious method of controlling and directing the mind. We create every word we speak and even every word we think. When we chant a mantra we choose to evoke the positive power in the particular syllables, rhythm, and frequent of that particular mantra. Simply by chanting mantra we are sending vibrations into motion that shall have the effect. For mantra, it does not matter whether we understand the meaning of the sound or not, as the mantra is the frequency of the sound vibration. By vibrating a particular combination of sounds you tune into various levels of intelligence or consciousness. We have the power to choose what we project and what we think. Through the use of mantra, the words, and the rhythm have an effect on our consciousness.
“A person can tune his or her own consciousness into the awareness of that totality with the use of a mantra. By vibrating in rhythm with the breath to a particular sound that is proportional to the creative sound, or sound current, one can expand one’s sensitivity to the entire spectrum of vibration. It is similar to striking a note on a stringed instrument. In other words, as you vibrate, the universe vibrates with you.” ~ Yogi Bhajan
Healing Depression Through Mantra
We’d like to share with you a tale from the heart, from mantra singer/songwriter and formidable talent Franko Heke. This self-confessed former “wayward youth” discovered how kirtan can help to alleviate depression and bring healing and joy to all!
We’d like to share with you a tale from the heart, from mantra singer/songwriter and formidable talent Franko Heke. This self-confessed former “wayward youth” discovered how kirtan can help to alleviate depression and bring healing and joy to all!
MIND FULL...
As someone who has wrestled with bouts of deep depression and anxiety since I was a young boy it felt like I have always been searching for a “remedy” or “way out”. Throughout my adolescence and in my 20’s that remedy came in the form of partying and living a rebellious “bad-boy” lifestyle. Forever chasing that elusive high, when you’re riding the wave it’s amazing but when that wave comes crashing down, it crashes down hard and fast. I was a pretty lost and wayward young lad, just trying to numb the pain of being me. Now I can see that it was all just a means to fill a void of loneliness and a yearning to “fit in.”
Yet there has always been a common thread throughout all of these times – music. During my many highs and lows, music has always there with me like a familiar friend. I’ve loved music ever since I was a kid, I grew up in a household where music was really integral and my parents had great taste! And they often took me to concerts and this is where my earliest inspiration began.
I have done it all, Rap, Rock, Techno and Pop. Well I thought that I had done it all…until I was taken by the hand during what I called a “self-committed” solo monastery retreat to a Satsang and Kirtan. It was a Friday night and I vividly remember walking into this particular family’s home, whom I had never met before and feeling completely welcomed by their smiles and open heart. Everyone sat down and one person at the front started playing their guitar whilst launching into singing a line of mantra then everyone around me sang that lyric back in response. I’d never heard Sanskrit before or heard mantra sung like this in call and response, I was captivated and mesmerized. The power of that response sent shivers right through my whole body, I knew then that this was what I needed to experience.
So there I was, die-hard party-boy on a Friday night in Auckland singing, albeit sober with a whole bunch of strangers sharing smiles, energy, food and music. I loved every minute of it, I completely forgot about my inadequacies in those moments because I was at one with the mantra. My days of playing covers in bars and pubs are now over, I spend a lot of my time holding kirtan nights just like the one I experienced all those years ago in yoga studios around Auckland. I also write and compose much of what I play, and I’ve never looked back, because I understand how lucky I am to know firsthand the tremendous healing qualities of singing and mantra.
The thing I love to do the most on this stunning planet is bring people together and sing so I look forward to sharing this with you at Golden Yogi’s “Project Your Destiny” event on Sunday 22, May!
MIND EMPTY.
Written by Franko Heke
Power of Kundalini Mantras
The use of mantra in Kundalini yoga is integral to the practice! In this issue Erin O'Hara explains the importance of sound and vibration, and what happens when you chant certain mantras. Plus get your bonus printable page with our most commonly used mantras and their meanings.
We are creating with every word we speak and thought we think in our mind. The power of mantra is amazing to elevate your consciousness and balance the mind. Mantra is a key element used in Kundalini Yoga to alter patterns of the mind on a physical and metaphysical level. The sound vibrations of mantra have the ability to elevate or modify consciousness through their meaning and rhythmical repetition.
All the mantras typically used in Kundalini Yoga are in Gurmukhi, a sacred Indian language, and occasionally, in English. By chanting mantra we invoke the positive vibrations of the mantra into our energy field. The science of mantra is based on the knowledge of sound vibrations. Sound vibrations affect our mind, body, and spirit through the movement of the tongue, the mouth, and the changes in the chemicals of the brain.
Yogi Bhajan described mantra as:
“By vibrating in rhythm with the breath to a particular sound that is proportional to the creative sound, or sound current, one can expand one’s sensitivity to the entire spectrum of vibration. It is similar to striking a note on a stringed instrument. In other words, as you vibrate, the universe vibrates with you.”
Simply by chanting the mantras we are setting vibrations into motion that shall affect our mind, body, and infinite connection. Download the printable PDF to deepen your understanding of the most frequently used mantras in Kundalini Yoga.
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