Trying Different Mantras
As part of my practice, I am trying out different mantras when I meditate.
For the past few years, since about mid-2015, I have been focused on breath awareness. Basically, as a meditator, I sit and focus on the breath: its sounds, the rhythm, the silence surrounding the breath, and feeling my body relax into it.
As I learn about a lot of different mantras that a person can use in meditation, I find that there are quite a few that personally appeal or have appealed to me.
Jai Ram
When I first began to meditate, I was drawn into it because of mantras. The mantra, “Jai Ram” really called to me. It means “Glory to God” in Hindi. I repeated that mantra over and over again for the better part of two years, starting in 2010. I did that in and out of meditation. I feel like for those two years I spent a lot of time in a mindful state. It is that mantra that carried me through three big, tragic life events in a short time in 2011.
Though I found comfort in reciting “Jai Ram” hundreds of times a day, I also wanted to see what other ones I could try. I wanted to see if reciting a different mantra would change my meditation experience in any way. Now, after practicing different types, I think that the meaning of a mantra is less important than becoming “one” with the sound of it. Different mantras are different words and sounds to the same end – a meditative state.
Om
I will say, despite that, I do have my favorites. I like ”Om mani padme hum.” I have always found such comfort in that particular mantra. It is a mantra of compassion. I would recite that one a lot to myself in the years after I used “Jai Ram.”
I recently read in the book Perfect Health, by Deepak Chopra, about how certain mantra sounds go with each chakra. (If you’re not familiar with chakras, first, let me know and I’ll write a post about it. Second, they are seven different energy centers in the body that enhance a characteristic physically and symbolically. For example, the throat chakra is responsible for the functioning of the voice, but also the ability to “speak up.” For more info, click this link.)
I’m enjoying trying out these other sounds at the moment. I still love the sound “Om” and am continuing to use that, but there’s also “Hum” (which focuses on the throat chakra) and “Ram” (this focuses on the solar plexus chakra). Of course, these three types of mantras are not new to my mantra lexicon. Sometimes certain sounds just seem to roll off my tongue more easily.
Do You Use Different Mantras?
Still, another that I enjoy is “Om So Hum.” This is similar to “Ham Sah.” Both mean, “I am that.”
Is one of your favorites listed here?
- Jai Ram
- Om mani padme hum
- Hum
- Ram
- Sum
- Ham Sah
Do you have one in English you like to use? I have personally tried these:
- No worries
- I am peace
- I am love
- Love
I personally prefer the first set, that all originated in the ancient language of Sanskrit. I just has a “universal” appeal, you know?
Mantras in general seem to move me into a deep meditation faster than breath awareness. How about for you? Do you meditate and if so, do you use mantras?
I truly learned something new here with meditation today and for that I thank you, my friend! Hugs and Happy Memorial Day, Monday. Hoping you had a wonderful weekend and also wishing you a great week ahead now, too xoxo <3
Janine – thank you for your sweet words, my friend! I hope you had a great week and that you got to spend lots of fun time with the girls and with your family. You amaze me, friend! Your creativity just blows me away! Just incredible!!
To answer your question, Lil Sis, no, I do not use mantras when I meditate. I have an interesting mind. I can shut it off at will. Maybe there’s nothing in there to shut off. lol But seriously, meditation comes easily for me. Perhaps I should worry about that. 🙂
Happy holiday to you….do something nice for yourself today.
hugs from pleasant Olympia
Big Bro – that’s amazing. That reminds me of that TED video of Jill Bolte Taylor who could turn her “left brain off” – all the chatter would go away. And you have an incredible imagination and capacity to use the right side of your brain and turn off the left side of yours. That’s impressive and a gift! So psyched to hear that it’s not hard for you. It has not been easy for me to turn off the incessant chatter that goes on in my brain, but I still love practicing. I wouldn’t worry about that at all – it’s incredible!! I hope you had a great week! I’m a little late in getting back here to comment. School graduations, marketing, and extra coursework have kept me busy! Hehe.
It’s funny that I had never seen Om mani padme hum in writing and had only heard it as a chant. I had thought it was Om mani padme om. Oh, well. 🙂 I often say mantras silently like on the inhale, I think: “healing energy,” then with the exhale: “flows through my body.” I also use “healing love…” or “I am peace/I am love.” Sometimes I count backwards with the breath – a leftover from my hypnosis days.
