The Mantra of Mantras bestows freedom from the torture of the mind

Is it an exaggeration to say that the mind has the power to torture us? In a moment of stress, take 1 minute to sit and watch the content of your thoughts as they race through the mind. How much kindness and support are you seeing? Even the casual observation of everyday thinking reveals recurring patterns of self-judgment and doubts, of negative self-talk and the constant chatter of an insatiable inner critic. Becoming aware of the weighty messages we receive from our mind is a potent first step to diminish their influence. However, if we want to be free from the mind, a more powerful shift is necessary.

Some schools of thought believe that we should suppress or control our thinking patterns in order to free ourselves from their tyranny. If you have ever tried to not think a thought that comes or to prevent it from arising, I am sure you noticed that it doesn’t work. It is truly impossible to control the mind in that way, and it makes sense that we can’t use the instrument that creates the problem to solve the problem...

This doesn’t mean that we are powerless. It just means we need to reach for a different perspective to be free from the torture of the mind! That is where the blessing of Mantra comes in. By shifting our attention away from the mind and onto the repetition of Mantra, our focus changes its orientation. It is no longer involved with the story or thinking pattern of the mind but it’s attention is on something of an entirely different nature.

Mantra is a Sanskrit word composed of two elements: Man or Manas, which means mind and tra, which means release. The very word explains what Mantra does: It releases the mind from its entanglement with thoughts and their stories. Now the mind is free to open up and orient itself in a different direction. This is where the real power of Mantra resides. Its subtle sound vibration combined with the power of its meaning leads the attention back to the space of the Source of Mantra. Thus we enter the dimension of the unchanging and infinite space at the back of all manifestation - our True Nature, which is entirely free from thoughts, stories and their meaning.

Since time immemorial human beings have used Mantras as a way to reorient their focus. There are thousands of Mantras with as many meanings. Some are used like prayers to invoke the favour of the Divine, others to chant the glory of God. All are powerful ways to connect to the higher dimensions within.

One Mantra - I call it the Mantra of Mantras - stands out among them. It is the Shyam Mantra: Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum. Its sound has an immediate and immensely calming effect on the nervous system of the practitioner. More importantly, its vibration and meaning invokes the True Nature of our existence and leads us to experience it here and now. By repeating the words Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum, we affirm our nature to be more than the content of a tortured mind. We step into the fullness of our Being by daring to call ourselves by our True Name - Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum, I am immortal, I am blissful - I am the Pure Free Forever Being of unchanging and everlasting Oneness.

If you would like to hear the correct way of pronouncing the Mantra Amaram Hum Madhuram hum, you can listen to Sampriya chanting it by clicking here. Contact her for a free 20 min. consult of Online Meditation Mentoring if you would like to learn more about Mantra and Meditation.

Saadhana

Many books have been written on the subject of Saadhana, a Sanskrit word that loosely translates as spiritual exercise. The term Saadhana is used to describe the variety of yogic practices that open the awareness of the Saadhak (the practitioner) to his True Nature, the Self.

Most people are familiar with the practice of Aasana (physical postures) referred to as Yoga. They may also know about various exercises of relaxation and concentration that are the precursors of Meditation. Then there is the practice of Meditation itself, which is truly is the cornerstone of Saadhana.

All yogic practices have the same ultimate goal: to know our Divine Nature at all times, beyond the shadow of a doubt and with every atom of our being. For this knowledge to unfold fully, a transformational shift to a different state of consciousness is necessary. The habitual human waking state is not equipped to reach the infinite space of the Self. It is restricted by the limited capacity of perception of our mind and senses.

The outer or physical yogic practices serve as preparation and purification for the body. Inner practices, as described in different scriptures, help prepare and stabilize the mind. This purification is necessary because on its own, the human mind is scattered and distracted. It constantly creates thoughts, judgments and beliefs of separation that define how we feel about ourselves and the world. The mind's perspective and scope of understanding is very limited. Through its constant movement of thoughts it creates a covering veil. Like a cloud cover that masks the sun, the mind layer has become the obstacle between our human self and our True Divine Nature.

The necessary transformation of the mind happens through the practice of Meditation. When we sit with our eyes closed, we allow the mind to settle. If we keep sitting and watching, the covering layer of thoughts and agitation eventually dissolves. What remains is the unchanging Self that exists at the back of all movement and prior to all manifestation. When we give ourselves to Meditation regularly, it becomes obvious that the Self, just like the sun on the other side of the cloud-cover, is always present. In fact, the Self is our very own being, the source of our existence and of all manifestation.

