Monday Mantra

Greetings all, and happy Monday! It's time for another Monday Mantra installment. I'm writing this from the cozy warmth of my parents' house in the US of A. I'm visiting for the holidays. It's been so lovely to connect with family and old friends. It's just helping to me to realize even more how blessed our lives really are. From a place of deepest gratitude, I'd like to bring back the beautiful mantra, Aham Prema.

Here's the original post:

This Monday's Mantra is coming from a beautiful blog I recently found called The Way of the Mantra. I was looking for a gratitude mantra, in honor of this month of Thanksgiving that is in full swing. What I found was something even better -- this beautiful blog post on gratitude. Please give it a read, it is worth it.

Following Aly's lead, this week's mantra is:

Aham Prema (ah-hum pray-mah)

Source

This mantra translates to I am divine love. We all carry divine love and light within us, and what better way to show gratitude to all those who love and support us than to tap into it everyday. This mantra invokes our inner divine light and love, sending it out to the world.

Here's a great recording of it by Deva Premal. Feel free to listen and/or to chant along. Also, as always, you can do 108 repetitions of the mantra on your own. Or you can do as many as you feel you need to tap into the energy of the chant.



Cheers! and have a great week!

Monday Mantra

Ahoi hoi and happy Monday everyone! This weeks Monday mantra was inspired by the great Nelson Mandela.

We are here to love. I truly believe that. In that spirit, our mantra is the Shanti Mantra:

Shanti Mantra 
Om Saha Naavavatu  ohm sah-ha nah-vah-vah-too
Saha Nau Bhunaktu  sah-ha nau boo-nahk-too
Saha Veeryam Karavaavahai  sah-ha veer-yahm kah-rah-vah-vah-hai
Tejasvi Naavadheetamastu  tei-jahs-vee nah-vah-dee-tah-mahs-too
Maa Vidvishaavahai Om    mah vid-vi-shah-vah-hai ohm

Translation: May the Lord protect and bless us. May he nourish us, giving us strength to work together for the good of humanity. May our learning be brilliant and purposeful. May we never turn against one another.

This mantra is very close to my heart, as we chanted it before every class during my Kripalu teacher training. One recitation of of the mantra before you greet your day is a wonderful way to set the tone for things to come. Also right before bed, it is a wonderful reminder of our purpose here. If you'd rather listen, find a great video recording below.


Cheers!

Monday Mantra

Ahoi hoi and happy Monday. It's hard to believe that it's December already. I've got holiday's on the brain. It was nice to have last week's mantra be one of calming the mind. I would like to continue in that vein with this week's mantra being one of groundedness. Even for folks who don't celebrate during the holidays, the frenzy of energy that gets swirled up can throw one into a tailspin. Our mantra this week will help get your feet back on the ground and keep them there. It is a very simple mantra, making it easy to call up in those times of frustration. This week we are practicing the Lam Beej mantra.

The lam beej mantra is attached to the root chakra. The chakras are energy fields that are believed to be a part of our body's make up. We have seven major chakras that spin and create energy in the body. For more information on chakras, click here. The root chakra is associated with grounding, family, and the color red. Each chakra has a seed sound. The seed sound of the root chakra is lam (lah-m)

Source

To practice the lam beej mantra, simply repeat the seed sound lam 108 times. To strengthen the power of the mantra, try to channel the color red as you repeat it. If you would rather listen and absorb the energy of the chant, here's a recording of it:

Have a great week! 

Random Thoughts

I can hear the sound of birds chirping outside my window and the whizzing of motos down in the street. There is a cool breeze causing tiny ripples in my curtains. The neighbor is playing musica romantica. This is where I live now, the quaint little neighborhood of Salina Chica. I have planted my feet and my bike wheels on these streets and am overlaying them with stories and feelings that make them home. The shop owner across the street greets me, now. We exchange pleasantries and smiles as I wait in front of his place for a taxi. Downtown means a warm hug from my friend J. and sinking into cozy couches at Mogagua restaurant. Slowly the skin of newness is slipping off, and I am settling in to this island's rumbo. It hasn't been an easy transition. I have slept away days just hoping that "tomorrow" would be better. But the truth is that all we have is today. Today with the birds singing. Today with the motos whizzing down the street. Today with the breeze of the tail end of a norte rippling the curtains. Today with me opening the door, yet again, to greet the salina and the promise that if I just keep my eyes and ears open, beautiful things will be laid at my feet.