Session 4 – 40-Day Ganesa Mantra Sādhana (Live Recording)

This is the edited recording of Live Session 4 of our 40-Day Gaṇeśa Mantra Sādhana. In this session, we expand our main mantra Aum Gaṁ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ into its extended form: Aum Aiṁ Hrīṁ Śrīṁ Klīṁ Glauṁ Gaṁ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ.

We take extra time to feel and refine the pronunciation of Aiṁ and Glauṁ, gently revisiting key elements such as the guttural g, the dental t, n, and l, the retroflex ṇ, and the nasal resonance of anusvāra (ṁ) - always as an invitation, never as pressure for perfection.

The recording includes the opening chant Saha Nāvavatu, a soft arrival and humming-based intention setting, call-and-response exploration of each bīja in the key of C, chanting the full extended mantra in a steady rhythmic flow, a short period of silence, group sharing, and a closing with the Pūrṇam Mantra and Śāntiḥ.

You’re warmly invited to join the Insight Timer group, The Power of Mantra, and to follow the playlist 40 Day Ganesa Mantra Sādhana – Nov–Dec 2025 on my profile.

Transcript

Namaste,

Welcome,

Everyone.

Let's begin by chanting the peace mantra Sahana Vavatu together,

Twice,

To settle the mind,

Soften the breath and come into shared intention.

It invokes shared protection,

Nourishment,

Strength and clarity,

A reminder that we walk this journey together as one field of sound and intention.

Please find a comfortable seat.

You can join the chant or simply listen and soften,

Letting the sound carry the meaning.

May we be protected,

May we be nourished,

May our practice today unfold with clarity and ease.

Hello,

Everyone.

Welcome back,

Beautiful souls.

And a warm welcome if this is your first live with us.

This is session four of our 40-day Ganesha Mantra Sadhana,

A journey of sound,

Devotion and steady practice.

Today marks an important step in our 40-day sadhana.

We will expand our main mantra and explore the deeper energy of several bija sounds,

The seed syllables that carry the concentrated essence of the mantra.

You don't need to know anything in advance.

Just your breath,

Your presence and your willingness to sound.

If you'd like,

Share in the chat how your practice has felt since our last session,

Any insights,

Any resistance,

Moments of joy or questions about the mantra.

I'll weave some of your questions into today's guidance.

And before we move deeper,

A brief reminder on how it works,

Especially for those joining for the first time.

A 40-day mantra sadhana is about showing up and connecting to the mantra every day for 40 days.

It's not about perfection or performance.

You can chant 108 times with the mala or for a chosen time,

Like 10,

20,

30 minutes or less,

If 10 minutes of daily chanting is not realistic for you.

Use the available mantra tracks or tanpura drone tracks here on Insight Timer or simply your own voice.

If you miss a day,

You don't fail,

You simply return.

Each return is part of your sadhana.

If you enjoy journaling,

Keep notes of how your practice feels and over time you will see how the mantra shapes your awareness.

If you are joining us for the first time or if you want to revisit the foundations,

You can listen to the full explanation in the recording of session 1.

You can find it in the 40-day Ganesha Mantra Sadhana November to December 2025 playlist.

Now,

Let's explore today's focus,

An introduction to the extended version of the mantra.

So far,

We have chanted Aum Gam Ganga Pattaye Namaha and today we weave several bija sounds,

Powerful seed syllables,

Into our main Ganesha mantra.

Each of these sounds carries a concentrated energetic quality.

When we chant them together,

The mantra becomes a full-spectrum invocation,

Clear mind and open heart,

Nourishment,

Attraction,

Transformation,

Grounding and guidance.

And the mantra we will work with today is Aum Ayn Hrin Shrin Klin Glaum Gam Ganga Pattaye Namaha Let's go through the new bija sounds.

First,

Their energetic qualities and feel.

So we go through the first new bija mantra,

Which is Aym.

So you already know Aum and after Aum,

The primordial sound,

We add this bija,

Aym,

The bija of the goddess Saraswati.

Its qualities are clarity,

Intuition,

Refined speech.

It awakens learning,

Creativity and insight.

And the bija sound Aym can be felt in the upper palate,

The head and the space behind the eyes.

