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Ayurveda

Treatments: Mantras

Mantras are Sanskrit words which are considered powerful and which can produce a sound and vibration that penetrates our entire being. Each mantra is associated with the seerA person who is a prophet, or who has unusual powers of foresight such as clairvoyance or person who originally created it. The most widely known and used mantra is the word “Ohm” which represents the essence of Oneness.

As everything in existence resonates to a specific vibrational frequency, the vibrations created by mantras have an impact on not only ourselves, but our environment and, as an extension, the entire universe. The Vedas4 Hindu scriptures, called the Vedas, documented in archaic Sanskrit state that everything comes into being through the power of word. This concept is similar to the New Testament, St. John’s Gospel, which states “In the beginning was The Word.”

Saying words produces a physical vibration which creates a corresponding effect. Adding the power of intention and focused thought to specific words increases this effect.

In Ayurveda, specific mantras are recited depending on the doshas and any health conditions being experienced. A mantra is used to “tune” the body by generating vibrations which stimulate vital energy flow (prana) in the 7 primary energy centers (chakras) and the energy channels (meridians) of the body. The chakras which are located along the length of the spinal column, each relating to biological systems within the body. With constant repetition, over time the vibration of the mantra will override other inharmonious vibrations as the inharmonious vibrations begin to entrainWhen two similarly tuned systems vibrate at different frequencies, it is entrainment which causes them to line up and to vibrate at the same frequency. In entrainment, things align their movement and energy together to match in rhythm and phase  with the vibration of the mantra.

Each chakra is considered a lotus flower with a specific number of petals. Each petal represents an alphabet letter and a main “seed” letter, which translates to a vibration. A specific mantra is recited which resonates with the vibration of the chakra being stimulated.

Reciting various mantras will also produce a cleansing and balancing effect on food preparation and on the water being drank. In India, mantras are recited during the preparation of snakebite antidotes to increase their potency.

Mantras are not only used for physical conditions. They are also used for a wide variety of purposes including awakening to a sense of spirituality, drawing prosperity, clearing obstacles, and relieving stress and anxiety.

Although most mantras are easy to learn, certain mantras must be pronounced in a very exact manner, and therefore are learned under the supervision of qualified teachers. CDs, DVDs, and recordings are also available which offer guidance on pronunciation. Mantras can be spoken, chanted, sung, written or visualized. Mantra beads are sometimes used to help remain focused and to keep track of how many times a mantra has been repeated. A string of mantra beads can come in a variety of different shapes and colors and traditionally contains 108 beads (some contain 54 beads, where the mantra is repeated 54 times and then repeated again 54 times to total 108 repetitions). The number 108 is considered sacred for many reasons, the main of which is because it reflects the number of marma points on the physical body.

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