Benefits of Mantra Meditation

The Benefits of Mantra Meditation

A Brief Background on Mantras

The word mantra comes from the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, a language based on the frequencies of sounds and the energies they produce. When broken down, “man”, which means mind, and “tra” which means instrument, sound, or vibration, mantra can be defined as an instrument of the mind. In other words, it’s a tool that can be used during meditation to help individuals reach a deeper meditative state and higher consciousness. Mantras open the doors to tapping into one’s own energy centers, the so called chakras, and tuning them to a level that creates the potential for true transformation in body, mind, and soul.

The Spiritual Side

In Sanskrit the belief is that all creation whether it be people, animals, trees, the earth, or the entire universe is a frequency of some sort. All that you see, touch, taste, and feel, all matter, originated from the word Om, which came from Source, The Creator, God. Essentially, then we came from God and are in fact, God, only we’ve forgotten. The Ego and the endless chatter of our minds block us from who we truly are and limit the amazing potential we all possess. Meditation is the practice of creating stillness in our minds, removing or at least subduing the ego, and reconnecting to our Source. When we accomplish that all things can manifest into our lives. Things like health, wealth, joy, love and peace. However, these wonderful benefits of meditating with the aid of mantras are not solely a belief system or religious practice. They are also proven facts of science.
Physiological Effects of Meditation

To reiterate, a sound is a form of energy and has long since been proven scientifically. A mantra is a sound, a sequence of words that contain a powerful message being sent to the brain. The effect mantra meditation has, besides mentally and spiritually, leads to numerous physiological improvements. Many studies have shown that people who meditate using mantras have lowered blood pressure, bolstered their immune systems, and even recovered from various chronic diseases. As an individual continues to meditate using mantras and rhythmic breathing, their brain chemistry (neurotransmitters) and nervous system is brought into proper balance. The stage is then set for the many physical health rewards that result from meditating.

Mental and Emotional Wellness

Recent research in neuroscience has shown that the practice of meditation actually increases gray matter in the brain. In layman’s terms, a hyperactive mind as many in today’s society suffer from becomes less active and more mindful or aware. Stress is greatly reduced. Emotions and thoughts more even keel and regulated. People’s moods are generally more pleasant, hopeful, and positive and less worried about things like work, money, getting sick or even death. The focus shifts away from the concern of material gain and worldly pursuit and on to the eternal, seeing this life as an amazing journey that is to be enjoyed and cherished in the moment.

Examples of Mantras

A mantra can be any word or phrase spoken out loud repeatedly (chanted) or silently to oneself and can be anything a person desires that they feel will be helpful. “I am peace”, “I am love”, “I am abundant”, or “I forgive” are a few examples in English. In the ancient Sanskrit, however, there is greater value given to the actual words and their pronunciation. Remember, Sanskrit is a language purposefully developed to match the energy frequencies of the universe and the world we live in. Here are five examples of Sanskrit mantras considered to be among the most powerful:

1. Om – The original sound. It represents a new beginning.
2. Om Namah Shivaya – “I honor the divinity within myself.”
3. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu – For the happiness and peace of all others.
4. Om Gum Ganapatayei Namah – To help remove obstacles of all kinds in life.
5. Namo AmitaBha – Enlightenment, awareness, and wisdom.

Not So Happily Ever After

Without question love stories have always been the most popular of genres whether found in novels, plays, or movies. And what most people love to see is the “Happily Ever After” ending. This is as true as it is in fairy tales as it is in film. On occasion, however, there is that story or tale that leaves us with a not so happily ever after conclusion.

