Do Mantras Really Work?

Listen to CNN or any news channel or read the newspapers and you will find the word mantra used to mean any oft-recited saying, whether positive or not. For instance, James Arthur Ray, well-known from 'The Secret' and the latest 'guru' to hit the headlines, uses motivational mantras promising endless spiritual and financial wealth, while the tea-baggers believe their mantra that 'socialism is bad.' President Obama's mantra, “Yes we can!" is an inspiring and affirmative one.

This use of the word mantra has arisen from the traditional custom of chanting sacred sounds or names, as done in many religious practices. Such repetition has also been put to music that reaches across religious boundaries.

The room was filled with melodious voices. We were at a concert with the fabulous Deva Premal and Miten. They are masters at chanting, and at getting the audience to participate. Spending a few hours singing a foreign language (many chants are in Sanskrit) may not sound like a lot of fun, yet it has a remarkable effect. It really does uplift the spirit.

Sounding in this way is not only a means of worshipping the sacred but also creates harmony by unifying voices into a synchronized whole. This is particularly effective if the sound does not require thought, such as chanting in Latin, as it is the sound that is important and not the meaning. However, the unity can easily be lost if the thinking mind intrudes.

Deepesh Faucheux, who was a Catholic monk, told us in our latest book (see below) about the effect of the Gregorian chanting in his monastery: " Gregorian frequency works on the brain in a particular way to elevate us to a spiritually altered state. It was always a collective chant—what is called ecclesia. A group of people with a single purpose of worship attuned together, their behavior, sensibilities, and moods all harmonized. The frequency of the sound deeply affected us, it smoothed out the rough edges, anger or fear. It was like Prozac, I would get very high, even transported. It made many of the petty things that happened seem totally unimportant and made life in the monastery bearable, even blissful. It was the only therapy the monastery needed! But when we stopped chanting in Latin and tried to do it in the local dialect, many of the monasteries and convents fell apart because the people started fighting with each other. They had lost that shared integrative quality.”

Apart from calming the mind and reducing friction, chanting can also be powerfully healing. Miten shared the moving story of a woman who had been deeply depressed for two years, sleeping on the couch as she could not climb the stairs, waking up each morning hoping she would die, and gaining a lot of weight. A friend played her Deva and Miten's chanting and she began to sob, followed by a huge release. She played their music constantly and one morning, when she woke up, for the first time she was able to appreciate the sun filling her room. She had thoughts of how she could share love, instead of longing to die.

Deva and Miten hear such stories constantly, especially from people who know nothing of the meaning of the chant but who are feeling a lack of shared spirituality in their lives and who experience a deep and joyful resonance with the sound.

Ed learnt chanting when he lived in India. While on a teaching tour a man came to him and asked for Ed to come to his home to see his ailing wife. When Ed entered their simple mud hut, he chanted a healing mantra—Om Namah Shivaya—over the woman's bed. She immediately lit up with a big smile and grasped his hand.

In this context, a mantra is a word or phrase that has special meaning, such as shalom, peace or shanti. It may be the name of a spiritual being, such as Mother Mary, Hare Krishna, or Namo Buddha. In the east Om or Aum is a favorite sound as it means the sound of the universe. Or, as the western spiritual teacher Ram Dass, says: “Each person can use the mantra ‘I am loving awareness.’ Just repeat this and become loving awareness. Then share that loving awareness with all others.”

Mantra meditation is like spiritual food; it awakens your creative process and nourishes your spirit, while habitual or agitated thinking patterns are released. In the process you discover the silence behind the sound. It is like a broom that sweeps your mind free of clutter. What more could you want?

Mantra Meditation

To practice mantra meditation, sit comfortably with your back straight. Take a few deep breaths and relax and settle your body. Then begin to repeat the mantra, either silently or intoning it out loud if you are alone. Repeat it in rhythm with your breathing. If you get distracted or drift off into thinking, just bring your mind back to the sound.

Deva Premal and Miten have many different concerts lined up, so check their website for one near you.

What do you feel about mantras? Do comment below. You can receive notice of our blogs every Tuesday by checking Become a Fan at the top.

You can pre-order a copy of our book at: BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You and the World. It will be published Nov 3rd. Join us for a booksigning: Nov 3rd in Boulder CO; Nov 11th in Portland OR; Nov 13th in Seattle WA; Nov 16th in NYC; and Nov 17th in Springfield MA. More details at: www.EdandDebShapiro.com

 

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Ed and Deb Shapiro’s new book, BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You And The World, with forewords by the Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman, with contributors such as Marianne Williamson, astronaut Edgar Mitchell, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Beckwith, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jane Fonda, Jack Kornfield, Byron Katie, Dean Ornish, Deva Premal & Miten, and Deepesh Faucheux will be published Nov 3rd 2009 by Sterling Ethos. Deb is the author of the award-winning book YOUR BODY SPEAKS YOUR MIND. Ed and Deb are the authors of over 15 books, and lead meditation retreats and workshops. Enjoy their 3 meditation CD’s: Metta - Loving kindness and Forgiveness; Samadhi – Breath Awareness and Insight; and Yoga Nidra – Inner Conscious Relaxation, available on their website: www.EdandDebShapiro.com

 

 

Follow Ed and Deb Shapiro on Twitter: www.twitter.com/edanddebshapiro

Comments

[judyepstein]

Good article! May it reach many people and turn them on to Deva & Miten's and other's beautiful, powerful chants.