Aym is a bright,

Sparkling sound that clears mental fog and sharpens awareness.

Next is Hrin,

A heart-mind integration bija associated with the divine mother in her many forms.

And the qualities are balancing,

Centering,

Protective.

It harmonizes inner and outer experience.

It can be felt like a gentle inward pull toward truth.

Hrin is often described as the sound of inner alignment.

Then we add Shrin,

The bija of the goddess Lakshmi.

The qualities are nourishment,

Flow,

Beauty,

Abundance.

It supports emotional softness and receptivity.

And it can be felt as a cooling,

Soothing vibration.

Shrin is a sound of inner flourishing.

Then we bring in Kleem,

A bija of magnetic attraction and creative momentum.

Its qualities are that it gathers and focuses intention.

It activates momentum and inner magnetic power.

It is warm,

Dynamic and slightly fiery.

Kleem is a sound that helps draw energy towards what matters.

And after this,

We add Glaum,

The tantric Ganesha bija.

And its qualities are that it breaks stagnation and transforms resistance.

It is earthy,

Grounding and clearing.

And it can be felt strongly in the belly and lower body.

Glaum is a deep transformative sound that clears the path.

And finally,

We keep Gaam,

The classical Ganesha bija.

With the qualities of stabilization,

Protection and support.

And it establishes a grounded presence.

And it activates downward rooting energy.

Gaam is the familiar,

Comforting anchor of the mantra.

So for today,

I would like to look at two of these new sounds more closely.

Aim and Glaum.

And then also make a gentle recap of a few pronunciation points from the earlier sessions.

There's no need to get everything perfect.

We simply bring awareness to how the sound moves through the body.

So,

Aim.

Aim is made of two elements.

Ai,

A bright diphthong.

And M,

The anusvara,

A soft nasal resonance that closes the sound inward.

Let's explore the first part,

Ai.

It begins with an open A.

And it glides forward into I.

As the tongue lifts towards the roof of the mouth.

So you can think of it like gently smiling with the sound.

Ai.

And when the Ai moves slowly into the M,

Into the anusvara,

The vibration shifts from the mouth into the nose and upper palate.

And if you glide very slowly,

You may notice a soft shimmering quality,

Little overtones or upper harmonics appearing on top of the sound.

Don't try to create them.

They come naturally when the throat is relaxed and the exhale is steady.

Let's try it together slowly.

Aim.

Take a soft,

Deep inhale.

Relax.

Feel how the sound travels upward as it lifts into the space behind the eyes.

Let's repeat it a few times.

Soft inhale.

Aim.

Again,

Inhaling.

Beautiful.

Now let's look at Plaum,

Which has three parts.

It has the soft guttural G sound in the back of the throat,

That you know already from Gaam and Gaanghapataye.

And then a L,

The dental sound,

So you can bring the tip of your tongue just behind the upper front teeth,

Touching lightly.

L.

And now we bring these two together to G.

G.

G.

Yes.

And then there is another diphthong,

Au,

And then it goes into anusvara again.

So we move from the deep grounding of G into the forward softness of the L and then open into Au,

Finishing with the gentle nasal resonance of anusvara.

Let's feel the flow of the sound together.

Plaum.

Plaum.

Relax.

Take a soft,

Deep inhale.

A few more.

Inhaling.

One more time,

Starting with the soft guttural G.

Au.

Feel how the sound moves from the back of the throat to the front of the mouth and then up into the nasal space.

One more time.

Gentle,

Deep inhale.

Beautiful.

Now let's do a quick recap of the earlier pronunciation points.

So we had the guttural G sound in Gaam,

Plaum,

And Gaangapataye.

The G is always guttural,

Made in the throat,

Gently and softly.

Then,

In Pataye,

Namaha,

And Glaum,

The T,

The N,

And the L are so-called dental sounds with the tongue touching just behind the upper front teeth.

It softens the sound and brings the mantra forward.

So the T in Gaangapataye,

The N in Namaha,

And the L in Plaum.

Then,

If you remember from last time,

The N sound in Gaangapataye is a retroflex sound.

The tongue curls gently back into the cave,

Creating a fuller,

Rounder sound compared to the dental N in Namaha.

