Ganesha is the Hindu God with the head of an elephant (pictured). He is known as the remover of obstacles and also a patron of arts and sciences and the Deva of intellect and wisdom. A God of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies.
I love mantras, in the western world we frequently come into contact with them in yoga classes. The most simple, yet also profound, is chanting ‘Om’ to tune in to the class, which is said to be the sound of the universe.
This is pretty cosmic:
Mantra is a Sanskrit word, which comes from the Hinduism tradition. It is broken down into two parts – ‘man’, which is the Sanskrit word for ‘mind ‘and ‘tra’, which is the Sanskrit word for ‘instrument’.
“A mantra is therefore an instrument of the mind, a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation.” – Deepak Chopra
Mantras can be used in daily life to raise your vibration and consciousness level. Each Mantra contains its own unique vibration of consciousness and produces unique and specific vibrations in the mind.
There are many, many mantras and which mantra you use would depend on your intention.
The one I have decided to focus on this time, is the Ganesha Mantra.
‘Om Gum Ganapataye Namaha’
Pronounced: ‘Om Gum Gana-pata-ye Nama-ha’
Ganesha is the Hindu God with the head of an elephant (pictured). He is known as the remover of obstacles and also a patron of arts and sciences and the Deva of intellect and wisdom. A God of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies.
This mantra is said to destroy any karma that obstructs you in your path. If ever you feel stuck, call upon the energy of Ganesh and he will assist you.
How do you chant?
You can chant in a few ways. Out loud is one, find a space where you wont be disturbed and go for it, in a slow steady pace. You can listen and chant along to a recorded version (I have included one of my favourite links below). Or, you can simply chant in the mind, which is super powerful.
108 is said to be the magic number, it is a sacred number which carries a lot of significance. I will be honest and say I rarely stick to chanting 108 times. A good way to ensure you do, is get some japa beads (Hindu prayer beads), which have 108 beads (usually with one big bead so you know when you have got back to the beginning) and chant away.
Repeat. Repeat.
Repetition of mantras is a powerful way to enter the silence of the mind. As you repeat the mantra (out loud or silently), it creates a mental vibration that allows the mind to enter deeper levels of awareness, disconnecting from the thoughts filling our mind.
Here are two versions of the mantra to listen and chant along to. You can also just listen, i find that this sometimes helps me to reset.
Chandra Lacombe
This post was written by Kim Booth