Deepak Neupane, Kathmandu : Yoga has been in trend all over the world for more than a few decades now, so you must be already familiar with the word ‘mantra’ and the concept behind it. The word ‘mantra’ consists of two parts – ‘manas’ stands for ‘mind’ and ‘tra’ stands for ‘tool’, so literally it means ‘an instrument of the mind’. On the physical level mantra is a vibration, a word or a phrase that has a certain effect on your mind after you repeat it a few times.
All Indian mantras are in Sanskrit, an ancient sacred language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. They vary in size and meaning, ranging from the short sound Aum (also spelled Om) that is considered to be the sound of Creation itself, to longer mantras like Om Namah Shivay (I bow to Shiva).
If you’ve been to at least one yoga class, you’ve heard some mantras playing and maybe even repeated a few yourself, so you know what I’m talking about. Yet mantra is much more than just your background sound for a yoga session. Here are 6 facts about mantra that will change your life.
Like so many great things, mantra comes from India, being a huge part of Hinduism as a religion as well as standalone spiritual practices.
You will find mantras in all religions as this powerful practice of chanting is the basis of any spiritual progress. For Christians it may simply be the word ‘Jesus’, while Muslims enjoy uttering the name Allah as a mantra. What matters is that the word is sacred, uttered with a certain intention, and on a regular basis. This is what they call japa in India, and it is designed to get to the roots of your Higher Self as well as your true nature.
