By : Irene de Lucas Ramòn
The power of Mantras in Yoga practice - Part I
For seven years I have been practising Yoga without chanting more than a single syllable: OM. Not that I consider myself a person who doesn't enjoy singing, I sing with headphones, in the shower, at concerts and sometimes with friends, but mostly when I'm alone and always when I'm in a good mood. However, when it came to introducing mantra chanting in my yoga practice I considered it unnecessary and ignored the ultimate benefits it could entail both for my yoga praxis and myself. As many people do, I strongly linked the mantras strictly to a devotional dimension of Yoga that I did not wholly profess, chants where a different form of pray for me and thus I was not appealed by their nature nor by their symbolism, and was clearly driven off by the essence of religious alienation I had reduced them to. Talking to, and observing other Yoga students throughout these years, I have found that this perspective is far from being uncommon. We tend to identify chanting only with its religious dimension, ignoring its spiritual benefits but also the physical, emotional and mental effects it can have on us -from an Occidental point of view- and letting ourselves be pushed away by a bunch of prejudices we unmistakably associate to its devotional nature and its group-practice. I was no exception.
It took me seven years to reconsider such judgement and start reflecting on the effects and importance of singing in my daily life, in my character and in my mood. I then realised that I tend to sing more when I'm alone and only when I am already in a good mood, that singing made me feel happier, and that it felt even better when someone else sang along with me. These are objective conclusions that I draw solely from personal observation; meaning that, regardless of any symbolical, religious or social implication, of anything I could read or hear, I was aware of the fact I enjoy singing and that it has a positive effect on me. Again, I am no exception. We all acknowledge from personal experience that we mostly sing when we are happy, that we are usually self-conscious about our voice, so we tend to sing more when we are alone, and that, alone or along with someone else, singing unquestionably uplifts our mood. Still, we incomprehensibly refuse to consider singing as an intentional regular practice and instead we content ourselves with its spontaneous and occasional occurrence in our lives. It seems to me that, if regardless of any other consideration we recognise that singing occurs naturally in our daily routine and that it has a positive effect in ourselves, we should be open enough to consider its regular practice as a useful tool to improve our mood, our spirits and ultimately our lives. Starting from our Yoga practice, we must allow ourselves to put aside the prejudices, the religious aspects and the preconceived, and be determined to experience chanting solely from the observance of its effects in our body, mood and mind. Only then we will give mantras a chance to demonstrate their inherent power.
The OM journey
When first introducing Yoga students to chanting, it is common practice to start them with the OM chant and get them used to it before introducing any mantras at all. This established initiation procedure not only responds to the founding and essential nature of this syllable in Yogic philosophy and texts (OM is the cosmic syllable, the eternal, unity and source, the seed of any idea, word, thought, or thing in nature. OM is everything we can and cannot touch, see, feel and think. Everything is OM and OM is All) but also to the fact that our prejudices and shyness are not as strongly grounded for OM chanting as they are for mantras. OM being a single syllable allows us to be less self-conscious of our singing skills and the abstract and complex nature of its meaning and translation allows us to detach from its devotional or praying nature. These two aspects clearly helped me in introducing OM in my Yoga practice almost from the start though at first I remained somewhat suspicious of its hypothetical positive effects. I accepted it as a ritual feature, an ornament, but I didn't recognise the purpose or the importance it could have in my personal Yoga practice, not until I read about the physical and medically proved effects it has in our bodies.
Looking back, I know consider this the first turning point from my reductionist approach towards chanting in Yoga. Religious devotion and mysticism aside, I realised that singing OM on a regular basis has numerous positive physical effects in our bodies mostly due to the internal vibration of the sound in itself. It has been scientifically proved that singing OM has invaluable vibratory effects in our bodies, helps to achieve slow, regular and complete exhalation, aids to control and relax our breathing system and has several soothing effects in our minds. However, stating such benefits is frequently insufficient, it seems to me that it is essential to understand the physical explanations than underlay these benefits for a change in perception to occur in our western epistemological minds. Thus, we are now going to take the time to develop each of them separately, in order to understand why and how when we are chanting OM we aren't just singing, nor praying, but enabling a series of positive physical changes to occur in our bodies and mind, making us feel better than we did before.
