Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Mani Padme Hum is a Tibetan chant that opens the heart and encourages us to face life’s challenges with more compassion and an open heart. This chant first appears in the ancient Buddhist text Mahayana Karandavuya. It is translated as “The jewel is within the lotus”. In the teachings of Buddhism, it is understood that all humans experience suffering at some point in our lives. The lotus flower symbolizes the wisdom, strength and resilience that we gain from our life experiences. The jewel represents compassion. If we can stay open hearted, despite suffering, the jewel of compassion is revealed. The mantra reminds us to acknowledge our own suffering and use it to inspire more compassion for ourselves and for others.

OM- the sound of the creation

Mani- jewel, the intention to become enlightened

Padme- lotus flower, a symbol of beauty that that grows from muddy water

Hum- that which is immovable or indivisible

Om Mani Padme Hum can be practiced as part of a japa meditation, using mala beads and repeating the mantra silently or out loud 108 times. Envision a golden seed of light at your heart center and imagine that the chanting nourishes this seed. It is powerful way to calm the mind and encourage an open heart. The lotus flower is a symbol of wisdom, beauty and strength and the ability to grow from the difficulties of life. You may have heard the phrase “No mud, no lotus” by Ticht Nacht Han. It is by overcoming adversities, facing challenges with an open heart that we grow and become more compassionate and beautiful just like the lotus flower. The lotus flower does not grow inspite of the mud, it grows because of it.

You can practice this mantra meditation on your own or follow along to music. One of my favorite versions is HERE

The Kirtan Kriya

The Kirtan Kriya is an ancient Kundalini  meditation technique that uses mantra and hand mudras to help focus and quiet the mind. It is a powerful tool that can help us to connect with our own inner wisdom.  The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation did a 12 week study using the Kirtan Kriya for 12 minutes a day.  Participants were found to have improved executive function, mood and resilience.

The Kirtan Kriya comes from the sanskrit words “sat nam” which means “truth is my essence”. The chant is Sa Ta Na Ma representing the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth. The Kirtan Kriya is repeated while seated with a straight spine, thumb touching each finger:

The words of this chant are:

Sa-Birth

Ta-Life

Na-Death or completion

Ma- rebirth

The mudra is thumb touches index finger (Sa), thumb touches middle finger (Ta), thumb touches ring finger (Na), thumb touches little finger (Ma)

There is also a visualization of light streaming in from the top of the head and out through the forehead (third eye)

The chant with mudra is practiced for 12 minutes, 2 minutes out loud, 2 minutes in a whisper, 3 minutes silent, 2 minutes in whisper, 2 minutes out loud. Final minute of silence, stillness. This chant can be done with or without music.  I like to practice this chant with music which helps with the timing.  My favorite version is by Nirinjan Kaur.  You can hear it HERE

Removing the obstacles that block your peace

The Hindu deity Ganesha is one of the most well known and revered in India. Ganesha is most often pictured as having an elephant head and a buddha body. There are many different myths and stories about how Ganesha came to be.

Ganesha is said to be the son of the god Shiva and goddess Parvarti.  Shiva was a very important and busy man who often left his wife alone.  Parvarti was lonely so she created a son out of clay and named him Ganesha.  When Shiva returned home, he did not know this new being and became angry. So he cut off his head!  After he realized what he had done and saw how sad Parvatti was, he tried to make amends. Shiva took the head of a pure being- a white elephant- and placed this elephant head on his son’s body. It is said that an elephant laid down his head as an offering for Shiva.

The energy of Ganesha is said to bring good luck and to remove energetic blocks.  He is known as the remover of obstacles, and also is known to place obstacles in our path if we are going in the wrong direction. We can use the energy of Ganesha to help move those human emotions (fear, shame, guilt, anger, grief, feeling not enough) that tend to clutter up our hearts and minds and block the path to peace.

 Elephants are very smart, strong, steady and they have emotions similar to humans. The elephant ears represent the ability to listen within, the big trunk represents discernment and the ability to be both strong and gentle. Ganesha is sometimes pictured with a bowl of sweets which represents embracing the sweetness of life.

 Chanting to the energy of Ganesha is a tool to remove energetic blocks to inner peace. My favorite version is by Deva Premal. The mantra is chanted 108 times.