Love,
Judy

[Daughter of Guitar Barry]

Chanting with Deva Premal and Miten was a wonderful experience! Both at Grace Cathedral in SF and at Rudramandir in Berkeley.

A great stress antidote!

[Daughter of Guitar Barry]

I was blessed to hear a concert and then also attend a small workshop in Berkeley with Deva and Miten. They are a beautiful couple, and to be in their presence is very healing.

Chanting is a wonderful way to connect inwardly with one's own emotions, body and soul. It is also a fun and easy way to connect w/ others, and to feel the human connection to all beings.

I recommend chanting for stress relief, self nurturing and just for enjoyment!

For professional or family caregivers, sacred chanting is a great antidote to compassion fatigue.

[Amrito Cross]

Thank you for a great article. I have known Deva Premal and Miten for years and I LOVE their beautiful music. I find it inspiring, healing and uplifting. I love knowing that they are on the planet, spreading love, joy and beauty. I love knowing that we can lift ourselves by something so simple as listening to sacred chants, and even more so by participating. I love knowing that we all have the capacity to be Love, Joy, Peace and that the more we allow those states in ourselves, the greater our gift to all.

[Tim in Long Beach]

In the Bible, God gave the power to name all of the world's creatures to Adam. The Hebrews believed that naming (knowing the name) gives you power over something. Sanskrit has long been associated wtih the essence of all things, so the sounds and words of Sanskrit contain great power. I have seen changes in my own life after doing japa (repetition of a mantra 108 times) for 40 days; I have been currently using hte Lakshmi Gayatri in my morning and evening sadhana and there has been an increase in the abundance coming to me. I haven't won the Lottery or anything, but I have seen improvement in my monetary circumstances. Even if it was only calming to the mind, mantra and practicing japa would have great value; but I believe that it is more.

[PianoManDan]

My best buddy, my dog... became gravely ill last week. My spirit became very unsettled. We are presently on a journey to share our partnership and what we have to offer with the world. I began to feel a desperate fear, sadness, loss, anxiety separation issues, abandonment... it was all banging away at my door (ha, drama) although it is true... I began to listen to the music of Deva and Miten. After a few hours hours of allowing their music to fill my world, indulgence in negative feelings, all thoughts, need for commiseration ended. I began to realize a steady, compassionate love. Through Deva's music I received emotional security and balance, ability to embrace acceptance. There was no sadness what-so-ever, no need for strength... no need, period. I have no idea what the chanted words mean. All I know is that the meditations through Deva and Miten's voices... give me a feeling of connectedness through the music. I was connected with God, the universe, the goodness of life here on earth. All of it present and in total balance. Feeling consistent and connected with love, this is most important for me. Music is the tool that has given me the benefits of meditation. Deva's voice is significant and gifted with pure love. With the meditations and chants of Deva and Miten (along with medication that I found for Bo) we are now heading from West Virginia to Hollywood this week in order to continue our journey.

[junnuh]

Hi and light to everyone!

I am a fan of Premal and Miten and their music, never been able to meet personally. I started by buying Strength of a Rose, simply listening my inner voice telling me that I find what needed then. And I found.

Well now I am listening Moola Mantra and also Dakshina daily and it helps me to get my mind more silent and it also gives me a lot of energy. I am a energy healer so I also need it eventhough I am not giving my energy away when I heal but I get it more from the source of light from which this whole world has been greated!:-))

I havent been using mantras in my daily meditation or so i thought before I read this block! So I realised that I have. So simply way than just speaking aloud my worries! Or years ago in a very hard life situation just silently saying "I want to be happy in this life" (in finnish language of course) And it helped.

Of course I have tried also some mantras like Om Mane Padme Hum... but somehow i didn't then feel so comfortable with them but let see what Moola Mantra affects me. Because what I have learnt for this age is that don't close doors in front off you.

Simply many warm hugs to Ed and Deb, you are doing great work!:-))

so much to say, so few words with love from Junnuh

[Dr Raj Vastrad]

Yes, Mantras can cause the amazing - inspiring effects, cascading
multi-chemical, multi-system-sync together in the body-mind-spirit.

