Karmic Seeds Body Mind & Spirit

Don’t you wonder why ancient mantras have become remarkably popular these days? There is something profound and mystical about these mantras. On the look of it, they are mere words and sounds, but there is no denying of the fact that these  mantras  play a significant role in rejuvenating the soul and our subconscious mind. Mantra: According to Deepak Chopra, the New Age Wellness Guru, the word ‘mantra’ consists of two parts. The first part, ‘man’ means mind in Sanskrit, whereas the second part ‘tra’ means instrument. Therefore, he interprets mantra as ‘the instrument of mind’. These are powerful words, sound or vibrations that can be used for meditation. Meditation is referred to as a practice to train the mind or induce a mode of consciousness. It promotes  relaxation of mind  and body, develops compassion, patience, love, concentration and generosity.  Meditation  many a times involves repeating a mantra with closed eyes. Mantras for meditation are chose...

The number 108 is significant for so many reasons. Some believe there are 108 stages on the journey of the human soul, while others associate the possibility of enlightenment with taking only 108 breaths a day, while in deep meditation. No matter who you ask, the answer will most likely be different each time. The truth is — the significance of 108 beads on your mala is open to interpretation. As mala beads were traditionally created to be used as a tool in meditation, we like to associate it with the ideals of meditation. Chakras One of our favourite explanations for having 108 beads on a mala is related to the chakras (the seven energy points in our body). It has been said there there are 108 energy lines connecting to the heart, with one of them believed to be the path to self realization. Mantras When using your mala beads in meditation and chanting your mantra, some have said you are complete once you have done it 100 times. The 8 extra beads are to account for errors. Or even mor...

  Ajahn Amaro • December 2008 Contentment, or santuṭṭhi, is often talked about in the context of material possessions. It’s the quality of being content with whatever is offered—the food that’s presented to us each day, whatever shelter is available to us for one night, and whatever robes and medicine are accessible to us. That’s an important aspect of contentment and a very grounding one—to have few material needs and few material possessions. This is our training. It’s also important to consider how santuṭṭhi permeates all aspects of the path. It’s not solely a matter of renunciation or not being moved by desire, agitation, or fear in terms of material things or how we relate to other people. Contentment is also the basis for concentration, samādhi—that quality of being content with this moment, this breath, this footstep, this feeling in the knee, this sound in the room, this quality of mood. To be content with just this moment is of enormous importance in terms o...

Luang Por Pasanno Learning how to meditate—how to develop the mind—is learning how to direct attention in a skillful way. Whatever we direct our attention toward becomes our reality. If we like, we can direct attention to all the chaos in the world or to the chaos of our own personal dramas. But we don’t have to do that. We can instead direct our minds to contemplate our experiences as merely form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. We can direct our attention in other skillful ways as well—toward objects that soothe the mind and conduce to peace and clarity. It’s simple: We can incline the mind toward what is wholesome or what is troublesome. The choice we make is up to each one of us. 

In the Buddha’s search for freedom he too turned his mindfulness to overcome his fears "How would it be if in the dark of the month, with no moon, I were to enter the most strange and frightening places, near tombs and in the thick of the forest, that I might come to understand fear and terror. And doing so, a wild animal would approach or the wind rustle the leaves and I would think, Perhaps the fear and terror now comes.And being resolved to dispel the hold of that fear and terror, I remained in whatever posture it arose, sitting or standing, walking or lying down. I did not change until I had faced that fear and terror in that very posture, until I was free of its hold upon me…And having this thought, I did so. By facing the fear and terror I became free." Absolutely beautiful

It’s been a tradition in some yoga circles to practice 108 Sun Salutations, often times to signify something special like kicking off the start of a new year, letting go of the old one or celebrating the solstice. Whether you’ve got blisters on your toes from 108 Salutes or are just curious, here are a few fun facts and interesting reasons why 108 has significance. Significance of 108:  M eaning of 108 beads on a mala  by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati  On a mala, or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads, or some fraction of that number. The question often arises: Why are there 108 beads on a mala? Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala, as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular. Re...

How chanting OM affects your physiology BY OLGA KABEL Why do we chant in yoga anyway? What is the purpose? Chanting OM promotes limbic deactivation, which is a fancy way of saying that it takes the edge off our basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring). In this study the researchers compared chanting Om with making “ssss” sound while the subjects were getting an MRI. They found that during Om chanting the regions of the brain that became deactivated (amygdala, anterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus and thalamus) were the same regions that became deactivated during electrical vagus nerve stimulation for treatments of epilepsy and depression. Since effective ‘OM’ chanting is associated with the experience of vibration sensation around the ears, the scientists suggested that this sensation is transmitted through the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. Saying “sss” sound didn’t...

Ujjayi Pranayama: What it is & How to Do It. By Melody Lima When I become overwhelmed with tasks, expectations and responsibilities I turn to my pranayama or breathing practice. Pranayama encourages me to be motivated and creates a sensation of calm victory to face challenges head on. Ujjayi pranayama is breathing in and out through the nose while constricting the back of the throat. This creates a sound similar to the sound of ocean waves. With a smooth, focused, slow and gentle approach to inhalation and a steady, unwavering exhalation, Ujjayi can be both energizing and relaxing from the challenges of everyday life. Translated as victorious, Ujjayi, is both dirga (long) and suksma (smooth) as Patanjali suggests in the Yoga Sutras. The push and pull of  the breath  against resistance creates a calming and soothing pranayama practice. Ujjayi pranayama lengthens the breath with a small effort producing relaxation. “As the fire blazes brightly when...