Mudras & Mantras

Mudras

Mudra is the sanskrit word to describe a gesture, seal or mark
Depending on which part of the body is used, there are several mudras that can be practiced
Mana mudra is gestures of the head
Bandha mudra is gestures of the heart
Kaya mudra is gestures of the body
Adhara mudra is gestures of the perineal that involves the pelvic to stimulate muladhara, the root chakra
Hast mudra is more commonly practiced and integrated into yoga practices and is the gestures of the hand
Anchamahabhootas represents the 5 major building blocks of life—that is the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky of fire, air, space, earth and water that allows a greater flow of prana, life-force in the body
The thumb represents fire or agni
Index finger represents air or vaya
Middle finger represents space, ether or akasha
The ring finger represents earth or prithvi
The pinky finger represents water or jala
When these 5 elements are out of balance, disease, ailments and sickness can plague our bodies
Practicing hast mudra can be done 10 or 15 minutes at a time and repeated throughout the day 2 to 3 times to enhance the quality of our prana

Mantras

Described as a sacred word, sound or phrase, a mantra is a 'tool of the mind' that's used to focus thoughts and energy towards the consciousness
It's an invocation or intonation and can be repeated or chanted with melody
Through the repetition of mantras, the vibration created is channelled throughout the body and mind and can lead to powerful, deep states of meditation
Mantras are believed to have spiritual and psychological benefits
Jaggi Vasudev, known publicly as Sadhguru, is an Indian yogi and author who believes there are two sets of mantras - sounds with meaning that have become part of society identifying that as human beings we need to assign everything meaning in order to feel significant
The second set of mantras are those sounds without meaning
Sadhguru shares that mantras are meant to be meaningless:
Mantra is not to be spoken but chanted as a sound without meaning
"Meaning is of speech and of the written word and spoken word but meaning doesn't belong to a chant"
"Chant is simply a vibration - if you do not know the meaning, it is the best way to chant"
"Mantra is a pure sound, without meaning you can not be meaning"
Mantras evoke higher states of consciousness and manifest positive affirmations through sounds, vibrations and energy

Gayatri Mantra - The Universal Prayer

Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt

Body of all. Mind of all. Spirit of all.

May we meditate on the radiance of the inner light.

May that Self illumine our thoughts.

Peace, peace, peace.

Om Asato Ma Sadgamaya - "Lead us from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light and from death to immortality"

Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya

Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya

Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih

Lakshmi Mantra - The Goddess of abundance, prosperity and wealth

Om shreem maha Lakshmiyei Namaha

The mantra, meaning, my salutations to the great Lakshmi can be sung, meditated on or chanted. It can be chanted once or a practitioner can use mala beads to perform japa, where the mantra is chanted 108 times. Om shreem maha Lakshmiyei namaha can also be chanted in multiples of nine, if 108 is too many for the practitioner. This mantra is also super powerful when a lotus seed mala is used.

Adi Mantra - "bow to the teacher within"

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo

I bow to the Creative Wisdom, I bow to the Divine Teacher within.

This mantra is used for “tuning in” to the divine flow and self-knowledge within each of us and linking us to Yogi Bhajan and the Golden Chain of teachers. It is chanted at least three times before practicing Kundalini Yoga.

Medicine Buddha Mantra - "used for healing, to purify karma and to cultivate well-being"

Tayata, om bekadze bekadze

Maha bekadze bekadze

Radza samungate

Soha

This is pronounced:

Tie-ya-tar, om beck-and-zay beck-and-zay ma-ha beck-and-zay beck-and-zay run-zuh sum-oon-gut-eh so-ha.

Ganesha Mantra - "I take refuge in Ganesha"

Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha

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