My self & my other associates use them regularly in day to day life &
in our retreats etc..
Thanks for the article
Dr Raj Vastrad
www.high-net-worth-happiness-happeace-now.com

[hezaha]

A few weeks ago, Deva Premal and Miten gave a concert and a chanting workshop in St. Petersburg, FL area. I didn't know very much about chanting or their music, I just went. Since then, I have been listening to their music about 80% of the time that I have to choose listening to music. It has been amazing! I am much more peaceful and centered. I have a chronic neurological condition, and my symptoms have been reduced, which could be to a variety of things as my condition is complicated; however, as I am sure that my breathing is deeper and more profound since listening to their music, I firmly believe that a change in breathing pattern can settle down neurological dysfunction.

[Ted Maziejka]

Thank you for the great article!

Having been to Deva and Miten's concerts, having spent the last two years with them in Tulum, Mexico for a blissful 7 days of chanting,my wife Leslie and I have felt and experienced the magic that happens with their music and sound.

Deva and Miten are truly a Sacred Couple, and their music infuses your soul, touches your heart and opens you up to unlimited possibilities, and awakens you to the joys of their music. To be in a room with 35 couples chanting and singing and feeling that we are all connected, all one, infused with love is magical; to experience a concert with 400 individuals all feeling connected and chanting is a divine experience.

We are honored to call Deva and Miten friends!

[Truski]

Thank-you for the article!

Much love and appreciation to Deva & Miten (and Manose!) I just received my "Mantras for Precarious Times" cd... and I love it. When I play the cd I never want to stop it until it goes through to the end. All the mantras have a unique endearing character and energy of their own. Frankly, they're addictive. I often find myself chanting them either in mind or out loud throughout my day. They seem to be pleasurable on a number of levels. The mind enjoys the rhythm and cadence and often plays with pitch for some beautiful harmonizing. On the heart level, it feels like divine unification... can lead to some pretty blissful states. Of course, one's experience of them can vary wildly depending on what their belief systems are, and what they are willing to allow him or herself to feel. Obviously you know how I feel about them. So enough of my gushing. :-)

All the best to all of you!
-Trevor

[Jeffrey Shoaf]

IMy wife and I were with Miten and Deva Premal for a 7 day tantra/mantra experience. Each morning we were filled with love and light as we began the day with humming and chanting, followed by creative dance. The energy with 35 couples from around the world singing songs of devotion, compassion, love,and peace kept us in ananda (bliss). This is a testimony to what is possible with collective consciousness, which is being explored in the discipline of noetic science right now. Miten and Deva are
god-like with the vibrational wave of love they always share. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti ..........­..........­....

[Marsha Joy Rudolph]

Seeing Deva and Miten at the Ecstatic Chant Workshop at Omega was so incredible, I wanted more....so I attended their Philadelphia concert in that amazing church that next week! I was so elevated by the experience, I have been chanting almost every day in my home, and sometimes in the car, The more I sing, the less my mind has time to dwell on worries, problems, negativity, and the sweeter my life becomes! I also think they are such a great couple and was privileged to receive a beautiful smile from each as I was walking to lunch one day at Omega, down the rocky path, and they were walking up, arm in arm!! Manose is a beautiful addition as well. His flute playing is otherworldly and a great complement to their sweet voices! Will see them both next year, G-d willing, back in Philly!
Much love,
Marsha Joy Rudolph

[Kim Fisher]

I have been a huge fan of Deva Premal and Miten for several years. I recently saw them in concert in Boulder, CO, then attended their voice workshop a couple days later, and both were so amazing and inspiring! The energy at the voice workshop was incredible... being in a space with so many people singing mantras together with a common intention was so powerful. I find that chanting mantras first thing in the morning is so uplifting, and a wonderful way to begin the day. I also love to put on a Deva Premal or Snatam Kaur cd and sing along while I'm cooking or cleaning or driving. It helps me to be present and bring loving intention to whatever I'm doing. So yes, I'm a huge fan of mantras, and I believe that they are wonderful allies in this life.

[Alyssa Miller]

I fell in love w/Deva and Miten @ their Jivamukti concert in NYC abt 10 yrs ago. I couldn't believe the overwhelming serene peace that permeated the overcrowded studio (which would normally make me squirm, like being a "rat in a cage" during rush hr in the subway). Between's Deva's honey-like voice that penetrated to my core, Miten's, Bob Dylan-like lyrics & the duo's infectious charm, I was addictied! I had the honor of traveling w/ them during a US tour & also producing a concert for them @ St. John The Divine & was always amazed to see the same reactions after each concert or santsang workshop. To this day, even when I may go astray, their mantras always seems to find me. To be able to have their collection of music, especially "Love Is Space" & a self Reiki CD, "Inner Healing" created by Tanmaya Honervogt that is composed to Deva's mantras, are treasured gems. To read this article is so significant, esp. during this historically turbulent time in the world. While Deva and Miten have been organically spreading their music for abt 20 yrs across the globe & now to see it hit the mainstream is a vital piece to our collective peace- what Malcolm Gladwell would consider a "Tipping Point". MUCH LOVE to Deva and Miten & NAMASTE to all that have been a part of their "missionless mission". Pls pass along & con't to spread the buzz!

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/users/profile/Alyssa_Miller?action=comments