Mantra meditation is a simple and flexible practice that involves chanting a mantra aloud or silently with each breath. It is important to maintain a steady rhythm and immerse oneself in the vibrations and meaning of the mantra. If the mind wanders, gently bring attention back to the mantra, using it as a focal point for concentration. There is no right or wrong way to do mantra meditation, and it can be done anywhere, whether in a quiet setting or a crowded setting.
Mantras have different meanings and effects, and meditating on a mantra silently or chanting it out loud can help bring about significant changes. Chanting a mantra during meditation can help release the mind, especially if one struggles with concentration or getting rid of flaws. Some common mantras include “om” or “aum”, which are considered the original sound of the universe, and “So Hum”, or “I am”.
Some simple mantras include “OM or AUM”, “Om Mani Padme Hung”, or Peace and Love. Popular mantras include “Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung”, which brings the energy of the sun, moon, earth, and infinite universal spirit for deep healing. Another popular mantra is “Om Mani Padme Hum”, believed to bring compassion, wisdom, and peace.
To practice mantra meditation, choose a favorite word, phrase, prayer, or fragment of a poem for meditation. Ideally, a mantra should be composed of only a few words or syllables, so draw out each part into a long hum. When feeling centered and focused, gently introduce the chosen mantra and maintain a steady rhythm.
In summary, mantra meditation is a powerful tool for releasing the mind, promoting self-acceptance, and reducing stress. By focusing on the vibrations of the sacred syllable “Om”, practitioners can achieve a deep sense of calm and stillness.
📹 How to Chant Om/Aum Mantra Chanting
Is it Om or is it Aum? How do we chant? Find out the right way with the detailed explanation. The Ultimate Pranayama Course …
📹 Calm – Ease | Guided Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
This is a 20-minute guided meditation offered by Thich Nhat Hanh, part of the Plum Village Essential Meditations in the free Plum …
Thank you very much for teaching us the correct way to chant Om. I’am a westerner and although I’ve been chanting Om everyday for years, you have shown me that I have been doing it upside down. I didn’t know that I needed to first concentrate at my lower chakras and end at my crown chakra. It’s a lot more powerful doing it your way. Om!
It’s such an important part of Yoga and at the same time so hard to find a good explanation. Thank you for putting such a good energy in this article, I had the feeling to be with you in the room. I have finally felt something was happening in my body, and I felt why it was good to do it several times, thank you so, so much <3 I send you peace wherever you are 🌸
Wonderful! YES, yes. I like how you step-by-step uncover the practice of AUM. I find myself making a bit of tweak…in my experience, MMM (hum) is primary. I enjoy feeling the power of The Great Mother, when beginning with MMM, opening to Ah (MA) and flow back to MMM. In this way, I feel MA at head chakras, flowing AH down and back again. I understand this way may be incorrect. But still, it will not stop me from following my natural heart.
Have been chanting on and off for a number of years and I have been missing the first part of the chant just doing om. It really make much more sense to me now having watch this article. When I do the first part I can feel it in my stomach, first chakra. I am focused on it moving up through my chakras. I didn’t even realize that this was what it was about, like that it was meant to stimulate the chakras. Thank you so much. X
This was exactly what I have been looking for and that is the explanation and why we do it to activate chakras, it makes so much sense and I am truly grateful that you shared your knowledge. Can you explain why Yoga, and other similar modalities are activating in our bodies and how they help the flow of energy through our bodies. I am so grateful to come across this although it was from 3 years ago. ❤❤❤
💝 You are G😇D’s special gift 🎁 sent from the heavens 💝 Will you please do a 10 or 20 minutes of the actual meditation of this incredible chant, if you haven’t yet please 🙏🏼 🥲Additionally, if you ever have time for 108 times meditation, only because your voice helps tremendously 🙏🏼🥹 Forever GRATEFUL for you and the proper teaching of the 🎶sound 😇 All these years I could have had proper sounding 😢 But BLESSED and GRATEFUL I found you just now 🙏🏻💖
Very nice explanation. May I add a point here please. The three sounds are to be of equal length because they represent wealth/prosperity (AA…), wisdom (woo…) and energy/ power (mmm…). We need to have these three in equal measure to have a balanced life. There is a fourth part as well, which is silence of equal length too..
