Mantra Meditation

Have you ever listened to white noise or did some humming and found it to be relaxing? There is a reason for it, when you do vocal chanting or humming, you increase your vagal tone which can decrease an inflammatory response in the body. This means you are bringing your nervous system back into balance.

Reciting mantras can help balance your prana (energy, life force) and breath if chanted. The sound vibration is healthy and can influence your mood, thoughts and emotions. Even done silently or listened to, a mantra can be calming and acts as a focal point to steady your mind and increase concentration.

We grow anything that has our attention, focus and energy. Pick something that is important to you, and as you repeat this, you tend to it like a garden. Another analogy is that a mantra is a key or password to “unlock” an area in your mind. Creating access so you can attend to it.

Begin your meditation practice by repeating your selected mantra 3 times. You can either say this silently to yourself or out loud. The number 3 is auspicious, it represents past, present, future; beginning, middle, end; mind, body, spirit; etc.

Continue your practice for your selected duration of time. Using the mantra as an anchor to pull you back into the present moment anytime your mind wanders too much.


  • Select a single word or short phrase…
    • Release
    • Ease
    • Calm
    • Open
    • Receive
    • Wonder
    • Love
  • Recite or listen to a Yoga Sutra or other chant. Try to do the Sanskrit yourself, you may find it challenging at first, but the more you practice, the easier it will become. Often you can do a search online and find a video with a pronunciation.
    • Sutra 2.46 sthira-sukham asanam “abiding in ease is asana”
    • Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu “may all beings everywhere be happy and free”
  • Om / AUM
  • Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om (shanti means peace)
  • Close your ears. Inhale via your nose and with your lips sealed, create a humming vibration in your throat on the exhale, this is called Bhramari Pranayama or Bee’s Breath

Science Corner

The vagus nerve is one of the longest nerves in your body. It is part of your rest/digest/recover nervous system (parasympathetic). It connects to your brain, heart, intestines/stomach, lungs, etc. It influences your heart and breathing rates.

The vagus nerve is also connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, chanting or humming activates these muscles and stimulates your vagus nerve. This is one of the ways you can create more balance or equanimity in the body by dialing up the rest/digest/recover nervous system. Or in other words, increase vagal tone.

Articles to review…

https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/this-might-be-simplest-scientific-way-to-get-rid-of-stress-youve-ever-heard-of.html

https://drprincetta.com/tag/humming/


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