Yogis have been teaching the importance of mantra for thousands of years to help stabilize and clear the mind in hopes of leading you to a deeper and more spiritual awakening. Yoga teacher training will teach you how the way you use words or Mantra can benefit you.

How to Use them

Yoga teachers learn that the increase of blood flow to the various areas in the brain is because of increased activity to the brain. Different areas are affected depending on if you are seeing, hearing, thinking or speaking words. If you are thinking about words you engage the limbic region of your brain and that is the area responsible for learning, perception, thoughts and emotion.

Higher Functioning

Yogis intentionally are bringing a greater functioning level to their brains through the practice of mantra. This focuses more attention on the frontal part of the brain bringing focus into the ajna chakra, the center which is found in through the area located between the eyebrows.

“Remembering” the Mantra

Yoga teacher training has us study yoga meditation where the different purposes of using mantra are prescribed. There is the silent, inner “remembering” way of using a mantra which is considered to be a higher, more effective way than reading, hearing or speaking the actual mantra. A lot of benefits come from the proper way to use the mantra which includes the ways you would think, your ability to learn, how you perceive it, and the positive use of your emotions. Together these things will provide you with the amount of benefit you will gain from deeper practices with meditation, prayer and contemplation.

Is it Universal?

While yoga teacher training will guide you in mantra you may reflect on the relationship there is between brain physiology and mantra. Always remember that the mantra is not only practiced by the Eastern traditions. Nearly all religions and those that practice meditative traditions use mantra, compact prayer, words or other types of affirmation in one way or another.

Varieties of Mantras

Yoga certification will touch base on the different varieties of mantras. Soham, OM, and Maranatha are some of the varieties and each is beneficial in its own way.

Soham-this mantra is already part of your nature and is a natural mantra.

• Soooo….is the sound on inhalation and is remembered in your mind along with the inhalation
• Humm…is the sound of exhalation, and is remembered in your mind along with the exhalation

The Soham mantra has been referred to as the universal mantra because of its vibration already being part of the breath, and everyone must breathe.

OM- this mantra has many meanings and many methods of practice. There are seven methods that are useful and lead to deep meditation.

• OM Method 1-Pulsing repetition- you can set the rate
  • OMmmOMmmOMmm….
  • OMmmmOMmmmOMmmm…
  • OMmmmmmOMmmmmmOMmmmmm
• OM Method 2- With the flow of your breath
  • Exhale: OMmmmmmm Inhale: OMmmmmmmm
  • Exhale: OMmmmmmm Inhale: “silence”

• OM Method 3- As the object called universe
  • Word that corresponds to the object and meaning to go with that word.
• OM Method 4-Sound Vibration of the Universe
  • Subtle sound, continuous vibration, sounding out the mmmmm….
• OM Method 5- Gross, Subtle, and Causal Planes
  • Four Planes with OM
  • A sound refers to the gross world
  • U part refers to subtle realm
  • M refers to causal plane
  • Silence after the three is the absolute reality
• OM Method 6- Waking, Dreaming and Deep Sleep
  • A reflects waking state of consciousness
  • U refers to the dreaming state of consciousness
  • M refers to the deep sleep of consciousness
  • Silence refers to witness consciousness
• OM Method 7-Conscious, Unconscious, Subconscious Mind
  • A refers to the conscious level of mental functioning
  • U refers to unconscious level of mind
  • M refers to subconsciousness or storage place of mind
  • Silence refers to the pure consciousness of awareness in all three

Mantras are Energy-Based

Yoga teacher training will bring your awareness and focus on mantras and that saying any word will produce a physical vibration. If through yoga certification and instruction we can learn what kind of effect the vibration brings, then we can understand the energy basis for words.

Mantras can create thought energy waves.  Yoga teaching shows us that mantras start a powerful vibration which also connects to both a spiritual frequency and a state of consciousness. Over time and training the mantra begins to take over the smaller vibrations and after time the mantra will still all the other vibrations. Eventually, the mantra will produce a state where the vibration is at the rate in tune with spiritual state and energy contained in the mantra.

Through guided yoga teacher training you will come to learn that mantras will eventually quiet your mind. With the dedicated use of mantras you can reach into your subconscious thoughts which are stored in your organs and glands and transform them into sources of peace.