Mantras, Mudras and Mandalas
MANTRAS
Sound is most definitely my most dominant sense, so you give me a word I like and I’ll be repeating that word til the cows come home, putting myself into a soothing state of self-hypnosis! Which is exactly what a Mantra does, it’s a sacred sound you repeat that has a soothing affect on the nervous system, something like So Hum or Sat Nam or Om has the ability to put you into a trance like state which serves the purpose of focus in mediation.
Looking at the roots of the Sanskrit word, man, meaning mind, and, tra, meaning deliverance, or, projection. Therefore chanting specific mantra sounds delivers us away from our sense dependency, from our perpetual habit of looking toward the senses for gratification; pleasures that are and that will always be impermanent. Sense gratification never really gratifies, even if delayed!
Some benefits of regular mantra chanting include;
Soothes the nervous system,
Boosts your immune system
Opens the heart so we become more compassionate
Sharpens our intuition
Transcends the senses
Did you know that each energy centre (chakra) in the body has a seed sound that resonates with it? When chanted they have the affect of speaking to that particular area, helping to awaken it. These are as follows:
Root Chakra; LAM
Sacral Chakra VAM
Solar Plexus RAM
Heart Chakra YAM
Throat Chakra HAM
Third Eye + Crown Chakras; AUM
Starting from the root up and chanting the sound for roughly thirty seconds to a minute leaves the body instantly feeling calm and with a clearer energy field.
Now as each chakra represent a different element ; earth, water, fire, air, ether and spaciousness, it makes perfect sense that also in the body there are energy lines; meridians which access these elements starting in our humble hands. Which brings me to the Mudras; or hand gestures
MUDRAS
The universe is made of five elements, and each of the five fingers is represented by one of these elements. The thumb represents the fire, as well as universal consciousness. The index finger represents air and individual consciousness.
The middle finger represents akasha, or connection. The ring finger represents earth, and the little finger the element of water.
When these five elements are not in balance, we can experience disease in the body. Mudras are one way of creating a balance between all of these elements within us.
MANDALAS
A mandala is a deeply meditative and symbolic picture of the universe. It can be a painting on a wall or scroll, created on paper, in coloured sands on a table, or lately found in a colouring in books to promote mindfulness and meditation.
The mandala represents an imaginary palace that is contemplated during meditation. Each object in the palace has significance, representing an aspect of wisdom or reminding the meditator of a guiding principle. The mandala's purpose is to assist in one pointedness, assists in healing and ultimately helps to transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones..
In similar ways to a Mantra, the Mandala assists in transcending the senses, helping the mind turn inward and focus on a central point in the symbol, often known as a bindi. One of my favourite and most beautiful intricate Mandalas of all is the Buddhist Sri Yantra, pictured below;
Use this image as a meditation tool by focusing on the dot in the central triangle, imagining what you wish to manifest at this point..In time you will feel like you’re moving into a vortex.
Remember there are many powerful practises in yoga to help calm and clear the body and mind. Including something so simple like Mandalas, mantras and mudras in your daily practice can definitely help you feel profound changes, especially with becoming less reactive and more responsive, in life. Try for at least 21days in a row to become a habit in your world and let me know how you go!