Of the above mentioned, the most powerful physical benefit of chanting OM is related with its vibratory effects. The sustained 'O' -formed by the 'AU'- sound makes all the bones of the thoracic cage vibrate, proving that vibration is communicated to the mass of air contained in our lungs and that the delicate membrane of alveolus in contact with this air vibrates too, this stimulates the pulmonary cells and enables an optimum gaseous exchange in our lungs. Furthermore, the latest research of many Western physiologists has also shown how this vibration produces very accentuated effects in the endocrine glands, to which Science is gradually attributing an increasing importance.
More specifically, Dr.Leser-Lasario dedicated 25 years of study to the effects of vocal vibrations in the human body and his work has concluded, with an absolute scientific rigor, that the emission of vowels during exhales causes a vibratory auto-massage of the internal organs. These vibrations reach the deepest tissues and nervous cells, intensifying blood circulation in the target tissues and internal organs. Internal secreting glands are equally stimulated to secrete their hormones directly into the bloodstream and the lymph (pituitary, pineal, thyroids, thymus, adrenals and gonads), and this vibration of the vocal chords similarly influences both the sympathetic and vagus nerve. The musculature of the breathing apparatus is both relaxed and strengthened, expanding the thoracic cavity and thus the pulmonary capacity, an enlarged breathe which translates in an increase of oxygen supply to the whole body. Besides, the vibrant internal massage resulting from the emission of the vowels 'au', acts especially in the abdominal organs and the organs of the thoracic cage, whilst the vibration of the 'mmm' in our skulls induces a vibration of the cranial nerves.
The OM being chanted during the exhalation, it directly contributes to make it slow, regular and complete. The emission of the 'Au' sound limits the pace of the expired air, and the benefits of slow breathing are numerous and well known by Yoga practitioners (increased lung capacity results in a higher supply of oxygen, increased vitality, cleansing of the bloodstream and toxins in the lungs, and calming of the brain, amongst others). Regular exhale is a direct result of a uniform emission of the 'au' sound, which, if prolonged until the end of our capacity, assures the complete emptiness of our lungs. This complete, regular and slow breathing enables us to totally expel the stale air from our lungs and reduce as much as possible the volume of residual air. As an immediate and direct consequence of this integral emptying of the lungs, our inhale enlarges and deepens progressively, increasing our lung capacity and oxygen supply with the previously stated beneficial effects.
Chanting Om correctly will also help us to relax and gain control over our breathing apparatus. Since the exhaling is produced by a relaxation of the muscles in our breathing system, the OM sound will not be emitted uniformly unless this relaxation is fully under control. Thus, should there be any tension at the throat or muscles of the thoracic cage, the sound will exit our bodies in jolts, whereas, if the sound is continuous and smooth, it will indicate a perfect control of progressive relaxation of all the breathing muscles and subsequently a comfortable and ease inhale. This appreciation of the quality of our sound emission during our OM chanting enables us to learn how to eliminate latent and unconscious contractions in muscles of our body that we do not fully control.