Although I enjoy love stories as much as the next guy or gal, the tragic love story always makes more of an impression. It forces me to find the good in a not so pleasant situation. Romeo and Juliet anyone? Shakespeare’s masterpiece is probably the most famous of all tragedies. Where’s the silver lining you ask? Well, after all the turmoil they faced they are now at least at peace and possibly in a much better place together. And if you’re going to die what better place to do it than in your lovers arms. Here’s a list of four movies that came to my mind and seem to fit the profile of “Not So Happily Ever After”

1. City of Angels. Nicolas Cage’s character in City of Angles spends the entire movie falling in love with Meg Ryan and trying to convince her to fall for him. Eventually it is Cage who falls as he takes the plunge to give up his supernatural state of being and become fully human. It is the only way he can be with her and she finally accepts him and fully returns his love. But just when everything seems like paradise she is hit a by a truck while riding her bike and dies leaving Cage all alone and heartbroken.

Tragic love story for sure, but all throughout the movie there is a greater underlying meaning. And that meaning is life and all its beauty and pleasure, from the simple act of knowing what a pear tastes like to the vital act of breathing. Things we take for granted are things Seth, Cage’s character, never will. In the end we see him realizing this in that final shot. He dives into the ocean feeling the power of the waves and the warmth of the water. It is “pure” ecstasy. He smiles.

2. Cast Away. It wasn’t the most beloved film and not easily discerned as a love story, but Cast Away was indeed that. We get a glimpse of the relationship between Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt in the beginning and already we know how strong their bond is. Just before getting on the fateful flight, Hanks tells Hunt he’ll be right back. If only she knew he meant two and half years! Yet throughout his struggle to survive in isolation on the island the one constant that forces him to survive is his love for her…and Wilson. His longing to be reunited with her is what keeps him alive and gives him the courage to make a desperate attempt to cross the ocean on a makeshift raft.

But after all that, after all his tribulations he returns only to discover that she has moved on with her life, married another man, and had a child. Time had stopped for Chuck (Hanks) but not for Kelly (Hunt).  

A total bummer made worse by the fact that they both realized in the end that they still deeply cared for each other, but couldn’t do a thing about it. But not all hope is lost as we see in the end that there are many paths to take in this thing called life. Remember that Chuck used all those FedEx packages that washed up on the shore for his survival, including the one he didn’t open. That single package was his connection, along with Kelly, back to civilization. He must’ve said to himself “If I ever get off this damn island I’m going to hand deliver this package to its owner”. It was another source of motivation to stay alive. As it turns out the package belonged to a very kind and attractive woman. Chuck actually encounters her briefly at a crossroads and realizes who she is as she drives away. He gets back in his car and heads in the same direction towards a new life, a new beginning.  

3. Seven Pounds. I just watched this last night and I have to admit it was the initial inspiration for this post. Throughout most of the movie it’s hard to tell just what the heck Will Smith is doing. Is he trying to help people or set them up for something terrible? And if you haven’t yet seen Seven Pounds I advise you to skip this part entirely. We figure out as events unfold that Smith’s wife died in a car accident that was partly his fault. Keep your eyes on the road and not on your cell phone people! He has given up on his own life and desires to give all of himself to people that need him, literally. His brother had lung cancer; he gave his brother one of his. A nice old lady had liver disease; he gave her part of his liver. A little kid had bone marrow cancer; he painfully donated some of his own.

As they say love finds you when you’re not looking for it, and Ben (Smith) slowly but surely falls in love with Emily (Rosario Dawson). Unfortunately she has a congestive heart condition and not much time to live. She had been on his list of people to help from the beginning, but the falling in love thing was nowhere to be found on that list. Yet it happens and near the end of the movie he makes one last attempt to see what her chances are of receiving a heart transplant. In essence, it’s his last glimmer of hope for bringing his own heart back to life and getting a second chance at life and love.

As soon as the doctor tells him that because of her rare blood type she has about a three percent chance of locating a donor he knows what he has to do. In fact, the revelation prompts him to finally do what he had been planning all along. Can you guess what weighs approximately Seven Pounds? That’s right, Ben’s heart. Ben was an intriguing and tragic character, but in the end he did so much good for so many people. He gave his own life and body, which in turn saved maybe four or five others and positively affected much more than that.

