|
In
Kundalini Yoga, we often accompany a movement or even a breath
pattern with sounds we sing or meditate on silently, called
"mantras." Mantras are repetitive sounds we make
over and over to bring about a change in our consciousness.
Chanting
may seem strange to you at first, but it is a powerful tool
for healing. People often ask me what is the purpose of a
certain chant in a certain meditation. The words are chosen
not only for their meaning as words, but also for a scientific
reason that goes far beyond pure definition. All mantras we
use are based on the science of "Naad" -- the secrets
hidden in sound.
The
roof of our mouth has eighty-four meridian points, all along
the upper palate. Mantras were given to us as special gifts
Long ago, highly evolved beings went into deeply meditative
states. They began reciting certain sounds that made the tongue
hit these meridian points in the mouth in certain combinations.
It's kind of like playing the piano -- if certain notes are
struck, a beautiful song is produced. With every word we speak,
or in this case the mantras we recite, we hit certain "keys."
If the right combination of keys is struck, then the hypothalamus,
thalamus, and pituitary in the brain are all stimulated in
such a way as to bring our minds into a meditative state,
and even into ecstasy. And just think, if we can produce that
state without drugs, what a world this would be.
This
is also why sometimes you'll walk into a room in which people
have been gossiping, swearing a lot, or generally talking
"low-vibrational" talk, and the whole room will
feel depressed and heavy. Other times, you might walk into
a room in which a lot of chanting or uplifting kinds of conversations
have been occurring, and you'll feel a lightness and ease
in the room. What you're experiencing has a lot to do with
the science of Naad.
Each
mantra was chosen by those ancient wise people because it
encapsulated an uplifting vibration into a few choice little
words. When we recite them, we stimulate certain parts of
our brain that actually change the chemical balance of the
brain. This changed chemical composition allows a more relaxed
and expanded state of consciousness to overtake our minds.
"In
the coming age, the mental insanity, which has started breeding
now and which will multiply and multiply, will not be curable
by any medicine. At that moment the practice of chanting in
Naad yoga will be most effective. It will bring about a balanced
state of mind." Yogi Bhajan
One
of the most powerful mantras we use in Kundalini yoga is "Sat
Nam," meaning "I am Truth." The beautiful pure
vowel sounds are very similar to the Latin "Amen."
We end each yoga class with a long, sung "Sat Nam."
We
all use mantras all day long -- repetitive, out loud, or silently
-- phrases such as "It's hard," or "I'm tired."
"I don't know what I'm doing," "It will never
happen ... .. I'm stressed," "There's not enough
time," or "There's not enough money."
We
don't even notice them becoming part of our reality by repetition.
We act out on what we say, live on how we think. If your mantra
is, "I am stressed," you will be stressed. Or if
your mantra is, "It's never going to happen," --
it's never going to happen. In the beginning was the word,
and the word was God. So powerful are our words to ourselves
and to others. Mudras: Magic Hand Positions
Along
with the use of mantras, we sometimes use "mudras"
in Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. These special hand positions
are designed to bring energies into the body, and along with
the use of mantras and eye focal points, they send certain
messages to our brain. They aid in producing calming and meditative
states within our being.
(What
is a Mantra?)
(Hindu
Mantras)
(Buddhist
Mantras)
(The
Mantra Aum / Om)
| Authors
Details: Gurmukh (with Cathryn Michon) |
|
