By Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj
14-Jun-2024
Do we really need to explain in 2024 that meditation is beneficial? In a world overflowing with distractions constantly vying for our attention, it’s clear that taking time to sit still, quiet the mind, and meditate is immensely helpful and soothing.
Mantra meditation is one of the simplest approaches towards meditation, which is good for experienced as well as novice individuals. It has several positive effects on the mind and the body, which are acclaimed and acknowledged across the medical and spiritual spectrums. Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj, a spiritual guru and preacher, shares some mantras to help with self-discovery and attaining inner peace and tranquillity.
The Sound of Om
OM or Aum, is considered the sound of the universe and all meditation mantras begin with the sound of OM. The sound of Om resounds across body, mind and soul. It is considered as the most powerful sound that has long lasting impacts on the mind.
“Ham Sah”
The mantra ‘Ham Sah’ translates to “I am That”. It is one of the most powerful mantras that helps boost self-confidence and self-belief. It is known to enhance the overall personality of an individual.
“Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti”
The mantra withholds a great deal of peace and is known to enhance inner-peace, help pacify inner struggles and provide happiness. The mantra is practiced by some of the leading spiritual leaders across the world.
“Aham Prema”
It is the mantra that denotes divine love. It makes one feel connected to the creator and promotes self-love, keeping one from feeling demotivated and discouraged. It provides extreme peace of mind.
What are the Benefits of Mantra Meditation?
1. Psychological Benefits of Mantra Meditation
If meditation is the frequency of the soul, chanting is its sound. Mantra meditation has several profound benefits for the psychology of a person. When we focus our energy on a particular mantra, it helps decrease stress levels in the mind. It is known to strengthen the mind and enable the person to deal with challenges and adversities. Mantra helps provide the mind with a focus, as repeated concentration on a particular sound or text helps develop perseverance. Mantra meditation also helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing blood pressure, cortisol and heart rate.
2. Holistic Approach to Mental Wellbeing
Mantra meditation has a multifaceted nature that offers a holistic approach towards emotional resilience, mental wellbeing, focus and cognitive clarity. When a person meditates on a special mantra, it increases his/her ability to focus attention on a specific focal point. When this persistent focus is maintained, the person can bolster overall cognitive control and develop better mental abilities. Mantra meditation has a direct correlation between mindfulness, sustained focus and improved rational abilities.
3. It helps in Regulating Emotions
Humans are primarily driven by emotions, to the extent that our emotions majorly control how we behave. It is very important to have an emotional balance to create balance in all aspects of our lives. Mantra meditation plays a very important role in adjusting our emotions and balancing our overall mental health. It helps in developing adaptive coping strategies and reaching a state of non-judgemental awareness towards our emotions and thoughts. With a raised sense of awareness, the person can observe their emotions impartially and without being judgemental. Once we are aware of our emotions and the reasons why they function in a particular way, we can be impacted by them and overcome challenging circumstances with more clarity and calmness. It helps them reach a state of emotional stability and reduce reactivity towards a given situation.
4. Reduces Negative Thoughts
Most situations in life are not that bad, but our ability to think negatively forces us to deteriorate the situation and make it worse. We need to control our ability to think negatively to make the most of every situation. Mantra meditation helps us control our thoughts and focus on the present situation. We can overcome negative thoughts and focus on the positive in every situation. Whenever we encounter negative emotional stimuli, we can avoid them or ignore them. Mantra meditation equips individuals with effective coping mechanisms to sail through life’s challenges and attain greater emotional equilibrium as well as composure.
5. Overcoming Stress
Stress and anxiety are the root causes of several mental and physical problems. Stress not only impacts the body and mind in the present scenario but also impacts our decision-making ability. This tends to influence our future course. Mantra meditation is known to help overcome stress and relax the mind. The tune of the mantra can relax the mind and create a positive ripple across bodily fluids. It not only relaxes the mind but also the body as a whole. A more relaxed and stress-free mind can sustain a healthy body and influence life decisions.
6. Helps Control Anxiety
When we practice mantra meditation, our mind remains in the present situation and avoids wandering away. We can avoid creating future events in our brains that do not even exist. Anxiety is the state in which our mind tries to control all the permutations and combinations of the future. It is a fruitless exercise that only plays havoc with our brain. Mantra meditation is known to help the mind escape towards the future and behave more rationally.
Mantra meditation has many benefits and even several scientific studies have backed the impact of mantras on the brain and body. If not much, only ten minutes of mantra meditation have a long-lasting effect on the brain that sets the pace, not only for the day but for several other future courses of events.
