Mantra: The Yoga of Sacred Sound

Mantra is the yoga of sound. Mantras are words, phrases, or even single syllables with the power of transformation. They can be sung or chanted out loud, repeated internally, and also written.

The effects and uses of mantra are many, such as focusing the mind, instilling peace, devotional practice, protection, calming an upset child, bringing light into a place of suffering, and anything else you can think of!

Really, the essence of mantra is spiritual practice.

The transformational power of sound is well studied and experienced by all beings. Even those who are deaf feel the vibration of sound and are affected by it.

Certain types of music make plants grow faster and help the mind retain information while studying. Other types of music or vocal expression create disharmony and unease.

Can you think of examples of both right now? One type of music makes you edgy, while another puts you at ease.

How do you feel when you release a needed sigh, or sing your favorite song? Mantra is harnesses and focuses the potent power of your own unique instrument - your voice.

Most people, whether they consider themselves spiritual, religious, or otherwise, find some kind of profound transformation using devotion.

Devotion can be to the energy you believe in, that which holds us and breathes us and lives within us. Yet, it can also be to a loved one, or a cause, or the Earth.

Prayer, meditation, mantra, sacred gatherings, ritual, ceremony, reading sacred texts; even observing a special day can all be devotional practices. They don't have to be devotional, but they can carry this intention.

What is important is that it feels right to you. Devotional practices are empty unless they are fueled by your own intention and feeling.

What happens with devotional practices is that you are aligning with a bigger energy, and thus infusing your own energy with this expanded and powerful force. This does not mean you are reliant on something outside of you for power - quite the opposite, actually.

One of the most used and sacred mantras is "Om Namah Shivaya". This chant focuses the intent to connect with the source of life within, that spark of divinity that exists within you.

By consciously identifying with your higher self, by connecting to the greater energy that also lives in you, your awareness and vibration rise, creating a myriad of wondrous experiences, depending on the individual.

Everything pulsates. . .

If you look at the smallest physical matter - atoms and electrons and the foundational building blocks of existence - they're moving. Things that appear to be solid are really vibrating, though we don't perceive it

Pulsation is a natural law. It is apparent everywhere. Your breath, your heartbeat, your cycles of sleeping and waking, laughter and quiet; these are all pulsation. The waves and tides of the ocean, the cycles of the seasons, wind, thunder, electricity, birdsong, ripples in a lake. . . All things physical, emotional, and energetic pulsate.

Even when you get really still in meditation there is the movement of the breath, the heartbeat, and the internal flow of your body.

It makes sense, then, that the science behind mantra is the technique of shaping vibrations of sound with specific words and intent.

When you chant, sing, or mentally repeat mantra, you have direct influence on the vibrations you experience.

By creating a resonance of light, healing, peace, love, joy, and all that is good, you literally create these feelings in your experience. By chanting, singing, or thinking mantra, you shift into the frequency of the divine.

When I sing mantra, either on my own, to students in a yoga class, walking along the ocean, or in the streets of a city, I always feel a shift in energy.

That energetic shift is available to everyone with the potent power of mantra.

Om is the maha mantra - the great mantra. It is the sound that no one can quite explain fully with words.

It must be felt, consciously, to be experienced. And even then, the experience is ever deepening.

The thing about Om is that it is always there. It is the sound from which all things came, that which sustains, and that which dissolves everything lovingly into itself.

Although this explanation may seem rather abstract, when you remember that all things are pulsation, you can think of it this way: Om is the pulsation of the universe.

Many cultures contain a creation story that includes the element of sound. Such as "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God", just to name one example.

If you think about it, it would be pretty difficult for the creation of all the wondrous elements of existence to pull off coming into being without making sound. So, that sound that accompanied the beginning of life, that flows through the experience of being all that is, and that has the capacity to hold this magnificent expanse of infinite possibility; that sound is Om.

Although some is purely instrumental, much of what is considered Yoga Music is mantra.

As a yoga instructor, I have had the pleasure of reviewing countless songs and albums. Some of this music carries me (and my students) to bliss, and some of it doesn't quite resonate with my personal taste.

A group called Shantala are some of my favorite musicians when it comes to mantra and yoga music. I have had the distinct honor of hearing them live and singing with them on a number of occasions. I've even practiced with their live accompaniment during Anusara ® yoga training with founder John Friend.

Though having the heartfelt talent and vibration of live musicians is profound and exquisite, you can create your own resonance by singing along with them at home.

People often ask what music I played in class; a song that particularly moved them and spoke to their heart.

I've chosen a few of the albums I use most frequently to share with you here, above and below this section of the article. These are some of the most beautiful and uplifting recordings I have found in the wide field of available yoga music.

Though the album picture of "Sri" is missing from the Amazon link below, this is my top choice. If you click on it you will go to the Amazon page with reviews and a cover image.

Yoga With Katrina is an online resource dedicated to the path of living life to the fullest. Topics range from health and fitness to nutrition, and of course yoga, meditation, and fun stories that make you feel uplifted and empowered. Articles are supported with videos and beautiful photos.

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