Om Namah Shivaya – The mantra that makes you cry

We were introduced to a new mantra on Saturday, and I was startled by the affect it had on me. I was only chanting it for a few moments, before my whole body began vibrating from the inside out, starting at the heart chakra (Anahata) and it felt as though I was lifting off the ground.

I’ve tried out mantras before, once I’d overcome my prejudice towards chanting (that’s just something hippies do, right?), and quite frankly some leave me cold. But this was something else. It left me feeling completely serene and sedated and even made my friend cry over sausages. It really is beautiful and 4 days later I still haven’t come back down to earth. Something unquantifiable feels different within me.

Weird.

The translation is a little vague. Taken literally Om Namah Shivaya just means “I bow to Shiva." For those who don’t know, in ancient Indian philosophy and the Vedic texts Shiva is the supreme reality; the inner Self, the name of our true identity and the consciousness that dwells within all of us. So a more accurate interpretation of this mantra is “I salute to all that I am capable of becoming. I salute to the potential that resides within myself.”

It is also interesting to note that within the realms of primordial sound when this mantra is recited the tones created directly relate to the principles which govern the first six chakras on the spine (which differs to addressing the chakras directly) and therefore has a direct impact on our psychic energy channels. For this reason, Om Namah Shivaya is deemed to be extremely powerful in propelling you down the path of spiritual attainment and self relalisation.

Ignore the trippy graphics and try it for yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y20Q444I9QU.
Minimise distractions, close your eyes, listen and observe any gross or subtle sensations that arise in the body.

Alternatively, sit comfortably in a quite place. Quieten the mind by taking 10 deep breaths, concentrating on each slow inhalation and exhalation. Begin by saying Om Namah Sivaya outloud, at a speed that feels natural. It is pronounced Aum Num-ha Shi-why. Keep reciting it, with full awareness of its meaning, getting quieter and quieter with each repartition, until you are just saying it to yourself.

Enjoy.