Ayurveda does not separate the body, mind, and spirit when diagnosing and treating a patient. If what we ingest becomes our cells and tissues, does what we consume mentally become our mind? And if so, is there a form of medicine subtle enough to treat the mind? Yes! Ayurveda has, of course, pinpointed a treatment that will meet the mind at its own level, and this is what mantra therapy is. 

What is a Mantra?

I envisage mantra cikitsa or mantra therapy as a filling-up of the body from the inside out with positive vibrational fields. By making sounds inside our mind and body, we fill in the spaces with specific charges and sonic pulsations rather than allowing negative thoughts and feelings to proliferate. Negative feelings and vibrations come in the form of worry, stress, trauma from the past stored in the body, anxiety, and depression, as well as ambient man-made electromagnetic fields. 

So we either say one word or syllable that has been given to us by a teacher; this is called Bija Mantra. Bija means seed, and each seed sound relates to an energetic centre in our body. By repeating specific sounds, we are allowing the seed to grow into a plant and flower in our being). 

Another method is Mantra Japa, which is the repetition of a mantra, repeated over and over again according to the number of mala you have been recommended to do. When doing Mantra Japa, we sit in a meditative pose, concentrate our awareness inside our body, and use specific fingers of our right hand to count the mala beads while saying the mantra inside, letting it resonate through our body, and sitting in the feelings that arise in the body. 

What Does Mantra Mean?

The word mantra has the same root as the Sanskrit word for the mind, which is 'manas.’ The verse that explains this goes: “Mananat trasate iti mantrahah,” meaning, “Mantra is used to change the status of the mind.” As the world of mantra can be hard to navigate, we have been given tools. 

The Sanskrit language was heard and written down by the Rishis in the Himalayas thousands of years ago. They tapped into the primordial sounds of the universe, and created the basis to a language in the form of 8 Matrika (which means mother or female goddesses). These Matrika are the Sanskrit vowels and groupings for the words, and then there are the consonants that follow in these 8 groupings. These Matrika are also called Matrika Shakti meaning the power or the sounds that lie behind the words. 

Mantra is our way of connecting to this primordial sound. Sankhya Vedic philosophy says that the creation of matter starts with sound (which is the quality of ether element) and that all matter is made up of its own unique vibrational pulsating field, which also is a form of sound. So mantra is our way of meeting what we are originally made of. Some say mental disorder is the lack of connection to what we originally came from, or our true life’s purpose. So it makes sense that there is a medicine that can bring us back there.

How Do We Use Mantra Therapy?

Just as every person has a unique bodily constitution and no one size of medicine fits all, the same goes for Mantra therapy and the treatment of the mind. Mantra is like medicine. It is said that a Master or Vidya should give you the appropriate mantras for you and your situation. 

There are some that are universal and great to do in the morning, like the Gayatri mantra, and others that are to do in the evening such as Hanuman Chalisa, or Durga / Goddess Mantras. The pronunciation of the phrases is very important to get right. The number of repetitions, or mala, needs to be given to you specifically also.

What Does This Information Mean for Us?

My teacher once told me that everything that has ever been remains in the cosmos, just as modern-day physics and Newton described in his conservation of energy theory. In other words, all energy is recycled and never disappears. This is why those who are deeply attuned can hear the cries and prophecies of those who have come before, and knowledge is in the ether to be taken in by us if we know how to tap into it. This also means that everything we say sticks around. It makes us think twice about the words we use and energies we put out, doesn’t it?

Some Lessons from Mantra for Maintaining the Mind:

• Be careful with what you say; do not utter anything that you would not want everybody to hear or wouldn’t want to be said about you. Understand that the coarseness of our words remains in the atmosphere, so take care with these vibrations that you put out.
• Understand that we are surrounded by subtle currents, both negative and positive, so learn ways to fill yourself up with positivity so you don’t fall victim to negativity.
• You need to treat the subtle with the subtle. The ways of the 21st century are not subtle, so we need to understand this fine art of subtle vibrational fields, spanda and mantra.

Other Ways of Maintaining the Mind Alongside Mantra Therapy 

Along with mantra therapy, there are other ways to achieve a clearer mind and better mental acuity as well. For example, incorporating an Ayurvedic herbal supplement like PIOR Living Mind can support cognitive function and brain health, improving your memory, concentration, and adding a sense of calm to your life.

You can also engage in Ayurvedic practices that support your mental health, including: 

• Following a regular morning routine and consuming Chyawanprash
• Performing self-massage with Ghruta
• Sticking to a relaxing evening routine

Selina Van Orden is an Ayurvedic physician who specializes in mind health, digestive health, female health, autoimmune disease, and general well-being. atyourbest.one