The Power of Words

It really is ironic that I enjoy writing.  I'm not a person of many words - or maybe that's my inheritance form my father's side but the need to share thoughts and ideas stems from my mother's side.  Whatever the case may be I think about words and their power a great deal.  For example, I never understood why people can so easily throw around the name of God (or Jesus, or Christ, etc.).

There is great power in the words we use.  They can uplift and inspire or change the vibration of any situation just by being careless with them. The meaning behind words are certainly important but words carry their own vibrational tone.  You can even think of them as a living organism capable of growing as if you planted a seed.

Think of all the words that have survived over the years.  Most mantras that are used in Kundalini yoga are from the language Gurmukhi  and have survived thousands of years.  I remember when I first searched out meditation and heard Kundalini mantras.  I couldn't make sense of them and they didn't hold my attention at all.  Fast forward several years when I found out that all the mantras are is ancient words praising God and I gave it a try and was amazed at the effect.  Felice Austin (aka Nam Joti Kaur), author of "Awake as in Ancient Days: The Christ-Centered Kundalini Yoga Experience" explains this effect of Kundalini mantras well:

"Though there are a few English mantras that work well, English is a symbolic language, which means that you say the word "love," you have to know what love means. Whereas, in Gurmukhi, the language of most Kundalini mantras, if you say the word which translates as "love," you feel love.  The patterns of the sacred Sound Current, existed from before the beginning of creation.  The patterns are simple, primal sounds that are the tides and rhythms of the creative pulse of the universe."

Isn't that fascinating? "..the tides and rhythms of the creative pulse of the universe."  For more on Kundalini mantras and their meanings, see my posts The Power of Mantras Part I and Part II.

But for now I want to bring out the importance of our words in our language.  The words we speak and think.  Are you confused about how disconnected our ideals can be from our reality sometimes?  We know that speaking kindly is a good thing, yet when we become stressed, agitated or tired, somehow we forget.  We might yell at our kids or think how life is so horrible - or how we are so horrible.  Yes, we need to speak kindly to ourselves as much as anyone.

Here's a thought: 

What kind of mantras are we telling ourselves all day long?

I challenge you to become more conscious of your thoughts during the day.  What words are you using to describe your reality to your mind and body? Try to just observe them without judgement.

Next I will be posting a tool for choosing high vibrational words to help you narrow down your goals and ideals in life.  It is a quick and easy activity that brings your values and principles front and center so you can more easily manifest what you want in your life.

Until then...

Sat nam,
Samantha

Make Room

Awhile ago it dawned on me the connection between my name and it's meaning.  I've always liked my name.  Samantha means listener. And I have always enjoyed listening more than being the one who talks.  But the connection I made was more along the lines of spiritual listening - clairaudience, or "clear hearing". Although I have a couple extremely clear experiences of this, I haven't exactly worked on fine tuning this spiritual gift enough.  I feel I'm needing to head in that direction more intentionally these days.

There truly are so many things that take our attention, yet there are actually only a few things that are more of a requirement of our attention on a daily basis.  I remember having a distinct feeling about a year and a half ago that I was  ready to let my serious addiction to Pinterest go.  I felt there was a need to allow for something greater in my life.  Low and behold, I soon found this deep spiritual practice of meditation soon after that and Pinterest has never been the same for me since.  Over the past year I have joined a couple important Facebook groups that have helped me tremendously and I have met some amazing people that have helped me along the way.  Being more of a listener,  I haven't lent much of a voice to discussions,  but I feel I may drown without my support and the intellectual stimuli that Facebook has become (I'm very picky about what shows up on my news feed), I'm recognizing that same feeling again:

What I'm looking for isn't out there.  It's time once again to trust this voice in my head and this feeling in my heart.  There's more.  Make room.

"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus."

- Neal A Maxwell

So while I have been torn with wanting to share more on this blog as well as do more classes, for now I will be making more room for Christ in my life by signing off of social media for a time.  "Make room" will be my mantra for this Christmas season to carry me into the new year with power and grace.