And last of all, the OM chanting produces direct effects in our minds that are just as important as the effects it has in our body. The abstract and complex meaning of the syllable OM makes its way into our minds intercepting the flow of thoughts we are constantly submitted too. Our mental stuff is made out of words, when we think, talk, dream and even when we talk to ourselves internally; we use words in detriment of images. However, when the air is expelled from our lungs, accompanied by the sound OM and the vibration of the vocal chords, it occupies entirely our conscience inhibiting the process of sentence construction in our minds. Gaining the control over our minds to restrain this continuous flow of thoughts to which we are constantly subjected is the ultimate goal of Yoga practice and it can only be achieved through meditation -liberating the mind of all thoughts, what we would define as leaving the mind blank for a sustained period of time-, but gaining mastery of the mind is a long and difficult process. Therefore, the OM reveals itself as the first taste of this sensation for a new practitioner, it provides a sort of parenthesis to our minds in which we experience a preliminary detachment of this flow of thoughts that we are so used to having we can no longer conceive as possible to restrain. The fact is, OM chanting on its own will not restrain it, but it aids in achieving the first step: slowing it down. As a result of this temporary vacation from our thoughts, the mind is calmed, and because the mind governs the whole body, its calm state will in turn reflect in a further relaxation of the latest too. Furthermore, concentration becomes easier and your mind is awaken, while the electromagnetic waves produced by the vibration are spread throughout all the body increasing dynamism and vitality. The experiences of Dr. Leser-Lasario greatly proved how the entire body is relaxed by the internal vibrant-massage, which mentally liberates us from our inhibitions, depressions and complexes, harmonising our psyches.
Learning these scientific explanations underlying the benefits of OM chanting in my body was a crucial step for me to change my preconceived judgement. From then onwards I started to consider it another Yoga exercise, freed from any suspicion, this enabled me to observe its effects in my body, in my breath, in my mood. Devotion may or may not arrive with practice, but the fact is, the effects of OM chanting in our practice are just as obvious as the asanas' if we allow ourselves to experience it from the certainty that its effects greatly exceed its mystical nature and have a logical scientific base. And in order to do this, learning and understanding this base is essential for Western practitioners. Everything is ineffective if we approach it with the inner conviction that it will not work, and vice versa, placebo treatments in medicine rely strictly on this principle. Our minds are so powerful that if we convince ourselves something will be useless, even a medical treatment, we will inhibit its positive effects. Thus, liberating the OM from my doubts and prejudices was my first acknowledgment of the benefits of chanting in my Yoga practice, in fact, the Om would become the one and only chant I would perform for the following five years, before the mantras finally made their way into my practice.
The Power of Mantras - Part II
It took me some years to realise that the benefits the OM chanting had in my body and mind where all applicable to mantra chanting too. In fact, if we look closely at the Sanskrit wording of the mantras we can observe that they are always composed of syllables with long vowels and strong vibrant sounds, just like the OM is. I guess the difference for me was that these words had a clear translation to devotional prayers and thus I identified them completely with the nature of religious practice. Furthermore, the constant repetition of each mantra, the use of malas in Buddhism - like rosaries in Catholicism or tasbihs in Islam- strongly reminded me of ritual and religious practices I was not interested in.
However, during my TT course I came across the book of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and I found a statement of Swami Satchinanda in the introduction to the book that made me change my mind and open myself to mantras chanting too. When Swami Satchinanda taught Raja Yoga he often said "if there is something useful for you in my words take it and make use of it. If there is anything that is not useful, leave it". I then understood it was not a case of accepting the whole package, but of being open to experiencing it, take what it's useful to you, and just leave the rest aside. I directly related this to my attitude towards mantras, the fact I did not profess a particular devotion to a certain Buddhist deity when I chanted a mantra did not imply I had to disregard all the other purposes and effects mantra chanting offers to us. First of all, because the physical benefits and mental effects are still there, the impact of singing in our moods and the benefits of the inner vibrations of these syllables in our bodies is even more obvious with mantra chanting than it is with the OM. And second, and most importantly, because Yoga has such a broad and open perspective of life that it is open to your interpretation. The words behind each mantra may be directed to some deity we do not share ourselves, but Patanjali expressed how this was open to our own interpretation. Most of these prayers express desires that we all have - protection, wisdom, inner peace...- but the deity to which you express such desires is entirely your choice, it can be Nature in itself, the God of your choice, an abstract entity you believe in, the Sun or even a dimension of your own Self you want to develop to achieve such goals. The point being, when we agree to sing mantras we are not betraying our own religion or necessary professing a Buddhist religious devotion, but enabling our body and mind to experience a different practice of which we can profit whatever our convictions are. Yoga is open enough to accept your own interpretation, so the question is if you are as open to accept this too.
