One of the most talked-about topics today, especially during the pandemic, whether in blogs, television programs, magazines, or any other media, are the subject of meditation, yoga, and mantras. These topics have become fashionable and are gaining more and more space and strength.
But are Mantra recitations beneficial for human well-being? Of course, the power of mantras proven by science and esoteric study agrees that sound vibrations are not just sacred sounds but it can regulate the flow of energy through the human body and subconscious mind. Reciting the mantra itself is a form of meditation.
What is Mantra?
The meaning of the word mantra comes from the Sanskrit language, where Man means mind and Tra, which in general context addresses protection, control, or wisdom. Thus, we obtain instruments to guide or protect the mind. So, we can define a mantra as a hymn, prayer, sacred song, programmed syllables, and even a religious poem.
Some religions use the mantra to greet, offer good vibes and praise the gods or festivals. Others use it for the purpose of spiritual practice, healing, meditation, prosperity, self-knowledge, etc.
Many find it difficult to comprehend what a mantra is because they do not know its origin. They are in the Vedas, which are the highest authority in Hindu dharma, and all texts and mantras are in Sanskrit. In these scriptures, you can find more than 4 thousand sutras intended to praise the gods. And it was the sutras that are also considered hymns from which mantras were born.
The sutras were the basis to serve as inspiration in the emergence of thousands of mantras, each with its purpose: love, kindness, inner peace, connection with the Divine, calm, and self-knowledge. Although the practice stands out when dealing with Hindu culture, it is not linked to a religion, so it is not necessary to be part of one to practice it.
Benefits of chanting Vedic Mantras
Its main function is to aid meditation because when a mantra is pronounced, it can calm thoughts and our actions, facilitating concentration. Mantras have the ability to serve as a focus for the mind to concentrate. After all, our mind doesn’t stop for a minute, enumerating the things out there that we need to think about. Each of us has a personal universe, with its relationships, concerns, and issues; it is not easy to just put it all aside.
So, let’s talk about the benefits of Mantra chanting:
1. You connect to the roots of yoga
Human beings did not write the Vedic Mantras; they were received from the divine source in deep states of meditation. There is no authorship in Vedic mantras. The form and ritual in which the mantras were recited in the past are linked to the rishi that first received the mantra, with the Bija mantra within the mantras, and with what we call shakti: its inherent power.
In the Yoga’s contemplative tradition, when you recite mantras, you connect directly with the yogic tradition and the particular divine energy revealed through the mantra’s vibration. So, you are connecting with the roots of yoga, and you connect with something that is incredibly old, pure, and powerful.
2. Create a new positive vibration pattern within you
Sound is known as the most fundamental part of matter and, therefore, the most fundamental part of itself. In the philosophy of Yoga and Samkhya, this fundamental part of the matter is called Abdatantra. According to these two Vedic philosophies, all elements, as well as our senses, are composed of this most subtle part of the matter.
From a modern perspective, if we look at human beings in their atomic structure, we understand that we are nothing but vibrant atoms. Depending on the speed of the atoms, objects appear before our eyes as solid, liquid, or gaseous. Vedic chanting introduces pure, high-frequency sounds into our system that can change our overall vibration. Changes can be modified, and negative thought patterns (which reflect nothing but a vibration) can be modified.
3. You will feel healthier
The Vedic tradition offers many different mantras that also include healing mantras. Some treat illnesses in the body; others treat illnesses in emotions or the mind. Mantras also help us to feel calmer and more at peace, more focused, and less stressed. There are many mantras in the world, but Vedic mantras have been recited and learned for centuries by male Brahmins, as they are considered sacred and divine.
4. You will feel revitalized
According to ancient scriptures, Mantras are the only tool capable of generating vital force, prana, and can make matter exist. In our modern times, when many people suffer from chronic exhaustion and fatigue, mantras create new forms of energy distribution and can help to create vitality.
5. You will connect with yourself and others
One of the most notable experiences in any mantra is that we connect with people around the world who also like to immerse themselves in the teachings of yoga. But Vedic mantras offer even more than that. In Sanskrit, a Vedic chant is known as Adhyayanam, which literally means a journey back to Being.
What mantra chanters reveal is a journey back to his soul, the inner and eternal part of himself. It is a journey into the essence of your own sound, the symphony of your soul. It is the journey that all yogis work on in their lives, and chanting will accompany and guide you smoothly on that journey back to your own heart.
6. Increase immunity
Mantras have the health benefit of strengthening your immune system. This happens due to the transformation that this practice has on the hypothalamus, one of the most important connections between the mind and the body. When the nervous system is overloaded, mantras (combined with breathing) can repair the damage.
The positive effects on the parasympathetic nervous system (that part that tells us that everything is fine) are multiplied, releasing endorphins, which regulate blood pressure and heart rate, in addition to blocking hormones associated with stress.
7. Development of Compassion
While the early stages of meditation relax the mind, the benefits of mantras seek to integrate that calm with the awakening of a spiritual experience. This is because they promote a kind of energy cleaning. Just as unhealthy eating can clog veins and arteries, heavy emotions (such as anger, envy, fear, or a grudge) also block energy channels in the body. The ultrasounds present in the mantras can unblock these fields, opening space for more positive feelings, such as compassion, love, and brotherhood.
8. Relief from stress, anxiety, and depression
By combining sound, rhythm, and breathing, mantras channel energy flows. What you don’t know is that this alignment adjusts the chemical composition of our mind and body, balancing the cerebral hemispheres. This contributes to the natural reduction of psychological disorders, such as stress, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. By regulating the endocrine system, chanting mantras normalize hormonal production, which improves mood and the overall feeling of a sense of calm.
9. Honor oneself
Chanting mantras affects the heart, removes burdens, expands perceptual possibilities, and instills courage. The work on the voice goes hand in hand with that on the breath and all the control techniques (pranayama).
Vedic chanting increases the power to remember in the short, medium, and long term which has calming effects on the mind. This leads us to a new relationship with silence, predisposes us to any other type of meditation, including active meditation, and allows us to dissolve emotional blocks. One experiences a real connection with one’s divine self and the healing power of the body.
10. Mantras are for everyone
The study of mantras is open to everyone, and no particular requirements are required. Vedic Chant uses only 3 tones and can be learned even by those with no other musical knowledge. It is not necessary to know Sanskrit or to know the meaning of each word spoken to enjoy the benefits of mantras.
What is most important during the proclamation is the sound of the murmured words. It may seem incredible, but the vibration produced by the mantras can create neurolinguistic reactions that induce the mind to find a feeling of calm and serenity.
Mantras have the ability to change the mind, strengthen the body and suppress subconscious afflictions. However, they must be practiced regularly, for several months, for the desired effects to be realized.