And let's just repeat how to find it.

When you start with the tip of your tongue at the dental position just behind the upper front teeth,

And you glide your tongue back over a richy spot,

You move it up,

And then it comes into something like a cave.

So you don't go further into your mouth towards your throat.

You stay in this cave.

You gently curl your tongue,

And there you tap your tongue for this retroflex N sound in Gaangapataye.

The N in Namaha behind the upper front teeth,

And the retroflex N in Gaangapataye in the cave.

And then the Anuswara,

The M with the dot,

In all the bichas that we have in this mantra,

Aum,

Aim,

Hreem,

Shreem,

Kleem,

Glaum,

Gaam,

The final M is Anuswara,

A gentle nasal resonance and not a labial M.

So all of these elements are invitations,

Never requirements for perfection at the cost of connection or ease.

If you simply stay relaxed,

Aware and present,

The sound will find their natural shape.

Let's say the full mantra a few times together.

Aum,

Aim,

Hreem,

Shreem,

Kleem,

Glaum,

Gaam,

Gaangapataye,

Namaha.

Again.

Aum,

Aim,

Hreem,

Shreem,

Kleem,

Glaum,

Gaam,

Gaangapataye,

Namaha.

Beautiful.

So before we enter the full mantra,

Let's take a moment to arrive and prepare our space,

Both outside and inside.

Make sure you have everything you need for chanting,

Perhaps your mala,

A tanpura or a drone track,

And anything else that supports your practice.

And if you're using your own tanpura,

Harmonium or a sound carpet,

Please set it now in the key of Si,

Deep,

Earthy and grounding.

Si is a beautiful key for this extended mantra.

Take a sip of water.

Get ready and comfortable.

Take a moment to find a comfortable seat.

Let your sit bones ground.

Let your spine rise naturally.

Allow your shoulders to soften.

Make sure you feel supported so you can relax into the sound.

Take a gentle breath in and gently close your eyes.

Place one or both hands over your heart space.

Feel the breath softly moving your chest.

Take a moment to connect and quietly notice what is alive in your heart.

With your next exhale,

I invite you to make a soft humming sound,

A comfortable length of breath.

Beautiful.

In your own rhythm,

Gently humming into the sound of the harmonium.

Allow your jaw to relax.

Relax your tongue.

It's a soft,

Gentle,

Yummy sound like remembering a very tasty food or scent.

Allowing these soft vibrations to flow through your body.

Feel into your heart.

Whatever is here,

Whatever is present,

Let it be welcome.

Maybe you feel grounded.

Maybe you feel tender.

Maybe tired,

Curious,

Open or unsure.

Remember,

This practice is not about changing your inner state.

It's about connecting to it and letting the sounds accompany you from where you are.

Beautiful.

Now listen again.

Attention for today's chanting.

Three more soft humming sounds.

Here we will move over to the mantra.

We will chant in C,

In colon response.

First repeating bija by bija.

And after a while moving into the full mantra.

We will begin slowly.

Let the rhythm naturally build.

And toward the end,

Soften again into spaciousness and stillness.

Your intention stays with you.

Lightly,

Gently,

Woven into the sound.

Make sure you feel comfortable.

Your shoulders soft.

Your breath easy.

Let's begin in colon response slowly and gently.

So your body has time to settle into each sound.

The melody will stay simple and steady.

Like a soft circle of sound.

We begin with one round of colon response for each sound.

Listen first and then repeat.

We begin with Aum,

The primordial sound.

The vibration from which all other bijas arise.

Aum,

The bija of clarity and intuitive insight.

Now Shreem,

The bija of Lakshmi.

Kleem,

The seat sound of attraction and creative fire.

The tantric Ganesha bija.

And finally,

Ganga Pattaya Namaha.

Wonderful.

Just notice how your body feels.

Let's go into a second round.

This time with fewer cues.

Simply follow the sound.

Just notice the energy building.

One more round like this.

A little faster.

Beautiful.

Now we weave all the sounds together in one flow.

Listen first.

Namaha Ganga Pattaya Let your breath soften.

Feel the gentle after vibration moving through your body.

Maybe there is warmth in your chest.

A soft buzzing in your face.