Sat nam,
Samantha

The Power of Mantras, Part II

The Power of Mantras, Part I

Yesterday my 5 year old son was tossing toys from one hand to the other trying to "juggle."  I told him, 

 "Ya know, doing Sa Ta Na Ma meditation helps with coordination so you can do things like that." He has heard me do this meditation many times.  When I first started he would go around the house chanting "Santa Mama."  The actual name for it is Kirtan Kriya. 

I broke it down into smaller parts for him but he actually did the whole thing, including tuning in and out and holding his breath for 10 sec and silence at the end.

During the middle of the meditation, when we chant silently in our head, I noticed he was moving so I peaked at him thinking he was having a hard time sitting still.  He was wiping his eyes.  He quietly told me, 

"I'm crying for happiness." 

He was crying gently out of pure joy.  

That is a small example of the power of mantra meditation.  You don't even have to know what the mantras mean in order for them to be effective.  Some people say that the meaning is the same as "Sat Nam" since it has the same letters (the meaning is described in The Power of Mantras, Part I).  But it can be broken down even further:

Sa - birth

Ta - life

Na - death/change

Ma - rebirth

This is very reminiscent of Christ's life and resurrection and his promise that we, too, will live again. (John 14:19)

This mantra  has the power to break habits because it accesses that level of the mind where habits are created.  I will be covering in greater detail more about mantras and how they help to clear out the subconscious mind in my upcoming course 40 Days Closer to Christ.  Don't miss it - only 10 more days!

More about Kirtan Kriya
Kirtan Kriya is one of the most studied meditations and can help in the prevention of Alzheimer's and current patients. See the article on the Alzheimer Research and Prevention Website.

Here is another study that shows improvement in patients with dementia from practicing this daily meditation.

Here is another article: 3 New ways Kirtan Kriya Helps Keep Your Brain Sharp.

A how to video by my  amazing teacher and mentor, Felice Austin/Nam Joti Kaur.

More about mantras The Power of Mantras, Part I

Sat Nam,

Samantha

The Power of Mantras

When I first heard the chanting in Kundalini Yoga, it scared me off to be honest.  But when I looked deeper into the matter (years later) I realized how beautiful the mantras are.  They are all about praising God, plain and simple.  I suddenly knew there was nothing to fear.  Next, something beautiful happened.  Immediately I experienced spiritual blocks falling away.  And this was just from learning about the mantras, later I would go through many more experiences that taught me the power of words and mantra.

A mantra is a word or a sound repeated to help an individual concentrate during meditation.  It is also a slogan repeated frequently.  It is not the same as "vain repetitions" (Matthew 6:7). Vain means to have or show an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth and, in this case, repetition mean much speaking.  A mantra is the complete opposite.

In Kundalini Yoga and Meditation the mantras are in the language Gurmukhi, and I think they read like Psalms in the bible.  Here is an example:

Mantra Title: Aap Sahaee Hoa

Aap Sahaee Hoa Sachaa Daa Sachaa Doaa, Har, Har, Har

Translation: 

You, Divine One, have become my refuge. True is Your support, Great Creative Infinite

Psalm 91:2 reads:

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

Pronouncing these ancient words correctly vibrates different parts of the roof of the mouth, touching on meridian points, balancing and stimulating different parts of the body and brain.  Take the technology part of it and combine it with the command to praise God and you start to see the power behind the practice.  Actually practice it and you will start to feel it.

Sat Nam,

Samantha

Sat Nam....(pronounced Sut Nom)
it's the most frequently used mantra in Kundalini yoga
SAT means truth
NAM means name, identity, to identify with or to call upon
Sat Nam can be translated to mean, "Truth is my identity."  When spoken as a greeting, you are essentially saying, "I see your true nature" or "I recognize the divinity within you."

The Power of Mantras, Part II