This month I’d like to share with you some of the Spiritual Breathing exercises, techniques, and meditations our group has been practicing as we travel through India.
And I’d like to start with mantras. Mantras are words or sounds or phrases that are repeated or used for meditation and as part of various spiritual practices.
They work to quiet and focus the mind. And in many ancient religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, it is believed that they carry vibrational energy that can uplift, strengthen, or soothe spirit, mind, and body.
A mantra is a prayer or a spiritual affirmation that is spoken, repeated, chanted, or sung. One of the most basic and well known mantras is “Aum” or “Om.”
Some others are “Sat Nam,” “So Hum,” the “Gayatri Mantra,” “Om Mani Padme Hum,” “Om Namah Shivaya,” (My favorite!), “Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,” etc..
In the Christian tradition, the term mantra is not usually used, but there are similar practices, repetitive prayers, like “the Jesus prayer,” ‘breath prayers’ that are synchronized with the breathing, like: “Come Holy Spirit” or “I trust in You.”
In the Hebrew tradition there is “YHWH” the name of God that cannot be spoken. And yet, ”Yah” is the sound of the inhale and “Weh” is the sound of the exhale. And so every breath speaks the name of God! Try it now.
Gregorian chants and many modern worship songs often have repetitive phrases that produce soulful uplifting or meditative states. One of my recent favorites is a song called “Goodness of God” by Jehn Johnson. I love it. I played it over and over for weeks, and thank God, I still can’t get it out of my head!
But what I like about mantras is that many of the most ancient mantras are based on natural breath sounds, such as “So Hum” and “Sat Nam.” Try repeating them now, and notice that you don’t need your voice.
You can pronounce them using only your breath: Exhale “So” and inhale “Hum.” Exhale “Sat” and inhale “Nam.” Every breath is a prayer! Every breath is a blessing!
When we were at the Surya Kriya Ashram, we practiced breathing the name Shiva: “SHI” on the exhale and “VA” on the inhale.
Try it now. Start slow in a meditative way. Synchronize your breath to each syllable. And then begin to speed up the rhythm. Practice diaphragmatic Breathing when you do this.
After some time, you can let go of the external pronunciation, and simply internalize the sound. To finish, take in a deep breath in and hold it as long as you like. Then exhale slowly and silently. Do several rounds of this and see what it produces. See how you feel.
Another meditation we practiced when we were at Babaji’s Ashram in Haidakhan, was using our breath to take in the beauty and the energy of that sacred place.
We breathed in the sound of the Ganges flowing by. We breathed in the clouds in the sky and the scents in the air. And we breathed in the vibrant trees and glorious mountains that surrounded us.
We also spent time breathing under what the locals call ‘The Divine Mother’s Tree’ near the ashram. There, we practiced a two-part inhale. The first part is an “ooh” shaped sound focused in the belly, and the second part is an “ahh” shaped sound focused in the heart…
Then for the exhale, we tilt our heads back, look up to the sky and continue the “ahh” sound, releasing all the energy we brought up, and consciously surrender or offer ourselves up to the Divine.
This was especially powerful. Everyone experienced it as healing, energizing, purifying, and enlightening! Ahh the amazing power of breathing when we combine it with heartfelt intention, visualization, and genuine emotion!
You can invent your own mantra. Use your favorite name for God, or use any uplifting word or phrase. And to give your practice some added physiological benefits, use 2 syllables on the inhale and 4 syllables on the exhale. (That will activate the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system.
Be inventive. Be creative. Be sincere. Be devotional. And you will certainly experience what can easily be called a blessing… and perhaps even a miracle!
Good luck in your practice, and many blessings on your path.
