Mantra: Protection & Presence
How do you wake up each day? What’s the sound of your morning alarm? Pause here and reflect... The moment you awake in the morning may seem like an unimportant detail of life, it may be something you’ve not even put any thought into whatsoever. And in truth, it is quite a “small” thing. Yet, the impact how you wake up can have, is just like the far-reaching ripples a single drop of water can create in a still lake.
Visualize that watery image and apply it to your body – the alarm sound is the drop, and your body is the still lake. The alarm sound penetrates your body and sends waves of energy throughout, just like the ripples in the lake. What kind of ripples are you experiencing in the morning? Are they calm and flowing? Or harsh and chaotic?
Consider from a vibratory standpoint the experience your nervous system has when it is aggressively jolted awake by the abrasive sound of a loud, blaring noise.
What kind of message is your body is being sent in that moment?
Even if you cognitively know you’re safe, the body and nervous system have now been put on high alert due to being startled out of rest. Now think about how this very brief moment, that goes so overlooked, is setting the tone for your entire day.
To me, every morning is like a rebirth. It’s an opportunity to begin. Just the same as when a baby is first born into the physical world. Imagine what it does to a newborn nervous system if the first sounds they ever hear are loud and abrasive, or aggressive and violent. This has a very real effect on the “tone” that’s set for their way of being in the world, for their ability to feel safe. Of course there are a million other factors that contribute to this, and it’s really a whole other conversation altogether, one that I have spent years exploring in fact, though in reference to our point here, this example is so very clear, right?
While you don’t have control over the way you came into this world as a newborn, and the many other factors in a lifetime that create patterns in your subtle body response system, you do have a choice, and the power to keep choosing, the conditions in which you’d like to be “born” into each day. If you integrate the metaphor of being born again each morning into your routine, if you offer yourself the gentleness that you would show to a newborn infant when you start your day – even for just a moment! – things will start to shift deep inside. Your nervous system will respond and re-pattern accordingly, and you will begin to feel a very positive difference in how you experience the rest of your day… in all areas of your life.
For years now, I have been waking up to Mantra music as my alarm.
I have three specific chants that I’ve had on my rotation for as long as I’ve been doing this, and I toggle between them on any given morning depending on what “mood” I’m moving through. Aad Guray Nameh is one of these chants. This version specifically. If you’re new to the exploration of Mantras, setting your alarm to one, or even simply listening to Mantra music throughout your day is the simplest, most user-friendly way you can begin incorporating this tool into your life. It’s one of my favorite ways to introduce working with the healing power of this medicine. Because even if you don’t know what the words mean, it doesn’t matter. Your body still feels and receives the vibration, and benefits can be experienced just from that. Speaking or chanting the words certainly increases the potency, yet it is not necessary to begin.
Aad Guray Nameh is a very powerful mantra used for protection, to gain clarity, and to receive guidance from one’s highest Self. The vibration of this mantra creates a protective field of energy around you – surrounding you in white light. This Mantra clears the past, present and future – thus (as is true for all Mantras) brings you fiercely into the presence moment. And that’s definitely where you want to start your day!
This mantra is often referred to as the Mangala Charan, a sacred prayer whose title translates as “Consoler of the Mind.” Further explained by Yogi Bhajan: “Charan means feet. Mangala means happy, happy feet. It means walk, talk, be rhythmic. Mangala Charan is the first magnetic touch, a vibratory touch of the Soul and the Infinity.” ¹ Through the protection you invoke, your feet can continue walking in happiness, and your mind can be consoled knowing all is in the hands of the great unseen Wisdom. Think about what your life would look like if you went into each day with this trust in your Heart.
Given the power this Mantra holds to clear worry from the mind, working with it results in greater vitality for the body. Because you are not draining so much of your Life Force energy (your Prana) to the hamster wheel of thoughts and stress, to the anxiety of being on high alert, your body gets to keep that energy flowing within.
You literally feel more alive and able.
Yogi Bhajan himself suggested chanting this Mantra 3 times after you have started your car (before shifting out of neutral or park) to prevent any incidences on the road. And if we swap out our earlier water metaphor and make your body the car (which is very synchronous as the body is often referred to as the “vehicle” for the Soul), then this is the perfect Mantra to apply to starting your engine in the morning.
Listen to a couple more of my favorite versions of this chant – HERE & HERE. Both also great for the waking hours!
Beyond making a practice of waking up to it each morning, you can listen or chant with this Mantra at any point in your day, when you are feeling anxiety or fear, or experiencing deep sadness or loneliness. Repetition of Aad Guray Nameh serves as a way to call in support from Spirit (Love, God, Source, the Divine, Creator, Universe, etc..) and allows you to connect with a powerful sense of safety and calm, steadiness and presence. This Sanskrit Mantra translates as:
I bow to the Primal Wisdom
I bow to the Wisdom through the Ages
I bow to the True Wisdom
I bow to the great, unseen Wisdom
Here is a general breakdown of this translation:
Aad: the primordial origin of creation; existing before the beginning, beyond and predating anything
Jugaad: throughout the ages
Guray: Auspicious Guru/Teacher
Nameh: I bow to You; to call on, with respect & receptivity
Sat: Truth; Real/the reality of one’s existence
Siri: Great
Guru: Wisdom; that which brings us from darkness into light
Dayvay: Salutations to the Divine; belonging to the realms of God
This Mantra supports us in strengthening our connection to the Divine, to the One Great Protector. It increases our sense of peace and presence within, and helps us to feel grounded in the Truth that we are always safe and protected by the power of Love.
“When you cannot be protected, this mantra shall protect you. When things stop, and won’t move, this makes them move in your direction.” – Yogi Bhajan¹
Reference: ¹Quotes from Yogi Bhajan, ©The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan
What is Sanskrit?
Sanskrit is an ancient language of India. Poems, prayers, and scriptures of India and the Yoga tradition are commonly written in Sanskrit. These Mantras can be chanted, or spoken (silently or aloud) during meditation.
Sanskrit Mantras are sound formulas, packed with energy & intention, that have a profound effect on the body-mind. When these sound waves (Mantras) are combined with thought waves (intentions), they become powerful tools for insight, healing, creativity and spiritual growth… Learn more and grab your FREE download →
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(She/Her)
The gal behind Held In The Heart. The Community Journal is a space for those who feel deeply to express freely. We explore all sorts of things here, from the real & raw healing stories & creative writing, to the funny & fleeting moments of everyday human life. I warmly welcome you and invite you to explore with us!