Use of mantra's in meditation and healing

Mantra Yoga

 

The sound syllables of the Gayatri mantra affect 24 specific energy centers in the body.

Mantras are words or prayers that contain powerful syllables that affect all layers of consciousness. "Mantrana", the Sanskrit origin of the word "mantra", means advice or suggestion. "Mantra" also means "a weapon over mind" with mind translated as "manas" in Sanskrit.

Mantras influences both the one producing them as the one hearing them. The vedic mantras originate with the seers (Rishis) that saw or heard these mantras in deep meditation.

Mantras are used within all branches of yoga, for expressing devotion as prayers in Bhakti Yoga, as objects of meditation in Ashtanga Yoga and also for healing and purification in Tantra Yoga.

To meditate on a mantra means to be focused on one mantra with the exclusion of all other thoughts. To repeat a mantra for a long time is also called mantra japa. By repeating the mantra we try to bring mind to a quiet state, so that the witnessing self can be fully experienced and the ego temporarily disappears. The ultimate objective of mantra meditation is Samadhi, the eight stage of Ashtanga Yoga.

The most powerful mantra meditation is when we sing the mantra inside, while being silent outside. Only then mind can be quiet enough to create real deep meditation. Listening to your mind reciting the mantra inside is the highest form of mantra meditation, until samadhi sets in.

How to Meditate ? Gayatri Mantra Meditation

To sing a mantra out loud can be a good way to learn silent mantra meditation. Slowly, the volume can be lowered until the mantra is being whispered and we are ready for inside recitation. Singing out loud can also happen in a group, where it also can become more silent near the end. Group meditation is especially helpful for people that are not so used to mantra meditation. When groups sing a mantra for a very long time (hours) it can bring about samadhi in some people also. Group mantra singing should not happen too slow so the rhytm helps to synchronise all singers.

For learning how to do mantra meditation, more general mantra's are used such as the Gayatri mantra to teach groups of people. For more advanced learning, the teacher may chose a particular mantra that is especially suited to the character of the student.

Some mantra's have a very useful effect on our feelings and health. One might call them therapeutic, but originally they are Tantric because they use many primary sounds (seed sounds) that strongly affect our energy fields.

For fear, worries & lack of self-confidence use this Kali mantra :

AUM KRANG KRING KRUNG KALIKA DEVI
SHRANG SHRING SHRUNG ME SUB
KURU KURU KURU SWAHA

Audio file for correct pronunciation

For anger, irritability, negativity and depression, use this bhairav mantra :

AUM BRAM BRIM BRUM BAN BATUK
BHAIRAVAYA NAMAHA

Audio file for correct pronunciation

The main thing to remember about mantra meditation is that the only thing which really counts is your ability to recite the mantra without thoughts coming in between. Whichever way you can do that is the way to follow, whether inside or outside recitation, loud or whispered, synchronized with breath or visualisation,...

▶ Many more details on mantra meditation here...