Incorporating mantras into my routine has transformed my life, bringing my ideas, dreams, and goals into reality. But before I jump into that…
Mantra? What does that mean? A mantra, by definition, is an instrument of the mind, a powerful sound or phrase that can be repeated to enter into a state of meditation. Broken down, man means “mind” and “tra” is vehicle. Through your mantra, be it a sound, or a phrase, you can set in motion your intention. The mantra is thought of as a vehicle to help you bring your points of focus to the mind and elevate your awareness. More specifically, we can allow our mind to come back to the present moment and escape the constant chatter of our thoughts; ultimately, bringing awareness to what matters to us most. With a basis in Buddhist and eastern ideologies, mantras today have often transformed and can now be recognized as phrases that sound like “I am enough” or “I trust my path”. If you have ever taken a yoga class, you may notice that in an effort to bring focus to the present moment, the instructor will utilize a combination of both a mantra, a posture of the mind, in addition to asanas, or poses, postures of the body. Through this combination, one can allow for intense focus and become so focused on striking a pose, that their attention exists in the moment, not reflecting on the past nor the future. Analogously, the mind, muddy with thoughts, begins to settle like muddy water when left alone and offers a sense of clarity. In essence, the mantra defines one of the most simple ways to bring attention to what matters most to you in your every day life.
I truly did not fully embrace the use of mantras until I began my journey of becoming a yoga sculpt instructor. For me, this move into the fitness and yoga industry was a whirlwind of risk, confidence, insecurity, judgement, dedication, and so much more. Looking back, I truly do not believe I fully could have completed the program, along with working full time in my corporate job, without my mantras to ground me. And to be honest, I wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with the use of meditation or mantras. I grew up with a step dad who exposed me at a young age to Buddhist and Zen ideologies and I’ve embraced gurus like Alan Watts or Ram Dass to guide me in my discovering my internal journey for quite a few years now. I knew the practices, but I didn’t know just how powerful they were until I dipped my feet in the water. When I began my practice in yoga early 2019, it felt as if everything I studied on my free time, began to “click”. As I studied and developed in my practice, I understood just how powerful it was to set my energy, clear my mind, and ultimately bring focus to the present moment. I realized that my mind was not only powerful, but it was also the same medium that perceived my limitations. Said another way, each individual has their own set of experiences, conditioned beliefs, and memories that shape how we view the world around us. It is through this individual lens that we define reality, viewing it differently than the person to the right or the left. But if we can recognize or take awareness of this lens, we can understand how it can also limit or narrow our perceived reality and then choose to actively look past it. Layering on this concept from personal experience, I had come to the true realization that the limitations I set on myself were merely illusions shaped by my personal experiences, fear, anxiety, the list goes on. But here’s the kicker, if I could drown out the voices of “I can’t” and turn up the volume of “I can,” I realized my potential was limitless. The anxiety of failing, or the what if I had done this, would just slip away. With this knowledge I realized I could hold awareness of my thoughts, without judgement, knowing it was just a thought and not my reality. As a result, I understood simple shifts in perspective allowed me to conquer fears, let go of comparison, and believe in my own journey. Ultimately, these shifts were facilitated by mantras and intentions, which have become the voices that I have turned the volume, all the way up.
Now through my own voice, I hope to share my practice of mantras to inspire others to create their own and in essence, see past their mind. What you think tends to speak itself into existence. So shoot for the stars, because the only person to stop you, is you.
To quote, from a speech by David Foster Wallace,
“There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys, how’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?”
This Is Water – Full version-David Foster Wallace Commencement Speech – (Link to full speech if you’re interested. When I graduated high school, my step dad told me this was the real speech I should listen to and that the most important goal as I went off to college was not my major or any particular subject, but rather, to learn to think. I frequently still reflect on this speech to this day and recommend it to colleagues & friends. Thank you Mark Doherty.)
Balance with me
& spread the vibe,
Sara B