JoAnna – thank you for your awesome comment! And it’s funny the lyrics in songs and what we think we’re hearing, whether in English or otherwise. Hehe. I love the mantras you use. Those words are beautiful. I can feel your love and compassion just emanating from your heart! And you did hypnosis!? So sweet! We had a hypnotist come to our college once and hypnotize the crowd. I, however, was unaffected and wondered how it happened to the other folks. Life’s fun mysteries. 🙂 Sending you hugs and wishes for a wonderful week!
I love mantras, Cynthia. I notice how the tone and depth of my voice stimulate different chakras. One of my favorite mantras is Om Namah Shivaya. There’s quite a bit of controversy around Gurumayi, but I don’t get caught up in that. Music transcends the human condition, and the tonal quality of this chant moves me deeply. Here’s a link to the rendition I favor most: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvyYHTT79ZE&index=3&list=PLLJ5jggHlbHTOaLg7MhogWPZziXKQ-x5C. I share in the joy of your ongoing journey, my friend ❤️
Tina – that’s so beautiful! Thank you for sharing your insights about mantras and what they do for different chakras. I’ve been reading “Perfect Health” by Chopra and have been trying different sounds to stimulate different chakras. It’s pretty sweet! And I completely agree: music transcends the human condition – culture, language, all that. I listened to the mantra on the link you sent me – her voice and the instruments really pull you in. I feel more at peace just listening for a few minutes. So lovely and thank you!! So glad our paths have crossed. I’m sending you big, bright hugs!
Dear Cynthia,
Your posts are always filled with nuggets of wisdom. I would like to learn more about chakras (could not access the link you wrote about)…
I also meditate without a specific mantra in my process…this gives me food for thought.
Love you and peace, Maria
Mar – oh, sweet friend! You make me smile! I just love your outlook and the energy you bring to this space. You are an incredible Being with so much love and blessings to share! So neat to hear that you meditate with a specific mantra. Sorry that the link didn’t work…lemme see…it turns out that I forgot to actually put in the link! I updated the link (THANK YOU!!) and here’s the link to a neat video that gives more information and the tonal frequency to “wake it up” https://youtu.be/BZR6yuCIie0 Sending you hugs, sweet Mar. Have a wonderful week!
Dearest Cynthia.. What an exceptional post, I devoured your links LOL.. and I often use just OM…. as my mantra.. But when I am drumming if you get the chance to look at my ABOUT ME page you will see a video there that I often Drum to.. Called Song to The Mother.
I have to leave off now as I need to get dinner ready.. But will be back later as I need to comment more.. <3
Sue – you know, I listened to a youtube video today as I worked that just focused on OM and the solfreggio frequency. I’d love to explore that idea more. It was 639 Hz – which also activates the heart chakra and love frequency. I have to say, the love I’ve been feeling lately…I felt like listening to this would just make me feel more love. Hehe. I dunno…I have to smile. All this meditation just has me…I am just feeling such a sense of bliss at the moment. I am to the point where I just want to see how all this will take me, and that I want the whole world to experience it. Touching the Void is a transcendent experience and it’s happened quite a few times in meditation now. I feel like that has probably happened for you on many occasions, as well. I so see you totally becoming one with love and light…that led you to doing what you do now. All the words that the Dalai Lama says, or Thich Nhat Hanh, or Rinpoche, or Ram Dass…what they say has different and more significance…Ah well…I’d better stop going on and on here. Just know that I’m sending you love and light. LOVE AND LIGHT.
You bring me big smiles of Joy Cynthia.. in that I see myself when I was discovering all of the meditation world and still AM exploring it. And it never fails to open up new doors to inner realms of beauty and joy. The amount of love that pours forth is incredible. To the point it often brings tears.. You can not express what you feel in such moments.. And the tears flow easily for me these days.
And I have loved, So loved your interaction with your wonderful replies my friend.. Enjoy the rest of your week.. And take care.. stay Blessed.. Sending love and Blessings your way.. <3
Sue 🙂
Sue – ah, you kindred spirit. With all this meditation and contemplative study, I am moved to tears so easily these days. For the past five days or so, I think I’ve had at least several teary episodes. Meditation helps you to recenter quickly, but it’s amazing too, in that it increases your compassion. You just want to help the world and help everyone while helping yourself…
And our language – any language, I think – is woefully inaccurate at describing these emotions. It’s kind of like seeing a photo of a panoramic vista, but there’s just no way you could sense from the photo the vast beauty that you would experience in person.