Once we recognize ourselves as the Self, Saadhana becomes simple. All that's left is to remain alert to the fact that our True Nature is, always was and always will be the Self - Pure Free Forever.

Would you like to know more about Saadhana and/or how to build or expand your own practice? Ask for a free half hour consult with Sampriya to find out how she can help you.

#meditationmentor #onlinemeditationtraining #onlinemeditationmentoring #sampriyameditation #onlinemediationteachertraining

How Meditation transforms our life

Every time we sit down and close our eyes to meditate, we engage in a powerful process of transformation.

Granted, the transformation is gradual and subtle, but it is also cumulative and irreversible. When we meditate, our awareness shifts from being lost in the whirlwind of our thoughts and experiences to noticing and perceiving them. With the ability to perceive what is going on in our mind, we have a chance to realize that we are not the perception or the thought, but the perceiver of everything that appears in front of our inner eye.

This ability to be the perceiver or Knower of our thoughts and experiences has a profoundly transformational impact - not just on our Meditation practice, but on the way we experience life. An example my husband shared with me many years ago illustrates this point beautifully: When he took his first yoga class at age 18, he felt like his feet were not touching the ground for hours after the class finished. He felt as if he were walking on air and his whole sensory experience of the world around him had expanded. The same phenomenon happened after the second and third class. After he finished his fourth yoga class nothing seemed to happen. At first he was disappointed, until he realized that the expanded awareness had become so much part of him that it didn't seem unusual anymore. It had become "the new normal".

In the same way, every time we acknowledge ourselves as the Knower of our thoughts and experiences in Meditation, the infinite nature of that Knower as "me" becomes more familiar in our awareness; its presence is strengthened and our ability to recognise the Knower as our own True Nature becomes easier and more immediate. Our Meditations become more peaceful and effortless, because we are no longer trying to control our thoughts or thinking that they should disappear. Instead we simply and neutrally witness the movement of our thoughts as no more than clouds moving through the sky, while we remain firmly established as the Knower.

As the Knower, our sense of Self is no longer limited to our human form, our thoughts, emotions and conclusions about ourselves. As the Knower we are aware of the underlying Oneness of all existence, and, more importantly, we know that there is no separation between what we perceive as me and the all-encompassing Knower. As Knower we are Pure Free and Forever.

The awareness of the Knower-Self in Meditation is powerful in and of itself. It leaves us peaceful, transformed and expanded in our awareness. The same sense of expansion continues when we open our eyes to come back into the waking state. Having shifted from individual awareness to Knower awareness, the power of the Knower is now consciously active in all the situations we encounter.

This can manifest in different ways for different people. For some, the surroundings may seem brighter and ambient sounds may appear sharper when they open their eyes after meditating. For others, a sense of peace keeps accompanying them as they move into their daily activities. Some people experience a heightened sense of purpose or concentration and some just feel a new sense of wellbeing and calm.

In the early stages of a Meditation practice the transformations experienced in the waking state may appear to be short lived. But just as in the example of my husband's experience with yoga, you will notice that a subtle yet very distinct "new normal" is taking place in you. In our human system, the transformations from Meditation appear gradually and subtly, yet the changes are permanent. You may notice that in your "new normal", you no longer react in the same way to situations that previously aggravated you. You may also notice that emotions in general are losing their power over you. When you are aware of and aligned with the power of the Knower in you, then your life is peaceful and your actions are effortless.

As our Meditation practice deepens, the knowledge of the Knower becomes stable. We no longer vacillate between thoughts and Knower - we remain firmly established as the Knower at all times. In this process of increasing stability, our understanding and direct knowledge of the Knower expand in ways that the mind cannot grasp. We come to realize that the Knower is our true reality. It is our highest Self that has been covered by the belief that we are separate from our Divinity. Continuous practice of Meditation dissolves the covering. It matures our understanding and the realization that we truly are Divine Beings appearing to live a human life. This is the ultimate transformation.

Are you looking for help with this process of transformation? Ask for a free half hour consult with Sampriya to find out how she can help you build or expand your Meditation practice.

#meditationmentor #onlinemeditationtraining #onlinemeditationmentoring #sampriyameditation