Let’s Talk About… Mantras!
A few months ago I was at Barnes and Noble and came across the book “A Little Bit of Mantras: An Introduction to Sacred Sounds” by Lily Cushman. The book immediately caught my interest. I have introduced the idea of developing mantras with many of my clients and often share my personal mantra: pause, breathe, play, repeat. Once I started taking a deep dive into the book at home, I realized that I have been unaware of the true definition and usage of mantras. In Western culture, mantras are viewed more as a “statement or slogan repeated frequently” similar to an affirmation or a motto, which was how I understood the usage of mantras. This is actually the second definition of “mantra” listed in the English Oxford Dictionary. The first definition given is “a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation.” According to Cushman, this definition is a little bit closer to the traditional meaning.
The word mantra originates from the Sanskrit language and can be broken down into two roots, man and tra. Man is associated with the root for the word “mana,” meaning “mind” and Tra is defined as “crossing over.” Together, the literal translation is “crossing over the mind.” “Crossing over the mind” is a way for us to gain access to the fullness of our being, working past our anxiety, distractions, and fear, in order to obtain greater connection, creativity, and curiosity. Mantras were developed as a precise sound frequency, language, rhythm and cadence that was intended to unlock specific energies and qualities in the individual. This is different from an affirmation, which can be any word or statement in your native language that reinforces a belief or motto.
Prayer and song have been used throughout history, spanning many cultures and religions, as a way to expand the heart and mind, as well as to develop connections with others. The mantras that I learned about in Cushman’s book originated from Hindu teaching and rituals, however mantras are used in various other religions and faiths.
Using mantras can have a positive impact on our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. The repetition of a mantra creates a sound pattern, which sends vibrations throughout our body. These vibrations can be used to change our emotional state, like overcoming anxiety, soothe pain, uplift our mood, or it can be used to access deeper states of consciousness. A 2010 and 2018 study on chanting the “Aum” mantra found that participants experienced an increase in theta power. Theta waves are the second slowest brave wave and are detected during states of deep, relaxed, internal focus. Therefore both studies suggest that Aum meditation may increase relaxation. Several studies on the use of mantra meditation with college students found that students’ cognitive functions such as focus, attention span, and working memory, as well as stress levels improved. When we pay full attention to the mantra, we are not as disturbed by other thoughts, memories, or sensations. Other potential benefits that studies have found include: lowered blood pressure, regulating and slowing heart rate, boosting immunity, and increasing positive thinking.
Cushman explains that the structure of mantra practice can be broken down into four steps in order to help us shift from a scattered state to a focused state. To start the practice, we must first gather our fragmented thoughts and feelings and put all of our focus on the mantra itself. That can look like speaking the mantra aloud, silently hearing it in our head, singing the mantra, or writing it down. Once we’ve gathered ourselves, the next step is to notice when our mind is wandering away from the mantra. It can be easy for our mind to wander, so we must not judge ourselves when it does happen, just notice it. In the third step, we let go of anything that is not the mantra as if we are saying “not now” to other distractions and thoughts. Finally, we turn our attention back to the mantra to begin again. This step is important. No matter how much our mind has wandered, we accept the wandering and just begin again. It teaches us that we can recover and continue on again.
There are 13 different mantras introduced in Cushman’s book. I decided to make a goal for myself to learn a new mantra each week and practice different ways to incorporate that mantra into my daily life. The first mantra in the book was one I was already familiar with: Aum. At the beginning and closing of the yoga class I attend, the instructor leads the group in chanting this mantra. Depending on the instructor, sometimes we say the mantra once, and sometimes we say it a total of 3 times. Until I read Cushman’s book, this was the only way I was using the mantra and I wasn’t familiar with its actual meaning.
Aum is a mantra used for peace and its benefits are considered to be connection and tranquility. Aum (also commonly spelled Om) is one of the most sacred sounds in the Hindu tradition. Aum means: “the primordial sound, the sound of the universe, the cosmic sound.” According to Hindu folklore, all that existed before the existence of space or time was the potential for existence. Out of that possibility grew a subtle friction which evolved into a slight humming vibration. This humming (the sound of Aum) became the first sound of the universe and its vibrational frequency is thought to be the origin of all other sounds, vibrations, and life forms. Aum is pronounced with three phonetic components: A - “ah” meaning creation, U “OH” meaning manifestation, and M “mm” meaning destruction. When put together it’s pronounced: ah-OH-mm. The silence that follows Aum is just as important as the A-U-M sound because it can be a way to experience the other sounds and vibrations around us that we might be unaware of. It is believed that chanting the Aum mantra is a way to connect with all of life because we are joining with a sound that is already flowing around us. The Aum symbol consists of several spiritual elements including three curves, a semicircle on the top, and a dot just above it.