4. Forrest Gump. There’s so much going on in this classic that it’s easy to mistake it for something other than a love story. Forrest Gump goes on so many adventures from Vietnam to being a shrimping boat captain, from international ping pong tournaments to running across country. He meets presidents and celebrities and makes many friends. Yet all he can ever think about is Jenny. He loves her from the moment she says “You can sit here” on the school bus. However, Jenny rejects Forrest even though she cares about him.

She tells him at one point in the movie that he doesn’t know what love is, assuming that because he’s not the “sharpest tool in the shed” he can’t possibly understand the meaning of love. “I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is” said Forrest.  On the contrary it’s Jenny who doesn’t understand love. Her dreams, her past, and her lifestyle delude her idea of love and although she is of a higher intellect than Forrest she’s nowwhere close to the kind of love he knows and feels. It’s not until near the end of the movie after she cleans up that she realizes how precious Forrest is and how much she loves him.

It’s just too bad that she can’t figure it all out until she’s stricken with a life threatening illness. She dies and Forrest is left without the one person he always wanted to be with, his Jenny.

This is still a tough one for me to find the ray of hope in. Forrest Gump is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and I’ve watched it so many times. I’m sure I’ll watch it again and again in the years ahead, but every time I feel like watching it I have to make sure that I’m ready for it. It always leaves me with a melancholy feeling, but perhaps there is still a good way to look at it. I’ve heard people say that, yeah it’s sad that Jenny dies but now Forrest has his son to love. That’s great, but I’d like to think that just like that floating feather in the end, Forrest’s destiny is still unfolding. There’s still so much more life for him to live and with the way his life had been up till that point, who knows what more he will experience.

So there you have it. Four movies off the top of my head (well, maybe Seven Pounds doesn’t fall into this category) that ended not so happily ever after. Tragic in a sense yet still with a sense of hope in all of them.

Judging Presidents

There was a lot of talk about President Reagan this past week as a new bronze statue of the former president was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol. As always the discussions on cable news and radio talk shows had their share of detractors and supporters of Reagan’s time in office. Some talked about the huge national debt he created and how he failed to address the AIDS epidemic. Others spoke about his bipartisanship and his handling of the Soviet Union. It got me thinking about what is fair or unfair in these assessments from either side after so much time has passed.

They say that hindsight is 20/20 but I wonder if it truly is. There are some things that become more clear than others as years go by and we can see the longer range of effects that certain policies had. What I feel is lost in all this is the state that the country was in at the exact time of the man’s presidency. To remember how people felt, how the nation felt and how Reagan’s policies as well as personality influenced those emotions is perhaps a greater challenge than to squabble about the left over details.

One must recall that America had endured numerous years of struggle and scandal prior to Reagan taking office. From the end of the Vietnam War to the Watergate Scandal to the disasterous four years of the Carter administration the U.S. had little to feel proud about. We were still a great world power, no doubt, but were playing second fiddle to the U.S.S.R. In other words, we were clearly trailing the Soviet Union in the Cold War. Reagan was instrumental in changing all that.

Reagan used both policy and propagand to achieve his aims in dealing with communism. He made the U.S. a super power again by building up the military and as we all know, outspent the Soviets so that they eventually went broke. Perhaps an even greater scheme was his idea of “Star Wars”, which was nothing more than a bluff. But above all he used diplomacy and did so better than at least the last two republican presidents to follow him. He was respected by our allies abroad and got people in Washington to work together in a way we haven’t seen since. And that as we’ve come to learn is saying a lot.

Above all I belive President Reagan helped to restore a sense of being proud to be an American during his presidency. Sure there were people who despised him even then, but I think for the most part he was beloved. Does this make him one of the greatest presidents ever, I don’t know. The debate will go on and on, but without remembering what it was like then a fair judgement can never truly be made.

Bush’s Legacy

President Bush’s legacy will forever be tarnished for obvious reasons. No one will ever forget his blunders in Iraq and Afghanistan just as they’ll never forget his fumbling for words during those countless news conferences over the period of eight years. And the pitiful sight of him freezing up in front of a bunch of kindergarteners on 911 will be etched in all our memories always.

