The mantra can retrain
you to maintain a sense
of safety and ease even in
situations that might
have previously triggered
a reaction.
Does singing stress you?
mental, emotional, and physical levels.
Our internal batteries get charged, and
we have the chance to fill ourselves to
overflowing.
Not only that, when we’re relaxed, we
become curious and open to learning;
we have the capacity for empathy,
whereas in the sympathetic state our
animal self is only concerned with
getting its own needs met at any cost.
This is a crucial difference, if we wish to
make a world of within ourselves, our
families, and our communities!
How Mantra Helps
Because mantra chanting engages your
physical body, your breath, and your
mind simultaneously, it can be an
extremely useful gauge of your current
nervous system condition. If you
practice with that lens of awareness,
you can consciously relax into the
soothing, rhythmic sound of chanting.
The mantra can retrain you to maintain
a sense of safety and ease even in
situations that might have previously
triggered a reaction.
Unfortunately, many people when
they're singing or chanting are
unconsciously (or consciously!)
nervous. Perhaps a music teacher told
you you were tone deaf, or a parent told
you to shut up when you were freely
expressing your childhood joy… almost
all of us have some traumatic memories
entangled with our voices. Here, again,
a regular mantra practice can be a
healing tool.
The defensive, reactive fight / flight /
freeze energy is probably not exactly the
vibe you intend to send out with your
mantra. You'd probably want to send
out a clear, relaxed energy that
embodies the peace you're praying for,
right? For that, you'll want to be
hanging out more in your
parasympathetic nervous system, which
is where the rest/digest/repair stuff
happens. It's where the healing happens.
March 2019 www.yogicherald.com
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