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.

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/