What Is A Mantra? Finding Your Way Home

Hi,

Lisa Parenteau here with Rooted Growth.

I want to dig a little bit deeper into mantra and how I use it.

This is part two of my journey with mantra.

Part one was about from crutch to companion.

I just wanted to sort of touch base about.

For me,

What mantra has.

Really represented in my Bailey practice.

And I do believe you can have meditation and focus on your breath,

Focus on all kinds of things,

You know,

There's the mindfulness meditation that just focuses on Allowing.

.

.

Whatever is happening in the environment,

Which is a very wonderfully expansive practice.

Is the repetition typically of a phrase,

A word or a phrase?

It can be in English,

It can be nonsensical,

It can be a Sanskrit mantra.

One of my teachers always says it's kind of a good idea to have that mantra be something that is maybe just a sound,

Because when we start to put words around things,

Sometimes we get hooked into what that word has as an emotional meaning to us.

So that's why so hum is so often used because it either is I am or it's really kind of meaningless in that it's just a vibration.

Coming from inside of you and connecting in an outward way.

Another really helpful mantra that I find is Om Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

So that mantra means peace.

Peace,

Peace.

Peace from inside me.

And for me,

Peace for you.

And then peace for all beings.

So really a nervous system regulator when we chant something like Aum Shanti.

On the inhale.

Shanti on the exhale.

So mantra,

Again,

Is going to continue to be a technique,

A tool in meditation to bring you back.

To that connection with something deep inside.

And connecting to the wider universe because we're human.

Our minds go,

You know,

Sometimes just a little bit,

Sometimes a lot.

And there's techniques,

The clouds floating by,

That kind of thing.

There's also the technique of mantra that can continue to bring you back.

And back.

It's a homecoming.

It's an invitation.

It's a centering.

It's an anchor for you.