Mantra is a sanskrit word meaning "instrument or vehicle of the mind." Mantras or "primordial sounds" are used to bring your awareness away from this life, to that of unity consciousness. Mantras, vibrations of the soul, have been used for thousands of years. They are words with no specific meaning that, calm the body and keep the mind active.

Using mantras during meditation helps you view the calm serenity between your thoughts. The also help to return focus to the realm that neither begins or ends. They can be voiced aloud as you exhale or sounded in your mind.

The most well-known mantra is Aum or Om. It is said to be the vibration of the universe, of pure soul. This mantra helps you to attain non-local awareness.

Mantras can be as simple as Ham-Sa or Hum-So, said to be the vibration of your breath. Ham/Hum as you inhale and Sa/So as you exhale.

It is said that the universe expresses a different vibration every hour of the day. Over a lunar month, the "sound" of the universe is said to change 108 times. In Primordial Sound Meditation you are assigned one of the 108 vibrations based on the time, place, and date of your birth.

Mantras can also be used to enliven energy with the body through the 7 chakras.

Bump! :)

My New Years Resolution for 2009 was to begin a daily meditation routine, and I'm sure we could all use a refresher on a key aspect of the meditation ritual, the mantra.

One Mantra I've been using recently, is to visualize a ball of lead in my throat that grows as I inhale. Once I have reached my maximum lung capacity, I SLOWLY exhale, and visualize the ball of lead going down, down, down, into the center of the earth.

Since that is your throat chakra area, would it be bad to imagine anything lead? What about white, or blue (is blue the color for it? I forget)

Since that is your throat chakra area, would it be bad to imagine anything lead? What about white, or blue (is blue the color for it? I forget)

No offense but, I'm not exactly a fan of chakras...

No offense but, I'm not exactly a fan of chakras...

I think I agree--as time goes on, I take things like them and "vibes" in general less literally and more as metaphor.