He may very well have been the worst President in U.S. history. But as more time passes I wonder if his legacy and image in the eyes of Americans could somehow improve. One thing he may have going for him is the respect he has shown President Obama since the election. He has not criticized President Obama and for the most part has remained silent since leaving office. Some will say that he’s just hiding because of his administrations failures and because of the troubles he could face if there were to be some sort of investigation. But I’ll go out on a limb and play Bush’s advocate.

My basic opinion of President Bush is that he should have never been President to begin with, maybe never even wanted to be, although the movie W suggests otherwise. But in the movie, which one can never be sure is fiction or non-fiction, his reason for wanting to be President was due to some sort of epiphany he had. Not a good reason.

So maybe George Walker Bush did want to be President of the United States, believing that he could change the world for the better. And those around him thought he would be a good candidate and used his name to help get them into office as well. In my opinion it was those people, those War Hawks, Oil Tycoons, and Think Tankers with their crazy New World Order views that ran the show and pulled the strings on a figurehead, a puppet named Bush.

I know a lot of people aren’t in the mood for feeling sympathetic toward the former President, but for some reason I want to like this guy if only because so many hate him. What if he is just an average guy, an ordinary Cowboy who got drawn into a situation he had no business being in? The way he responded to Obama’s election and his subsequent behavior suggests to me that he truly thinks of himself as a patriot, an American, a person who wants the best for his fellow country men and women. Maybe in time the bitterness toward him will soften and people will come to view President Bush not as some some ruthless tyrant. He’ll always be that goofy C + student, but perhaps we’ll someday think of him as that annoying uncle you just can’t stand yet realize in the end that he’s still one of us.

Two Voices

Recently we’ve heard a lot of talk about what to do with the prisoners from Guantanamo. The two most prominent names in the debate are President Obama and former Vice President Cheney. Most people believe that President Obama is doing the right thing in shutting down Gitmo and so do I. However, I still think it’s important to always listen to both sides of the story if not only for this subject but others that will surely arise.

Guantanamo had become such a disaster in America and in the eyes of the world it had to be rectified. Now I’m no political expert and I can’t say what the best solution for placing the prisoners is. There has been some opposition to moving them into penitentiaries around the country. Most of this is due to a fear of the danger the inmates would pose to the surrounding citizenry if they were to escape. I don’t know how serious a threat that could potentially be, but my instinct tells me it’s likely an over blown concern. One thing that did occur to me, however, is the opportunities the prisoners may gain by their new living quarters.

In Guantanamo the prisoners were without question, isolated, and stuck in one spot on an island. I would imagine that there they would have little to no contact with the outside world. Put them in a jail with all sorts of criminals, some of whom are coming and going and what kind of contacts could they make? Would it be more possible for them to relay information through that type of setting? Then the question must be asked if the country would be safer or not.

Again, I am no expert. I’m just merely stating my concern, and I would hope that those who are supposed to protect us have considered this as well. Many prisoners and individuals associated with the mob or other criminal activities have been able to accomplish much through different channels while sitting in their cell. Who’s to say that former terrorists couldn’t do something similar? That’s why it is always best to have all voices on a matter heard.

Objectivity is the key. Think back to how most of us thought just prior to the beginning of the Iraq war. There were voices of opposition, few as they were, but they went unheard. And they weren’t the typical tree-hugging, make love not war types either. Senator Robert Byrd was one. Barrack Obama was another. And many from the international community were opposed as well. These people felt that we were rushing into something for the wrong reasons and now, six years later, most of us know they were right.

It’s important to recall the mistakes of the past and how they were made. Shutting out one whole group of people because of their politics always has the potential to lead us down the wrong path. You may disagree with them nine times out of ten, but that one time they might be right and you might be wrong. It’s better to have two sides, two voices to listen to so that iron can sharpen iron.