Thanks for the article. I have a question: why does my hole body kind of start to vibrate and kind of start to do an upward motion along the breath and the chakras? It was very terrifying the first time and it felt like I didn’t have control over my body or the sounds it was making. Especially the a sound was like coming from a depth I didn’t know my body had. Any suggestions on what it might be and if I should continue or change my practice? I appreciate all ideas!
as I watch this article, I think of a man that I’ve fallen for… a man with 999-trillion RED FLAGS… and I ignore each and every single one of them because I’m desperately lonely and I ache so deeply, in my soul, for love… so I’d rather have the ILLUSION/FANTASY of love, from him, than have nothing at all. dear God, I hope this doesn’t destroy me like my past “situation-ships” have…
Very informative. Yogi for 20+ years, however, have lived in an apt with thin walls so have never given voice to the chant, just done it in my head. Currently, don’t have neighbors so have attempted this. Have respiratory issues which prevent really deep inhalation but doing best I can. Need lots of practice. Thanks for this very beneficial demonstration!
Beutifully explained but I have a counter query. We write it as ऊ + ँ then shouldn’t it start with lowest sound of ऊ that automatically comes from stomach(sound that comes right after burping) and the moment we switch from ऊ to ँ you can feel your chest vibrating and then during the end you close your lips and keep the sound of ँ going whose vibration you can feel in head and neck.. the last sound will be some what we hear during bhramari (भ्रामरी) pranayam.
❤it is ok to chant …OM…in sanskrit..a..u..m….it’s merged and pronounced together..or some one can chant separately..also….for 1000 1000 years they chanted it as om and got results…it’s..ok..both ok..if some one say I am only right…😢….it’s their.. problem ..ALL THIS IS NOTHING BUT MINDGAME….AND ALL SADHANAS ULTIMATELY HAS TO TAKE A STATE OF BEING ONES BEYOND BODY MIND PRANA..BEYOND..UNTIL ONE REACHES/crosses THE 5TH DIMENSION OR EVEN MORE…😂😅❤….it’s like drop of water..becoming ocean…then.. every thing..is ..that..ultimate..❤❤❤❤❤
The original sound is a Pranava Nad. There is no equivalent of this in any language. So it is a symbol. However, when it is pronounced the three locations Of mouth comes in play A – Aa – आ – Larynx, U – Oo – उ – Mouth M – Mm – म् – Lips. Now when it comes to writing in English, one may see it as OM or AUM; and this is what we are discussing. Frankly, it does not matter because it is a foreign language. However, one can say OM very quickly without involving the larynx and that is wrong! So you have the choice. 🕉
The correct way to chant 🕉️ is slowly chant “OM” followed by silence between chants, as per Mandukya Upanishad. In Sanskrit linguistics, O is a combination of A and U. Chant simply as “OM”, which is what Yogis have been chanting for ages. Don’t get misled by YouTube articles or commercial gurus. 🙏🏽🕉️🙏🏽
I have been looking for an answer to my query for long. Could you please help if possible? In our scriptures, shastras about rules of pronouncing Sanskrit mantras, it is clearly and repeatedly mentioned in each mantra that whereever that mantra has got an ঔঁ (Aung) or Swaha, Women must instead pronounce Namah. They shouldn’t pronounce Aung or Swaha. Then how women should meditate on Om or the mantra Om Namah Shivaya or Om Bhagavate Vasudevaya?
I beg to differ. Lord Subramanya/ Muruga gave this mantra Om to his father, Lord Shiva. None of the scriptures state it as AUM. Neither Sanskrit texts or Tamil texts/ mantras, all of them quote it as OM. OM centralizes the power of the body as well as uniformly distributes the body’s spiritual power evenly to all the chakras. This was the principle behind which it was initiated by Lord Subramanya to Lord Shiva and the same got implied in all the mantras, except for some which did not carry the OM mantra for specific concentration in specific chakras. There are again mantras which carry Om before and after the mantra which is called as Samputikam, Since there has been no ancient texts to this effect of spelling and pronunciation, I am not ready to accept the same. If there are any sanskrit or Tamil texts to this effect please let me know, will be interested to study. 🙏 Coming to mentally chanting OM and AUM- AUM cannot be chanted mentally, try it. But OM can be chanted mentally even if you are on Shirasasana or Shavasana. You must try it to experience it. Vedic texts were stolen, destroyed by many invaders, but some of the invaders started re-inventing them for their own gains. Our Vedas are Supreme. Chanting AUM may have its own benefits, but OM is ultimate and is Original and cannot be replaced. Practising OM with mouth closed and with sound for longer time can open the food pipe and wind pipe.
