Mantras in yoga are formed using the ancient language of Sanskrit. A mantra is a word or sentence that is repeated. It becomes much more than a word - there is a sound, a feel to them too. They will have a spiritual meaning behind them too. We repeat them to get that 'felt sense' in the body. Like affirmations there is the mind body connection happening also.
In Hinduism and Buddhism a word or sound used in mantra is believed to have a special spiritual power. They are often repeated as an aid in meditation or prayer.
It can be used and expressed as a particular strong belief like when we think of people at a football match cheering or chanting "here we go, here we go, here we go".
We have a wonderful writer here in Ireland, Manchán Magan, who talks about the connections with Sanskrit and our own Irish language Gaeilge. How we structure our sentences and some of the words we use have been shown to be very similar. This is a great article on the Celtic and Vedic culture connection HERE.
The mantra (a word or phrase ) you repeat during meditation or asana practice can be a tool to help focus your racing mind. If you have trouble concentrating or getting in the right frame of mind it may help ground you in the present moment. Some people find that using a mantra can boost awareness and improve concentration too.
Here are some of my favourites. I incorporate mantra in our sessions in the Being Well with Brenda member group. If you have any questions please give me a shout.
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