Freedom of speech is one of the greatest freedoms we have been fortunate to have in the United States. But what good does it do if because of resentful politics one side immediately shuts out the other without even taking a moment to ponder what they are saying?

One Record that may never be Broken

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals entered last night’s game at the San Francisco Giants with a 30 game hitting streak on the line. But just as the excitement was starting to develop and remind the baseball world of one of its most sacred records did it all come to an end. Zimmerman went 0 for 3 with two walks, and his minor challenge of Joe Dimaggio’s 56 game hitting streak was halted. And what better place for any challenge to Joltin Joe to end than in his own hometown of San Francisco

It has been 68 years since Dimaggio set the record back in 1941 when from May 15 to July 16 he had at least one hit in all 56 games played. Since then almost all of the great baseball records have been surpassed, a good number of them falling recently. Pete Rose passed Ty Cobb for hits all time and Ichiro Suzuki set the mark for hits in a season by breaking George Sisler’s 257, a record that had stood for 84 years. Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris’s 61 homeruns in a single season with 70, and Barry Bonds recently passed Hank Aaron for most round trippers all time and he also countered McGwire’s 70 with 73 in a single season. The jury is still out on how legitimate some of these record breakers were, but one thing for sure, Joe D’s record is still safe.

Every year it seems there is at least one player who takes a streak to 30 plus games and that’s usually when the buzz begins. The name, Dimaggio, comes to the fore and sports talk radio hosts, TV analysts, and fans start to wonder if it can be done. But so far no one has done it, and the only person who came somewhat close was Pete Rose in 1978 when he hit safely in 44 straight games.

Perhaps Dimaggio just had a knack for it that others don’t. Afterall, he also set the standard of 61 straight games with a hit while he was still in the minor leagues. Ruth, Cobb, Aaron, and other legends alike have all been bested through time. As the saying goes, records are made to be broken. But maybe, just maybe, Dimaggio’s record will last for all time…

For game by game breakdown of Joe Dimaggio’s “Streak” visit:

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats3.shtml

Manny being Manny

And so yet another one of baseball’s superstar’s has been “busted” for using performance enhancing drugs. This time it’s Mr. Dreadlocks himself, Manny Ramirez. The news broke early this morning about Ramirez failing a drug test and he will be suspended for 50 games. As usual there’s an excuse (lie) about why he failed the test. Manny says his doctor prescribed something for him for a “personal medical problem” and that whatever the prescription was that he took, caused him to flunk.

I think we all know better by now and can be almost certain that Manny, like so many others, used steroids for a period of time. We’ll never know for how long or how much or what effect it actually had on his performance, but he used them. He used them to gain an edge, inflate his stats, and get paid. In the end he’s just another player who cheated his team, the game, his fans, and himself. And it’s a shame because he is a great player, one of the greatest of all time, without the drugs.

The same can be said for all the big name players who have tarnished their legacies with the juice. Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez were all surefire hall of famers by their own natural abilities. They didn’t need anything extra to be special because they already were. They just got…greedy. It’s a tragedy, a sport’s tragedy at least, that they’ll most likely never live this stuff down. People will always think steroids, HGH, and cheater when they hear the names Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, Rodriguez, Palmeiro…Ramirez. People will always wonder if Manny being Manny really wasn’t Manny being Manny at all.

And there will be more to come, you can count on it. Afterall, there were 103 other undisclosed names that accompanied Arod’s before he got nailed. Maybe Manny’s was on that list, maybe not, but don’t be surprised one day if you hear Pujols, Ortiz, Texeira, Guerrero and plenty more. I hate to even suggest names, especially ones that haven’t been caught doing anything wrong. But in this era of baseball’s history the rule of thumb for figuring out who has done steroids has become, the bigger you are and the greater your statistics, the more likely you popped some pills or stuck a needle in your ass. That’s just the way it is and these days, apparently, that’s just baseball.