I have loved our interactions, too. These conversations are so meaningful to me – even if it’s taken me a bit of time to get back to you on these this time. I will share about my retreat and Reiki sessions soon. I thought of you and how you’ve talked about energy and energy healing…here’s to continued thought exchange and learning. Sending you the biggest bear hugs!
Dear Cynthia I am back, later than planned, but in a way I am pleased about that as it gave me time to look out my favourite piece of music which I was introduced to oh some many years ago now.
I first heard this music here Om Namah Shivaya by Krishna Das,Om Namah Shivaya – Krishna Das Live! Songs With Lyrics
I have the full CD. I first heard it in a workshop. We were all told to close our eyes and get up in the middle of large room and dance .. It begins slowly and then speeds up. We all swayed to the beginning and at the end were twirling in circles with arms up in the air, About Twenty of us, and not one of us bumped into each other..
After that I fell in love with the Chant, and I had it to begin and generate energy for my Trance circle, and it would be played prior to the trance circle, We all had our drums too.. And would be drumming. The energy of Music and Chant.. Is phenomenal.
Ommmmm is indeed the sound of the Universe.. And I am always reminded of some words in the beginning..
In the Beginning was WORD. ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ”
I Always think this refers to Vibration! Sound.. We all are Frequencies.. 🙂
Enjoy the Chant, I am certain you will have heard it before but this is my very favourite version..
Love And Blessings and enjoy your Sunday. <3
Love Sue <3
Sue – no worries! I’m so glad you’re back and no matter when you can get here, I’m just always happy to see you. You know what’s funny? You and Tina Frisco BOTH suggested the Om Namah Shivaya music. I listened to the link she gave me, but seeing that BOTH of you mentioned this, I must look into it more now. I took a look at the link you sent and added it to my “keepers list”: the harmonium alone is just so incredible to hear. We have a few people who do kirtan singing here where I live, and I need to get to one to hear it live. 🙂 I just have a funny feeling that it could be life-changing. The chanting is so moving and feels like it gets into the soul, doesn’t it? I can just imagine the energy of the music and chanting, with the rhythmic drumming…I can feel my heart moving and synching just reading what you say here.
I love the sound of OM. It has a comfort to it that I don’t think any other word quite has such a resonant sound and meaning. And your connection to “in the beginning” was something I’d never thought of, but a valid and unique way to look at it – I like it! God = OM = universe…it’s pretty profound to contemplate.
Speaking of kirtan, have you ever tried the Sa Ta Na Ma chant and using the changing mudras on your fingers? I didn’t know about that until taking this course, but I love that sound/chant and meditation now, too. The meditation institute had us listen to this version: https://youtu.be/GiKkM9VywzE – I find myself humming along well after the chanting has ended. Hehe.
I just have to express gratitude that you are part of my journey, here, Sweet Sue. You may not know it, but your wisdom and inspiration have taught me so much. I am just so grateful that our paths have crossed – it was meant to be. Thank you for all that you are!
Thank you again So much for the new chant.. And no I had not come across this one.. LOVE it.. and the finger exercise with it.. Its playing now.. And you are so very welcome.. Love and Gratitude rebounds right back to you also.. <3 <3
Sue – and THANK YOU for the Krishna Das link. Ohmigosh. I can’t stop listening! I have Amazon Prime and had to download a BUNCH of playlists by Krishna Das. 🙂 Hehe. Thank you again for sharing that. His music is so…powerful and moving. Sending you hugs!
Whoops forgot to leave you the link as it appears not to have linked in the title of the song It is https://youtu.be/PTc8X37oJBE enjoy my friend. Hugs
Thank you!! It is BEAUTIFUL!!!
Yes powerful is the key word to his chants and music. <3 Your so welcome. 🙂
The joy is two fold, as I gain so much from your insights too Cynthia.. Ommmmmm…
Thank you, sweet Sue! The feeling is mutual. ❤️💜🧡💚💙