Description is not very good coz God says it is not correct. God says not necessary to do this way. Just inhale up to the third eye from kundalini and when you release chant Om slowly. Confirm it from a yogi who can converse with God. Learn yoga from a yogi who can converse with God, not from a yoga teacher. I am the owner of sri Mahavishnu Màndir and I chant Om in the mandir as per His instruction coz I can converse with Him
For years I told myself that I could never meditate because I have such an over active mind. I have Aspergers. Most of the time it feels like I have two inner monologues thinking of two separate things at the same time, always one being the louder primary thought and another become a quieter secondary thought. Shortly before Thay’s passing I began to understand mediation and practice it more mindfully, but just barely. Within 24 hours of Thay’s passing almost everything “clicked” entirely and I don’t understand why. I practice mindfulness everyday and as often as I can. At work, on my couch, in the car, drinking tea. In the beginning I could only meditate for no longer than 3 to 5 minutes before getting frustrated and giving up. Now I find myself not wanting to leave my meditation and always looking forward to the next time I can sit and enjoy another peaceful moment. Thank you so much Thay and Plum Village for truly changing my life!
I had a tough and stressful day . I remembered what tich said “. Breathing in I smile . Nothing is as important as my peace, my joy . I smile though everything . Even through my suffering my difficulties . On my way home. I started to laugh . And felt much more peaceful . I could see how some people are quite funny . Like they are in the throes of a tantrum. If they don’t get thier way .
Thich Nhat Hanh has passed to the other side. May he have a smooth passage. For me Thai was and is the most extraordinary person and teacher. His gentle soul and his humor, his wisdom, his vast knowledge and interests, his. poetic creative writing, his love and celebration of life, his devotion to humanity and nature, his deep political conviction and engagement grounded in his biography and ever present – all of this made him for me the most diverse teacher and human being. Thank you for what you gave us and are still giving to us. Dagmar🙏🏼 Namaste
Dear Thay, your teachings have brought me so much inner peace, thank you. I just meditated to this and towards the end I felt impatience crop up. Instead of getting irritated, I embraced the feeling, and felt the impatience feel ‘shock’ at the fact I’d embraced and hugged it instead of pushing it away. This made me laugh out loud for the last minute or so. Thank you, this was a wonderful breakthrough.
Thankful,, dear Thai, it is good to be able to listen to your teachings and each time I get to understand more on how to apply it for my circumstances and this helps so much to stop the monkey mind!!! Very very grateful indeed, for all the different aspects your brothers and sisters keep sharing with us, ML Mok💖🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Took me a while to realize I shouldn’t try to say in my mind what he says Everytime I breathe. Yet it’s more like an event that happens. Breathing in I realize my breath has become deep. Don’t say it Everytime… I learned that in one of his other meditations. He said it like that. It’s not to be said it is more like an event that happens each time. He says it in one of his walking meditation teachings. That changed this meditation for me from a 1/10 to a 10/10. A go to happiness meditation or release and enjoy meditation
I just started meditating 3 days ago, in the morning and evening, and in the proces learning to quiet down the thoughts. This guided meditation is really a big help and already giving me a different kind of piece of mind. Whenever I get a little stressed I think of this meditation and just breathe. It gets the edges off almost instantly. I am very greatfull.
I stumbled upon this meditation around two weeks before a surgery ( 7 th of oct) and I listened and meditated with it everyday. I wrote down the words on a paper and had it with me before the surgery…it was so beneficial and calming. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and your presence is still felt . Thank you ❤
The easiest way to start meditation is to sit quietly after a work out, good chemical release, breathing comes back normal and the thought process is calm as mind and body is more in touch with the sweat drying then naturally before u know it,u get into mediative calm with no thought. Then with practice they say one can release the chemicals without the exercise. Nice way to be able to start sitting in calm while trying to get your breath back. Could do well in prisons, schools n daily life. Body n mind 😊
It is really an amazing experience sitting quietly at one place. After a long time it was wonderful …time . I did the meditation with my Cousin Sister(Didi). We both were at same place ..but during meditation I felt I was all alone. After opening the eyes we looked at each other and smiled .. it was exact 2o minutes. Thanks for an amazing article given to us. Hope I continue the same everyday.
monjes meditan Cuando los monjes meditan sobre “amabilidad y compasión” sus cerebros generan ondas gamma, las ondas cerebrales con oscilación de aproximadamente 40 ciclos por segundo, que son indicadoras de una altísima atención y difícilmente captables. A pesar de ello, las ondas gamma de monjes como Ricard son fácilmente captables incluso en un encefalograma. podemos enseñar a nuestro cerebro a secretar serotonina (es decir, a ser más feliz) simplemente al meditar y ejercitar la amabilidad y la compasión.
