Uncovering The Power of Mantras

Perched atop a sunset-colored yoga mat, I gaze through floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking a green valley.

The rising sun peaks over a distant hill, illuminating the temple in golden light and shining off a Buddha statue in the middle of the room. Next to him are two more Hindu masters I cannot name and a large pink crystal atop a small wooden table.

Twenty more yoga mats incircle this shrine, with less than seven presently occupied by retreat participants.

Both in bright yellow t-shirts, our retreat leaders sit side by side before a brass statue of Shiva. A sash of pink flowers circles his neck, and tingsha bells hang from one of his many arms. The Hindu Gods’ sly smile appears all-knowing, as if to say, “Let me tell you a little something about consciousness, yogi.”

I suppose the 7:30 am meditation served such a purpose, taking advantage of early morning’s sacred silence.

As we chant the Jaya Ganesha, sleepy contempt oozes into the mantra, the occasional stumble over a tongue-twisting Sanskrit word drowned by the harmonium.

An air of peace surrounds us, vibrating from our voices, circling the room, exiting out the open window, and returning through our skin into the very soul it came from. Although we don’t fully understand the mantra’s translation, we all receive the energy evoked. A blissful nostalgia that vibrates through our being, crackles within our bones, flows through our blood, and trickles down into our very DNA.

I was never one to chant mantras, and if I’m being honest, always thought the practice quite tedious. Perhaps the barrier was my Western mind’s inability to understand or pronounce the words. I was certainly humbled and pleased to have been proven wrong during this retreat.

The fascinating origin of such an ancient language was unknown to me before our daily mantras, although embarrassingly enough, I boast three Sanskrit tattoos. Sue me.

Our teachers explained that Sanskrit was born from the sounds ancient yogic masters attributed to each vibration within the natural world. Boasting over 50 syllables within the alphabet, each syllable conveys a unique vibration. When conjoined into words and further into mantras, the repetition of these phrases becomes a tool for inner knowing and elevated consciousness.

But what truly fascinated me was their ability to observe a unique vibrational frequency within all beings of existence through meditation alone.

As I sat on my purple pillow, eyes closed, repeating the mantra, I could only begin to fathom reaching such a state of consciousness. One so profound that it uncovers universal sounds. Although I’ve had my share of powerful meditative experiences, I chuckle to compare my daily 15-minute practices to that of the masters. I wonder if I will ever scratch such a surface. Or even tickle it, at that.

Ultimately, mantras and meditations are tools to unveil the inner knowing that already exists within. They are shovels and picks that, given the right intention, can dig far deeper than merely a scratch on the surface of awareness. They themselves do not create equanimity but help to remove the barriers of entry.

Although I wonder, did the ancient masters have sharper tools to begin with? Perhaps some divine being gifted them less human ego to break through.

Or was it simply a lifetime spent digging and cultivating the soil of the soul? Eventually, reaping great trees of knowing and producing seeds they taught to sow within ourselves.

I bargain it’s the latter.

Comparing oneself to the wisdom of the masters is beside the point, because regardless if you are a seasoned practitioner or just starting, bliss exists within us all. No one is exempt. Whichever seed you choose to sow, be it mantras, meditation, yoga, breathwork, or a combination, holds the key to peace.

We become a master by simply feeding our desire to try.

As the mantra comes to an end, we repeat the final phrase, ‘Om Nama Shivāya,’ a reverence to Shiva and the manifestation of the higher self. Niranjana plays the last notes, delicately closing the harmonium as sacred silence settles. Although my eyes are closed, I imagine the peaceful look on everyone’s face — a soft smile of release.

Niranjana later explained that the vibrational frequencies mantras generate have been shown to radiate beyond our circumference, sometimes for several kilometers. This is why group meditation is so powerful.

I recall the evening session where we chanted Om continuously for forty-five minutes.

Ten of us encircled an inner group of five. These five would alternate every fifteen minutes so that everyone had a chance to sit in the middle.

The task was simple. Breathe deep and release the sound of the universe. The sound of divine love and light. Imagine this sound opening your heart, the heart of your loved ones, and that of all souls across the world. Imagine it quieting the mind and healing the body.

I can’t say I’ve experienced anything like the energy manifested during this practice. Pure and potent, there’s no doubt the vibration spread many kilometers beyond the temple, filling those we kept within our intention and all beings across the planet.

I left this session and all throughout the week feeling lighter than ever. I’m grateful to have experienced such a blessed place and equally blessed people. Since I’ve left the retreat, I’ve incorporated mantras into my practice, and although I’m not in a group setting, the energy is the same.

As I said before, the gift is not created; it is found deep within. Always present. Always knowing. All we must do is open our hearts to receive it.