“Om Gum Ganapataye Namaha”

This chant translates as:    Om: sacred sound of the universe and creation, Gum:  the seed sound (beeja mantra) for Ganesha, Ganapataye:  another name for Ganesha, Namaha:  salutations

Click HERE to hear this chant.

Spiraling inward

"But what I want first of all..... is to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out my obligations and activities as well as I can. I want, in fact to live "in grace" as much of the time as possible. I am not using this term in a strictly theological sense. By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, whch can be translated into outward harmony." ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

When in Thailand, our group spent a wonderful day on a traditional Thai long-tail boat visiting some of the surrounding islands.  We spent time on the beach looking for a special shell known as “Shivas Eye”.  The beachcomber in me was very enthusiastic to look for these shells!  The picture above is the one that I found, a rare treasure from Thailand. The shell is characterized by a swirl at the center.    It is the trap door of a larger shell belonging to the Turban Sea Snail. As the snail retreats into it’s shell, it shuts this door. The shivas eye blocks the entrance and serves to protect the snail. Finding this shell is believed to bring good fortune and protection.  It is named after the Hindu god Shiva.

This shell reminds me of the importance of taking time to get quiet and listen to the wisdom within. The third eye center, in the teachings of yoga, is also known as the sixth chakra, ajna chakra. It is located at the center of the forehead and extends into the center of the brain at the pineal gland. When the sixth chakra is balanced, one feels clarity of thought and a strong sense of intuition and insight. Chanting the seed sound of ohm vibrates the chakra and brings a balancing energy there. Practicing meditation on the third eye is a powerful way to help quiet the fluctuations of the mind and eases connection with inner wisdom and spirit. It helps us find our focus and live more in grace. I love how the tools of yoga along with symbols in nature are always guiding us to spiral inward and help us to connect with that place at our center where there is wisdom and peace.

The Sacred Sound of OHM

The ancient teachings of yoga tell us that we are all part of the energy of the universe and that the divine is within us.  As humans, we are limited in our full understanding of this, but all the wise teachers say it is true.  Meditation that involves chanting: either out loud, in silence, or as kirtan (devotional singing) help us to “lift the veil”, raise our vibration, and bring us closer to the divine energy within.  All of this can help with clarity of thought, openness of heart and a feeling of peace and connection to a power greater than ourselves.

In the yoga classes that I teach, we chant the sacred sound of OHM (also spelled OM or AUM) at the completion of practice.  OHM is a seed syllable and is said to be the mantra from which all else comes.  It is first identified in the Upanishads which are early sacred texts from India.   I am not a Sanskrit scholar but from my study and understanding, the sacred sound of OHM came from the ancient Rajis.  They sat and listened to the vibrational quality of the universe.  From there, this vibration took the form, word and sound of OHM. When we chant OHM during or after yoga class, we are raising our vibration to the energy of the universe.  In meditation practice, chanting seed sounds and mantras are a tool to quiet and focus the mind providing one with a sense of calm, peace, mental clarity and a connection to a greater power.  Is is said to be experienced like the vibration of a gong that gradually tapers to a point of silence.

The International Journal of Yoga published a study about chanting OHM : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9015091/

Swan babies have arrived

Hi everyone,

Just a brief update on my favorite swan family in Pocasset. The mother swan has been on her nest every day for the past few weeks and today I noticed some movement under her wing. The little cygnets have arrived! They are so cute. I have seen four of them so far. The father swan is very close to the nest, watching over them all. Hurray for new life in nature this spring!

Swan Family in Pocasset

Spring is almost here which means I have begun my daily walks with my dog Max into the woods to visit my favorite swan family. (Actually I started these walks in early February)  The picture above was taken by daughter of a swan near our home in Pocasset.

It starts with the building of the nest. I can see the mother swan sitting so elegantly on her throne.  She is quite relaxed and comfortable.  I have yet to see her partner.   I know from experience,  when the eggs are in the nest, the swans become much more territorial and do not allow us to get too close which we respect of course!  Once those eggs are present, I will no longer bring Max along on these swan visits as it seems to cause stress and last year the the father swan hissed at us.

The swan is a spiritual symbol of light, beauty, grace and peace. There is something awe inspiring to see these beautiful creatures in action. I will keep you posted on the progress as these swans build their family.