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Mantras as Important Tools for Awakening
- Sherianna Boyle
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In today’s episode of “Healing From Within”, your host Sheryl Glick, intuitive healer/medium and author of The Living Spirit which shares stories of spiritual awakenings spiritual communication healing and finding the power of your intuition or soul being, welcomes Sherianna Boyle a former guest on the show who joins us today to discuss her new book Mantras Made Easy.
Sherianna Boyle is the author of six books and an adjunct Psychology Professor, seasoned yoga/ meditation instructor, energy therapy practitioner, and mother of three daughters who shares an understanding of the ancient process of using mantras as a way to go within and to create new states of higher consciousness and awareness.
Sherianna explains to us what a mantra is. Mantras are words, syllables, or phrases you repeat to help you connect and feel the energy within you and around you. Mantras can provide you with all kinds of support when you need it most—comfort, inspiration, reassurance, motivation, a sense of calm, or a burst of energy—and they can be practiced anytime, anywhere. The words in mantras are carefully formulated to offer you a way to be present and move through a particular situation. Incorporating mantras into your daily life will help you be more focused, centered, and better able to transform perceived obstacles into doorways of opportunity.
Having a mantra practice has served Sherianna in her life. She writes, “When I recently had a theft- identity problem my old way of thinking would have been to descend into fear….Such a hassle!, my mind immediately thought, all is well. My daily mantra practice interceded in what could have been a very stressful moment and offered me just the words I needed to think. Although I was sure to follow the necessary logistical precautions about my identity and finances, the mantra gave me the means to access a sense of calm, clarity, and resilience. In the past, I might have panicked, analyzed the “what if’s,” felt sorry for myself, or held my breath through the process. This is no longer the case. The practice of mantras not only loosens the grip of old, ineffective habits but also generously clears away what contributes to them in the first place. As a result, you free yourself of defensive coping mechanisms that previously zapped your energy, and instead you activate more liberating states of being. When this occurs, your life tends to run more smoothly, filling you with ease— When practiced and applied effectively, mantras also give you the power to positively influence others through the personal transformation of yourself. Mantras Made Easy is a collection of mantras for all the ups and downs of daily living. Think of it as a trusted friend, offering you just what you need to get through the particular situation you’re experiencing. You’ll find mantras to bring you happiness, peace, love, and healing, and mantras to help you overcome fear and anxiety. In addition to the mantras, you’ll also find specific insight into why these specific words will help in the given situation. Leave frustration, anger, and fear behind. Embrace the peace, inspiration, and happiness that mantras can provide.”
Sherianna shares with us that according to German authors Grazyna Fosar and Franz Bludorf, your body is “programmable by language, words, and thoughts.” Just like you are programmed to respond to the ring of your phone, you can program repeated words and phrases into your subconscious mind. If you repeat negative words and phrases, you begin to develop beliefs (e.g., I’m fat) and behaviors (feeling guilty and irritable) that do not serve you well. If that’s the case for you, take heart. These tendencies are actually a reflection of our evolution. In order to survive, our ancestors were wired to focus on the negative, as this increased their chances of survival. They had to be on the lookout for predators and constantly be aware of threats to their food and water sources. Today, of course, we don’t need to watch out for lions or remember how to get to a watering hole. But this information about how our brains work provides insight into why mantras can be so valuable…..
“We don’t necessarily see things as they are. We see them as we are.”
Mantras are so powerful. Although focusing on the negative helped our ancestors survive, focusing on the positive through mantras is much more beneficial for the modern you.
The History of Mantras….. Mantras are one of the most ancient mind-body practices. Although mantras have been around for 3,000-plus years, they were not fully discovered until the last 150 years. This is because a good portion of mantras where written in the ancient Hindu language of Sanskrit and kept private to preserve their quality. Although Sanskrit is not spoken today, it is very much kept alive through the practice of mantras.
MANTRAS IN THE BIBLE Mantras are also found throughout the Bible. Syllables and words taken from prayers can easily be put into practice within a mantra. For example, the word Amen, which was originally a Hebrew (Aramaic) term, made its way into Greek, Latin, and then finally English, is translated as “and so be it.” Moreover, Bible passages such as “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1) show just how important words are to the practice of faith.
Sanskrit Mantras Thomas Ashley-Farrand, one of the Western experts on sacred Sanskrit mantras, reports that mantras were originally recorded on palm leaves. Certain families were asked to safeguard specific mantras, similar to a family heirloom or a secret recipe.
Mantras in India and Tibet were secured through precise recording, storing, and passing from generation to generation. All of this information was eventually transferred and formally recorded into one of the oldest Hindu texts (still widely utilized today) called the Vedas. Sanskrit mantras were designed as a tool for healing and spiritual growth. They were used to increase abundance, prosperity, strength, protection, fortitude, and love. You can think of Sanskrit mantras as being similar to an eternal flame. When you recite a Sanskrit mantra, you are not only tapping into the energy of the words but also the level of consciousness that was put into the words by those who repeated it before you. Since this level of consciousness goes back thousands of years, you can imagine how strong this word energy is
Ashley-Farrand discusses how each of the Sanskrit mantras appear tailor-made to support the human energetic system. Each letter in the Sanskrit language corresponds to a chakra (energy centers in the body). One of the reasons Sanskrit mantras are so effective is that they use seed sounds (explained next) to connect to invisible energy centers of the body, called chakras. Chakras means (spinning) wheel. There are seven major chakras and many more minor ones, and they correspond to places where energy pools in the energy field of the human body. Each chakra corresponds to a specific gland, organ, or muscle, beginning at the base of the spine all the way to the top of your head. When your chakras are in balance, this creates an internal state of flow.