The most powerful message of this meditation, and one that I keep coming back regularly to, is “nothing is more important than your peace, and your joy; smile, smile to everything, even to your difficulties”. After several months of practice, this particular message is coming to me when I am feeling low, stressed, or anxious. It has become a powerful message that gets ingrained deeper and deeper the more i`ve practiced this particular meditation. Yesterday, for example, I was feeling angry about some work issue, and this message suddenly sprung up, and the anger vanished immediately. Practice it. Practice it every day. And you`ll soon be able to identify that peace and that joy that are always there, right beneath the surface, and more importantly, you`ll be able to become that peace, and become that joy, whenever you`re feeling out of sorts.
Teacher, you have shown me a sweetness I hadn’t even considered. I thought I know all so much. I don’t care what Iknow any more. I have made my life so very difficult. It is a miracle that I am alive. I rest in this work. I cry .. I sob with relief for I have been suffering so for so ver long. YOu have given me something, and told me it is mine. It already was mine, I just didn’t know. I”m so sorry I just didn’t know. Thank everything that is loving and good. I just might make it ;-). I wish for all to know the relief I am living now. I am so grateful. Even as I am a very small child in my skill. I know. I feel better now. I talked a lot. ya’ll have a nice day now. wow I feel good LOL
Amo esta meditación, al principio era super dificil escuchar el silencio, despues de un tiempo aprendi a repetir internamente las frases al inhalar y exhalar y a ahora a veces, incluso logro estar en silecio solo escuchando mi respiracion y el latido de mi corazon. Wow, tan simple y tan hermosa, gracias por compartirla ❤
Molti buddhisti e monaci zen sostengono che pulire l’ambiente in cui si vive contribuisca a pulire la propria mente. Io sono un individuo piuttosto disordinato e di solito poco attento ai particolari del mio ambiente materiale, senza per questo constatare disordine nella mia mente, con la quale convivo molto bene. Tuttavia, quando, nonostante la mia pigrizia, pulisco e riordino qualcosa, provo effettivamente un piccolo aumento di freschezza nel mio pensiero. Penso che ci sia un motivo comprensibile per questo effetto: si chiama varietà, e conseguente relax. Nelle usuali condizioni di vita la nostra mente è abituata a pensare grossomodo sempre le stesse cose. Può trattarsi del lavoro, della politica, delle relazioni familiari, temi che continuano ad andare e venire incessantemente nel nostro pensiero. Il karma yoga della pulizia sposta la nostra attenzione su qualcos’altro, distogliendo i pensieri dai soliti circuiti viziosi (li dico tali perché non è che pensare mille volte sempre allo stesso argomento lo migliori molto, si ottiene più facilmente un pensiero tendenzialmente stagnante e noioso). Un oggetto qualsivoglia una volta pulito risulta più bello, e nel frattempo abbiamo osservato quell’oggetto, invece che le esasperanti immagini mentali del direttore di azienda, del Papa o del presidente del Consiglio, e così via. Perfino lavare i piatti può essere fonte di relax mentale, distogliendoci da altri pensieri abitudinari. Dopotutto, io sono un fisico: per me lavare i piatti è una interazione tra atomi, molecole idrofile e idrofobe, temperature, flussi di calore, e così via, una esperienza in realtà molto complessa tra le caratteristiche materiali ed energetiche dell’universo in cui viviamo, che per qualunque individuo religioso può apparire senza difficoltà immagine parziale di Dio, ovvero della totalità.
Today’s Highlight Practicing non-striving — a foundational concept of mindfulness, in which, there is no need to rush ahead, or do something other than what one is already doing — it’s simply enough to ‘be’ present and connected in mind and body with oneself without unnecessary thoughts. ‘Being’, as opposed to ‘excessive doing’, is a healthy form of conscious awareness — because, in such a state we realise we are complete and lack nothing. ‘Striving-doing’ is different, in such a state, we feel compelled to do and be more than we already are, as we feel incomplete and not enough in the present. In plenty of modern Western societies, it is easy to end up constantly feeling a need to ‘do’ something; otherwise, how will any of us ever be enough? ‘Non-striving’, by contrast, allows us to ‘let go’, and celebrate our ‘Beingness’ as free, joyful and happy human beings — just as we are. In a state of non-striving or ‘Being’, one, also, tends to perceive reality at clearer and deeper resolution. We glimpse butterflies flying in the wind; see abstract and wistful changing cloud formations; open our hearts to smiling children and love them more deeply; take long slow breathes, that are savoured and remembered; our love of others comes to the fore; lastly, we embrace things as they are without judgement. What a blessing non-striving is — It opens us up to the beauty of the world, where countless life-affirming experiences are effortlessly ours to keep.
