Mantra: Yoga for Your Mind

OM Symbol: the Mantra of the Higher Self

Yoga is practiced by millions as a moving meditation to promote health and youthfulness. Its poses (asanas) improve strength, balance, flexibility and mental clarity. However, yoga is much more than physical exercise. The original definition of Yoga is “That which calms the thought waves of the mind” —  the worries and the hurries. It’s Yoga for your mind.

How does Yoga calm the restless mind?  — with yoga music —  Sanskrit mantras, starting with OM, the most important mantra and the source of all other mantras.

Why OM?

OM is one of the most soothing of all sound vibrations, a sound formulas for healing and higher consciousness. We chant OM for oneness and harmony. The OM vibration bathes every cell of the body with a healing energy, like a gong bath, a mantra bath. The sound of OM takes us straight to the highest consciousness, the highest vibration.

Mantra Therapy: Yoga for Your Mind

Mantra means a “tool of the mind.” It’s a valuable sound healing tool in our alternative medical tool kit for treating anxiety and depression. For many, mantra therapy has become a form of complementary medicine, a sound healing alternative to prescription drugs. Mantra therapy is a powerful tool for healing and higher consciousness used in both Yoga and Ayurveda, the healing branch of yogic science.

These Yoga of Sound  (Nada Yoga) mantras are chanted in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India that’s also the language of mantra. Sanskrit mantras are unique. They are based on the science of sound vibration. The meaning of the word is secondary. For example, chanting OM creates oneness and harmony. Chanting OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti-hi create a feeling of peacefulness.

Pranayama: the Breath Practices

Most of the time our breathing is automatic, on auto-pilot. We don’t give it much thought. Pranayama is about conscious breathing — breathing with a purpose, like energizing the body with breath of fire, or calming the body-mind with alternate nostril breathing —  nadi shodhana. It makes the mind sattvic, or balanced and harmonious.

My yoga teacher likes to say, “Pranayama is where it’s at.” She means it’s the best way to reduce stress and anxiety and even treat panic attack. Prana means “life-force energy.” Pranayama means control of that energy —  by using breath exercises. These techniques are easy to learn and widely taught at yoga studios and in my course Mindfulness Made Easy.

For every emotion, there is a corresponding rhythm in the breath. For example, the rhythm of the breath in panic attack is too shallow and too fast. It’s hyperventilation. The yogic breath, a special form of long, deep breathing , is yoga’s antidote for panic attack. It’s calming and soothing to the nervous system.

New: Boone Workshops Coming August 2019 

Soul Connection Sundays — every other Sunday starting August 18, 2019/10am.

Hosts: Harrison Graves MD and Caroline Van Nort, Expressive Arts Counselor

Boone Professional Center. Tickets half-price for students and seniors.

More info or to RSVP:  Contact Caroline at  expressiveheartarts.com.

Come chant OM and much more with us on Soul Connection Sundays, starting August 18, 2019, 10a-12noon. Connect with Spirit and with each other.

After chanting , dive deep into Self-discovery with heart-centered intuitive counselor, Caroline.

Connect with your heart …through expressive art.

 

More? harrisongravesmd.com

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