Healing with Mantra
My first official introduction to mantras, or more specifically the melodies that we subconsciously ‘play’ in our minds, came 21 years ago when my son, Phillip, was born. The story does not begin in the way you might imagine, as there was no mantra being played that day as I gave birth to Phillip at Vanderbilt Hospital; but a mantra was definitely present, nonetheless on this beautiful Sunday afternoon in the spring, with my husband, Tim, and the most wonderful support team which consisted of a doula and a nurse-midwife and a young doctor-in-residence present.
Photo taken by my son, Phillip Tyler
Birthing My Own Mantra Practice
The room was quiet as I pushed Phillip out into the world and into my arms while we welcomed him into this life. It wasn’t until later that our doula revealed to me that she always has a song reverberating through her mind as she moves through life. She shared that, throughout the entire time of her observing and guiding me through this experience, and in between preparing the herbal compresses and teas I had asked her to make to ease me during labor, the song, ‘This Woman's Work’, by Kate Bush had continuously played in her head. It is in this way, as the doula watched me giving birth naturally to my baby boy, that this song, like a Mantra, accompanied my experience of that day.
Until she mentioned this, I had never consciously thought about the ‘Melodies’ that run through our minds when we are daydreaming or just performing activities. And it would still be several years before I would be officially introduced to the world of Mantras through the music of Deva Premal. But once I had heard the Gayatri Mantra for the first time, I knew, on a deep intuitive level, the profound power and ancient wisdom hiding in the Sanskrit words which are revealed through the Melodies when they are sung by voices that can capture their potential.
The idea that we can consciously choose the Melodies that go through our minds as we are doing our tasks, followed and stayed with me so that, once I began my organic process of learning mantras, I then made a conscious decision to choose which Melody I might want in my head at any given moment.
As I began to learn Mantras, I always trusted that whichever one I was drawn to at a certain time was the one I was meant to learn, as it would have a certain resonance for me for whatever I needed in my life. My adventure began primarily through the songs by Deva Premal, Miten and Manose, as I was listening to their CDs at the time. I had the good fortune of seeing them ‘live’ in concert twice, once in Asheville, North Carolina; and once in Fürth, Germany and got to spend a moment connecting with Deva and Manose.
Since then, I have expanded my study and knowledge of Mantra by studying the words and their meanings in the lines of the Mantras and listened to many other artists, as well. I have developed a deep love for a variety of Mantras, but it is the Gayatri Mantra which always holds one of the most special places in my heart. It touches one to their core, which makes sense as history states that it has been with us since the inception of this universe. When I developed my course, “Awaken Your Life” last year, I wove the study of Mantra throughout all of the modules, as sound vibration is a powerful tool for awakening us and returning to us a ‘remembering’ of our essence.
And so it is that, many years ago, from the moment that the world of Mantra and repeated melody opened for me during my son’s birth, through the subsequent fascination with the combination of Sanskrit writing and the beautiful Melodies that enchanted me, my conscious and joyous use of Mantra has never stopped.
The Definition of Mantra
The definition of Mantra from Merriam Webster is: “A mystical formula of invocation.”
And the Chopra Center website will tell you that the word Mantra can be broken down into two parts: “man,” which means mind, and “tra,” which means transport or vehicle.
In other words, a Mantra is an instrument of the mind—a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation.
But I want to bring your focus for a moment to another aspect of the word. Right there, in the first two letters is the word ‘Ma’ - the feminine aspect, and the true origin of creation, hidden in plain sight. In becoming manifest, the sound wave was formed from pure vibration as the first creation out of the void of spirit and with it was a frequency that began to create form. This is the sacred form of the Divine Feminine reaching us from beyond space and time within our own voices.
When we chant Mantras, we tap back into that core of creation, which connects us to the pure origin of all, and this is why these sounds and melodies fill our hearts and touch us to our core. It is a remembrance we collectively feel and are moved by, especially in a group setting, when many individuals chant together as you will find with Kirtan.
How the Practice of Chanting Mantra Can Elevate Your Life
Chanting Mantras is a practice that allows anyone, no matter if you are musically-inclined or not, to experience the many life-enhancing benefits of singing. It is a wonderful way for us to get out of our heads, to be liberated from the mind chatter, and instead actively participate in shifting our mind and ultimately our vibration in that moment and beyond.
It is a powerful tool for self-exploration and self-improvement, where we have the opportunity to connect with the power of a living tradition that stretches back for thousands of years.
Kirtan, a movement where musicians gather in a group with others for the purpose of chanting Mantras, has opened a way for everyone to connect within community, to feel a part of a vital, larger whole in a judgment-free space, where there is a remembrance created and a feeling of returning home to oneself.
There is something profoundly powerful when we as humans come together in community for the purpose of elevating ourselves and our space and to consciously raise our vibration, not to mention the connections and friendships we form with each other.
Through our chanting, we tap into a higher part of ourselves, as well as our connection within this cosmos, and bypass all limitations in order to directly experience ourselves as vibrational, energetic beings.
My friend Gayatri, who regularly hosts Kirtans, chanting the Gayatri Mantra at his home.
In My Practice As a Healer
Understanding the profound impact that sound healing and chanting Mantras has on an individual’s system, I begin every Energy Healing session by using my singing bowl as a first introduction to shifting the vibration in my client’s field. The sound of my singing bowl, and especially the energetic frequency that it emits, begins to vibrate through their system as I move my singing bowl through their aura. This process already begins the alignment of the Chakras and induces a state of healing throughout all their systems and auric field.
On special occasions, I also may chant a Mantra for specific purposes to align certain frequencies within the person's field. I have been introduced to powerful Mantras, which create certain effects within the energetic field for deep healing, which I will use when appropriate. There are also special occasions where I will use my quartz crystal singing bowls and I have even hosted singing bowl sound baths in a small group setting; as well as always introduce certain frequencies I want to emanate during my Reiki, Archangels of the Elements, and my Chakra classes. In fact, my quartz crystal singing bowls are an important component during my Chakra Immersion classes. The effects on the students can range from soft to more intense as the sound frequencies begin to resonate through the space and to each person.
Chanting Mantra and Its Healing Effects
There is something very special about chanting Mantra which I want to encourage in you with this writing. You should begin your practice based on your background with Mantra, and if you are new to using Mantras, start with a simple Mantra as your aim, acknowledging that it will likely evoke an ancient ‘recognition’ deep within you.
You can begin chanting the two words of Aham Prema, which can be loosely translated to, ‘I am love’. And if you're not sure about the pronunciation of these words, you can find a version by Deva Premal chanting this very mantra here. Please don't be intimidated with chanting or the complexities that can come with an ancient language like Sanskrit as it is all about your own personal journey and the profound impact that chanting can have on your system. The sound vibrations of chanting will vibrate throughout your body and naturally induce effects of healing within you.
When one learns the Chakra System, they are also introduced to the seed sounds called bija, and when those are chanted, they resonate with all Chakras and have the potential of raising their frequencies and even aligning them. Sound vibration is so simple as you do not require anything else but your own voice, yet it is deeply profound, and we carry tremendous power in expressing our energy outward.
Next month in my membership for women, Beauty Flourishing, the teachings will be devoted to Mantras, and especially one Mantra which offers tremendous healing and insights for anyone listening to it. I am looking forward to deepening everyone's knowledge and giving everyone the experience of the impact that chanting this Mantra can have.
I wish for you a beautiful journey of exploration as you are filled with the sounds, words, melodies, and vibrations that connect you back to your origin!
Love, Silke