This is funny…the more I enjoy going home to the breath mind exercise the more it seems that impatience is going to evaporate or simply lose meaning since even on this bus, stuck in traffic, i can still do this and in a few breaths I’m here I’m like the baby who was hollering because he wanted the blue thing and someone gave him a yellow thing and he was again fascinated and forgot all about the blue thing…except the yellow thing seems to have a tremendous value unlike the yellow thing. But I’m still like the baby hahahaha
MN_122 Longer Discourse on Emptiness, Bhikkhu Sujato, Middle-length(Feb 2020, Audio Texts) youtube.com/watch?v=fTzNQR1O3ZI “”Ananda, a mendicant doesn’t shine who enjoys company and groups, who loves them and likes to enjoy them. It’s simply not possible that such a mendicant will get the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty. But you should expect that a mendicant who lives alone, withdrawn from the group, will get the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty. That is possible. Indeed, Ananda, it is not possible that a mendicant who enjoys company will enter and remain in the freedom of heart, either that which is temporary and pleasant, or that which is irreversible and unshakable. But it is possible that a mendicant who lives alone, withdrawn from the group will enter and remain in the freedom of heart, either that which is temporary and pleasant, or that which is irreversible and unshakable. Ananda, I do not see even a single sight which, with its decay and perishing, would not give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress in someone who has desire and lust for it….” MNx_122 The Greater Discourse on Voidness, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Middle-length (Feb 2020, Audio Texts) youtube.com/watch?v=52EN2FRLy3Q “Buddha: “Ananda, a bhikkhu does not shine by delighting in company, by taking delight in company, by devoting himself to delight in company; by delighting in society, by taking delight in society, by rejoicing in society.
I just tried this for the first time. I felt a peacefulness almost immediately. I have some questions though… I got to 12:20 and my legs hurt and I had to go to the bathroom. What is the best position to sit? Can you get up then return, do I start over? Can you lay down to meditate? I do morning stretches, would post stretching be the best time time to do this? Also, when my cat comes rubbing against me, it makes me happy, as it always does, but I should I not stop to give him some lovies? Sorry for all the questions, I really want to be able to do this right.Thanks for any info in advance❤
War einer der authentischen aufrichtigen Menschen/ und Weisheitslehrer – Achtsamkeit ist ein guter Lehrer in einem selber / vor lauter Trubel Hass und Verblendung bleibt doch die wahrhaftige Liebe und Einsicht in die archetypische Natur auf der Strecke – loslassen ist fürs EGO nicht allzu Gewinn bringend, schon gar nicht monetär – wohl denen die so leben können / konnten 😊✋
If i was a king ruling . I would encourage meditation to my whole commune. Though i may not be the king. But as a human where ever i be i will add the glimpse of meditation to life. I will not let the buddha with in me die. Even if i am married or engaging at my death bed. i will be aware and experience the ugliest beauty of life. Really Really thank you Plum. You guys and master Thich Nhat Hanh are the ones who have really understood buddha and not modified his practice given to the world many many years or decades ago. The practice is pure and still the same as buddha taught i can feel it in his words. I can feel what buddha meant. Thank you. May every king,politician,student,thief,prostitute in general human experience this joy that they have been in search for every second in their lifes.
Here I sit, within the Halls of Jesus. I am alone. I smile to my mania. I smile to my doubts. ‘Present moment. Wonderful moment.’ I smile to everything. I smile to my crowded heart. I smile to my unsatisfied soul. I pray to God, not for me, but for others. This is what happens when you establish yourself in the present moment. You relinquish self.
This man was my friend and him and his family was killed by a killer from the country he lived in he ha other family that was my friends I was trained by the buda monks families in Hollywood California before they was killed in 1969 and people always lied about there families and they wanted what they had and papers and money many families live in the usa and the dollylamas and people always murdered them and lie that there there families friends in Massachusetts I remember seeing some of them many years ago but I was under hypnosis 49 years because of the families I was with family I hope that the children are doing well I know they always have families..
The problem I always have with meditation is that my mind starts racing, I get stressed-out and then I get angry. Then I stop trying and feel guilty for failing. “Meditation” can ruin my day like that. But every now and again I give it another try as I did just now. No luck. I feel awful now. So I would say that if you are really in pain deep down inside. Meditation can sometimes make it worse. For me, it always makes it worse.
Today was the first time I’ve listened to this particular article. It was so wonderful! Thank you for it, Plum Village! But the advertising that started when the article ended was shocking! I believe it is possible to arrange with YouTube to stop any and all ads from starting at the end of meditations. Peace! ❤️😊🙏🏽