Sheryl says, “In learning to incorporate energy related exercises into our life we increase our ability to remember who we are and deal with our physical life in a more competent way…In my book the Living Spirit I addressed that thought and wrote….” There are several types of energy healing. Some like Reiki and acupuncture have been around for thousands of years: others have been developed more recently Their methods may differ, as well as certain aspects of ideology but they all operate on one basic premise: there is more to us than our physical bodies. Energy sessions focus on the life fore or qi” that flows within all living things, the goal being to release, dissolve, or transmute negative feelings that block this force and cause imbalance and illness in the body. All of these methods have benefits that range from improving or healing the physical body to clearing past, painful memories and negative thought patterns.”
Today, Sanskrit mantras are catching the attention of neuroscientists and other mind-body researchers. Many researchers are studying the effects of a positive mindset on overall health and well-being, and mantras can certainly help facilitate a positive outlook. Researchers such as Thomas Ashley-Farrand have dedicated their lives to preserving the roots of Sanskrit mantras, making them accessible to new generations, while encouraging seekers to respect their sacred history.
Please know that choosing to incorporate Sanskrit mantras into your daily life does not mean you are changing your religion. Regardless of what religion you were raised in or practice today, you can turn to mantras and use them as tools to support the development of your meditation skills.
Author Louise Hay is one of the pioneers of affirmations. She brings their power to light in her book, You Can Heal Your Life. Although mantras and affirmations share a similar intention of transformation and empowerment, to effectively practice mantras it is helpful to know what distinguishes one from the other. The following table shows the differences between the two practices.
The differences between mantras and affirmations are;
Mantras Affirmations
Are at least 3,000 years old Surfaced in the 1980s
Founded in spirituality Founded in psychology
Energy-focused Statement-focused
Can be as short as a single syllable Are usually a full sentence
Are repeated more frequently Are repeated less often
Mantras and affirmations both have a place in meditative study. Mantras’ long history and connection to energy influences the development of affirmations. Meanwhile, affirmations and their connection to simple, everyday language influences mantras.
When practiced regularly, mantras are like medicine for your energy. According to Healing Mantras, “mantras help prepare your energy centers (chakras) to receive and use large amounts of spiritual energy.” Think of the energy in your body like a light bulb. You can have a 25-, 50-, or 100-watt bulb, depending on how much energy you have. The more you utilize mantras, the more wattage (energy) your light bulb (body) is able to hold. Some additional benefits of reciting mantras include the following:
- RELEASING SUBCONSCIOUS EMOTIONS According to Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, when you tap the roof of your mouth with your tongue—as you do when chanting some of the seed sounds—you release emotions from the part of your brain called the hypothalamus. The Power of a Mantra through repetitive action. As you’ll learn next, traditional mantra practice often includes a minimum of 108 repetitions. Therefore, when repeating a seed sound such as RAM, you may not feel an emotional release until you have paused at the end of 30, 50, or 108 reps. You know you are releasing stress and subconscious emotions when your body takes in a fresh deep inhale, a bodily sigh, or makes a deep, relaxing exhale. Even an action as simple as repeating the syllable la, la, la touches your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Go ahead and try it right now. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons singing can lift your mood and attitude. Notice how your energy becomes light and playful.
- INCREASING CALM Breathing is such an important part of finding and maintaining a sense of calm. And mantras have a way of getting you to pay attention to your breathing.
- INCREASING HEALTH, AWARENESS, AND UNIVERSAL CONNECTION Balancing your brain waves through mantras not only makes you feel better overall but also connects you to a universal intelligence, where deep healing and transformation occurs. If you are wondering what that means for you, the history of mantras (particularly the ones in Sanskrit) is noted as being a means for clearing up negative karma, which some believe may contribute to current negative emotional and physical experiences
Sherianna Boyle has shared a complete detailed historical view of Mantras and the great tool they can be for finding our calm authentic nature and enjoying life more as a result of using meditation and mantras in our busy daily live activities.
We have come to know more about using mantras as an important tool in clarifying our needs and understanding our feelings always in the interest of truth well being and appreciation for life and ourselves.
As Sherianna wrote, “When practiced and applied effectively, mantras also give you the power to positively influence others through the personal transformation of yourself.” Mantras Made Easy is a collection of mantras for all the ups and downs of daily living. Think of it as a trusted friend, offering you just what you need to get through the particular situation you’re experiencing. You’ll find mantras to bring you happiness, peace, love, and healing, and mantras to help you overcome fear and anxiety.”
Sherianna and I would hope you begin to strive to simply be a happy human being… of course we must all deal with challenging moments, but ultimately, if we begin to know ourselves as the magnificent dynamic soul beings we truly are, we will appreciate all of life… embracing this world as we walk more comfortably with peace and grace through each day.
Embrace each higher more illuminating thought as a message from Spirit guiding you toward a happy life.