Below are the meanings of each parts:
The left lower curve = waking (conscious) state
The left upper curve = deep sleep (unconscious) state
Middle curve = dreaming state (between deep sleep and waking states)
Semi-Circle = Illusion state which blocks us from realizing the highest state of bliss which we struggle to achieve
Dot = transcendental state, the highest state of spiritual joy
After learning about the deeper meaning behind Aum, I thought I would try incorporating the mantra into my life more often than just in my yoga class. One new way I tried using the mantra was by doodling within a printout of the symbol, which turned out to be a great mindful practice. I didn’t worry about perfection or carefully thinking out my drawing - I just doodled to fill the space.
My Aum Doodle
I tried synchronizing my breathing to the mantra, drawing the symbol, and tracing over an already drawn out symbol. Cushman provides call and response recordings as part of her book so I listened to the audio example of “Aum '' one afternoon. It was a pleasant experience and I thought “oh that was nice.” However, I later came back to it and tried singing along. It was fun! After several repetitions of the chant, I picked up on the melody.
One night later that week I had trouble sleeping. Thoughts were running through my head, which made me feel very awake. I went downstairs to try sleeping on the couch and the mantra came to mind. I spent several minutes recreating the chant from the recording in my head. I focused on the rhythm and pulse of the chant. I could hear the harmonic structure in my head and could feel the beat in my body. I started matching my breathing pattern to it. It helped me to focus on my breath and engage in deeper slower breathing. When I returned to focusing on the chant, I naturally started creating simple affirmations to match the harmony of it. I thought: “I am strong. I am smart. I will persist.” After several rounds of breathing, affirmations, and singing the chant in my head, my mind had significantly quieted. I no longer had thoughts running through my head and I also felt a sense of empowerment. I was able to return to bed and in little time I fell asleep.
I was a little skeptical at first about using more traditional mantras, however now that I have personally experienced the benefits of mantras on my wellness, I encourage you to try adding mantras into your week in whatever way fits you best. You can use them to intentionally reduce stress or other unpleasant emotions and thoughts you experience, to engage in more mindfulness, or even to just try it out for fun. You can start with Aum and/or try other mantras. There is a list of other mantras along with pronunciations and call/response recordings on Lily Cushman’s website: https://www.lilycushman.com/a-little-bit-of-mantras-practice-companion
Here’s some suggestions on how you can incorporate the Aum mantra into your daily life. You can adapt the strategies listed below to use with the other mantras. If you follow a specific religion, you might choose a mantra similar to “Aum” in your religion. An example of this would be “Amen” in Christian faith.
Speak Aum aloud
Print out the symbol and trace it or imagine the symbol and trace it on your lap/desk using your finger
Chant/sing the mantra
Create a card with the word or symbol on it and place it in a location where you’ll look at it as a reminder
Create an affirmation that you associate with the mantra → write it out, create a post it note or index card with the affirmation and the Aum symbol
Sit or walk outside and listen for the sound/vibration of Aum within everyday sounds
Walk at a natural pace and recite Aum with each step
Silently hear the mantra in your head while you exercise —> can use it as a counting mechanism or for how long to hold a pose
Think it whenever you engage in unhelpful self talk
Synchronize the silent mantra to breathing (ex. Inhale while hearing the three consonants, exhale during the moment of silence)
Listen to recording of chants before bed, while walking, or on your commute
Keep a pocket stone or other small object in your bag/pocket to remind yourself of the mantra and to feel grounded
Sing or chant it with kids - can connect you with your family either to increase energy or for quiet time
Color or doodle in the Aum symbol
Think the mantra every time you do a specific task (take a sip of water, go into your work space, wash your hands)
Mantra practice might also help enhance your creativity. Whatever your preferred method is, try adding a mantra practice right before or right after engaging in your creative work. This can help you successfully transition between roles and activities. If you’re feeling stuck, doubtful, frustrated, or critical you might try the practice in the middle of your creative work. Using the mantra can give you some space, help you clear your head of those critical thoughts, and give you a reset before continuing on with your work.
Play around with using mantras outside of your creative work. By using it in other areas of your life that are stressful or tiresome, you might gain the energy and motivation needed to set aside time to create, complete projects, or engage in other meaningful activities such as hobbies or spending time with family.
I’d love to hear how you are using mantras and if you’d like more guidance on ways to get unstuck in your creative work, balancing your life, or managing stress - reach out to me to get started with life or creativity coaching!
Sources:
Abhay, L. (2021, May 28). 14 Mantra meditation benefits, proven science, mantra chanting rules. Blisscredo.
https://blisscredo.com/mantra-meditation-13-proven-power-benefits-top-mantras-how-to-rules/
Cushman, L. (2019). A little bit of mantras: An introduction to sacred sounds. Sterling Ethos.
Giovanni. (2020, February 2). Mantra meditation - the benefits and the methods. Live and Dare. https://liveanddare.com/mantra-meditation