Or a subtle spaciousness behind the forehead.

Let your jaw soften.

Let your shoulders melt downward.

Let your belly loosen and expand.

Feel the echo of the mantra.

Like a soft glow inside your body.

Notice the stillness behind the breath.

The quiet beneath the sound.

Let the silence wash over you.

Gentle.

Warm.

Nourishing.

Here.

Inside this tenderness.

Inside this openness.

Inside this quiet inner light.

Notice.

If thoughts arise,

Let them drift like clouds across a white sky.

Softly returning to the feeling of presence.

To the soundless vibration within.

Feel free to remain in meditation a little longer.

When you feel ready,

Take a few slow grounding breaths.

Lengthen your exhale.

Returning to the room.

When you feel ready,

Gently open your eyes.

Take a moment to notice how you feel right now.

In your body.

In your breath.

In your heart.

Beautiful.

If you wish,

You can share a few words in the chat.

Perhaps,

How did Bija mantras felt for you?

Did you sense any difference?

How was it as the tempo and melody shifted?

Maybe you just feel quiet and calm.

Or gentle warmth.

Renewed focus.

Every experience belongs.

Whether your mind was quiet or busy.

Your voice strong or soft.

The mantra works beneath the surface.

Shaping stillness and clarity in its own rhythm.

You are also welcome to ask questions about pronunciation,

Rhythm or your daily sadhana practice.

Whatever feels good for you right now.

The general intention of the entire mantra is overcoming obstacles.

Sometimes not in a way how we think would be the best way.

But sometimes by understanding obstacles better.

Thank you everyone for sharing your presence and also your questions and reflections.

Your voice and your experience enrich this space and support everyone practicing alongside you.

So it's not just me chanting here or teaching something.

It's really valuable to have your insights,

Your questions and your comments.

You can at any time also just send me a message or ask any questions in another live event here on Insight Timer.

Or you can just join the Power of Mantra group and share or ask questions in the group.

Let's carry this calm centered energy with us and move toward our closing mantra.

The peace mantra of wholeness.

And just before we close,

Let's take a brief moment to look ahead.

Our next live session is in one week.

November 30,

Same time,

Same space.

And we will continue exploring the energy of the Bija Mantra.

So the ones that I did not explain how to pronounce in detail today,

We will cover next time.

So we will take a closer look at Kleem,

Hreem and Shreem.

And how they move in the body,

How they shape intention and how they deepen our sadhana.

Yeah,

And if your time zone allows,

Join my chanting circle tomorrow.

We will chant the Bija Mantra Aayim together,

The seed sound of Saraswati,

108 times in rhythmic meditation with Dhamala.

And there is no chanting circle this Friday,

But you will find all recordings,

Reflection tracks and supporting audios in the playlist.

You find it when you go to my profile and you scroll down,

There you find the playlists.

It's called 40 Day Ganesha Mantra Sadhana,

North to Death 2025.

And the name of the group,

You also find the group when you go to my profile is The Power of Mantra.

And until next Sunday,

For your daily practice,

You're very welcome to continue with the shorter mantra,

The Aum Gam Garnapataye Namaha.

It's the stable foundation of our 40 day journey and supports you beautifully through each phase of your sadhana.

The extended mantra we explore today is an option,

Not an expectation.

And I will publish it once we have covered all the Bija Mantras,

So after next Sunday.

Until then,

Please practice in your own rhythm.

There is no rush,

No pressure.

Now let's close with the Purna Mantra,

A mantra from the Isha Upanishads that reminds us of our inherent completeness.

It invites us to rest in the knowing that nothing is missing,

That everything we need is already within us.

You can simply listen or join in when you feel ready.

We start with Aum,

Chant two rounds and end with Aum Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

So find a comfortable position.

Close your eyes if that feels safe and supporting for you.

You can place a hand over your chest.

Allow your breath to soften.

Then take a soft,

Deep inhale for Aum.

Thank you so much for being here today.

For lending your voice,

Your attention,

Your heart to this practice.

I hope to see you again next Sunday and see you in the group.

Thank you so much for the heart and for your support.

Thank you.

Wherever you are in the world,

I wish you a wonderful day or a good night if it is your night time.

Namaste.