Curse Reversed

Was it even necessary for someone to bury a David Ortiz jersey under the home team dugout a couple of years back when the new Yankee Stadium was under construction? Didn’t we already witness the end of the Curse of the Bambino almost five years ago when the Bronx Bombers blew a three games to nothing lead in the 2004 ALCS? And with that epic collapse came not just the end of an 86 year drought (curse) but the beginning of a new long stretch of bad luck. Only this time it appears the Yankees are on the short end of this ancient baseball rivalry. Remember the cry of that once long-suffering RedSox fan that said not just to end the curse but to reverse it.

Look at all that has happened since 2004. The RedSox have made the playoffs three times in the subsequent four years, capturing a second World Series Championship and a division title. They have had their problems (ala Manny Ramirez) but they’ve also witnessed their young homegrown talents achieve greatness. Jon Lester and Clay Bucholz both pitched no-hitters, Kevin Youkilis has flourished into one of the best hitters in the game, and Dustin Pedroia won last year’s American League MVP.

The Yankees on the otherhand have been ultimately nothing but incredible disappointments. They haven’t won a championship since 2000, but since 2004 they have gotten progressivley worse. In 05′, 06′, and 07′ they were elminated each time in the first round of the playoffs. Last year, in the final season played in the House that Ruth Built, they didn’t even make the playoffs. Perhaps it was the Babe’s way of letting these modern day Yanks know how ticked off he was for forsaking that sacred ground and moving into a billion dollar mansion across the street; a mansion that in itself and despite it’s aesthetic quality may end up being a disappointment thanks to its outrageous launching pad capability.

The Yankees are still competetive and will likely continue to be, but they don’t look or feel like a championship team. In short, they don’t look like the RedSox, a team with the perfect blend of developed farmhands and veterans. On paper the Yankees appear to be better, but on the field they look flat, old, stressed, and when playing against the RedSox, intimidated. The Yankees just look like they’re playing against something bigger than themselves. Some say it’s the pressure of New York. Some say age. I think that it might just be…a curse.

The AROD Witchhunt

As a Yankee fan I’m extremely tired of hearing about Alex Rodriguez’s use of steroids. The baseball season is now a month old, and I just want to enjoy the games without all these off the field distractions. But I guess with AROD there will always be some sort of drama. A lot of that is his own fault. He makes poor choices whether it’s through his actions or his words. However, I really believe that the situation has gotten out of control and that it’s time the media starts taking some of the blame.

Like I said, I am a Yankee fan so I’m going to be somewhat biased when it comes to AROD. I want him to do well, hit 50 homeruns and help us win a championship. But even a casual observer would have to admit that the attention the media places on AROD has become a bit of a witchhunt.

This all started when Rodriguez was the only name out of 104 that was released from an investigation conducted over six years ago by major league baseball. Why was only his name released and who did the disclosing? Nobody knows, but we do know that Sports Illustrated reporter, Selena Roberts, was the one who broke the news. And now her new book is coming out, which is filled with, supposedly, more dirt on AROD.

Some of the early out takes from the book accuse AROD of using steroids when he was in high school and even during his years with the Yankees, stories which he either denied or did not admit to in recent interviews. For the most part her sources are un-named and anonymous. It made me start to wonder how credible a reporter Ms. Roberts is and if she’s not just trying to cash in on the biggest cash cow in the history of sports.

I mean, really, what is her motivation for going to such great lengths to expose AROD? Does she really care about the integrity of the sport of baseball? Is she so concerned about the statistical records and history books? Oh, well maybe she’s fearful for all the kids who idolize Rodriguez. I kind of doubt it. I think she and a lot of other reporters and writers like her are just looking to make some extra dough at the expense of a “lightning rod”. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with making extra cash, especially in these times. I just think it’s pretty lousy to benefit by someone else’s shortcomings and even perhaps by slandering them.

Hey, I’m not condoning what AROD did, and we know he definitely did do some type of steroids at some point in his life because he has confessed to that. But come on do we really need to know every little mistake the guy made in his life. We’ve all made mistakes and I’m sure all of us would like to forget those mistakes and sure as hell wouldn’t want someone writing a book about it.