Ironically, the resemblances of mantras with praying are in the origin of many late studies on the vibrational science of mantra. In all religions we can find both the practice of a repetitive prayer and of group singing, and scientific researches have shown that a spiritual uplift isn't the only outcome. Scientists recently discovered that mantra and rosary recitation have possible physiological benefits for the heart. Reciting either Sanskrit mantras or the Ave Maria prayer regulated the breath and synchronized the heart rhythms of 23 participants in a study conducted by Italian researchers. The research team speculated this happened because prayer and mantra slow the breath rate to an optimal six breaths per minute. Both the Buddhist mantra Om mane padme hum and the Ave Maria prayer were used in the study and are generally recited in a single 10-second breath cycle, corresponding to six breaths per minute. In contrast, the average person's breath rate is 16 to 20 breaths per minute, according to Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., a cardiac surgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital and the director of the Heart Institute at Columbia University, who has pioneered the use of complementary therapies for cardiac patients. "When your internal metronome slows, you get a variety of beneficial effects," he says, "and you also lessen the risk of catastrophic events like heart attacks and strokes." In a similar way, Dr.Alfred Tomatis used the sounds of Gregorian monks chanting to stimulate the brain and nervous systems of patients, and his work is vital in regard to the medical uses of sound an chant, as he found that sounds particularly high in vocal harmonics would stimulate and charge the cortex of the brain and nervous system. In fact, many other types of chanting from different traditions have very similar effects.
Therefore, the effects of mantra chanting or prayer recitation are very similar to the ones stated for the OM chant: vocal recitations engage the breath rhythms that, in turn, influence the heart rhythms via the central nervous system. Smoothing and lengthening breathing regulates heart rhythms, oxygenates the blood, and induces a feeling of calm and well being. Jonathan Goldman, author of the book Healing Sounds and master teacher in sound healing who has worked along masters of sound from both the scientific and spiritual domains, further states that "self-created sounds such as chanting will cause the left and right hemispheres of the brain to synchronize (...) Since sound can potentially rearrange molecular structure, the possible healing applications of sound are limitless". Indeed, as he develops in an interview to Integral Yoga Magazine, the works of Masuru Moto and Fabien Maman - a French acupuncturist and sound healer- have clearly demonstrated that cellular structure and energy are affected by sound. The first of them took photographs of water molecules and subjected them to different sounds, and the latter one took Kirlian photographs of haemoglobin cells that were exposed to different sounds, all these water molecules and cells showed a different shape depending on the sound they were subjected too.
The element of repetition in prayers and mantra may seem, still, a ritual aspect we associate with devotion and brainwashing. Yet, it is vital in the creation of a steady breathing pace and furthermore in the calming effect of our minds. Our psyche loves repetition, how many times have we surprised ourselves singing a publicity jingle or a catchy song refrain and realising we are not capable of making our minds stop thinking of it? Mantra chanting just profits from this tendency towards repetition to centre our flow of thought only in those vibrating sounds, creating a sort of void in our minds when this sound finally stops. This is specially obvious when we introduce mantra chanting as a meditation practice; in my personal experience, I have never been as close to keep my mind blank for a sustained amount of time - and still, hardly a minute- as after mantra repetition.
In what refers to the group chanting, the same applies. There are so many examples in our daily life supporting the fact that singing along with other people feels even better than singing alone, that if we choose to associate it just with cult brainwashing is a reflection of our blinkered attitude. Group singing is part of every culture and tradition, religious or not, when we attend concerts and all the public sings together we know it feels different, it feels better; not to mention how we can hardly keep ourselves from joining someone who's singing a tune we know. That group singing feels good is a conclusion we can easily draw from our own experience, and if we accept that sound affects molecules and cells, and that inner vibrations affects our body, an increase in these vibrations, taking place both inside and outside our bodies as a result of a group of voices emitting simultaneously the same vibrant sounds, must undoubtedly feel more powerful. This can be understood without reading any book or scientific explanation to support it. And still, there is one. Jonathan Goldman states how recently it has been found that "when se sound together in a group, there's the release of oxytocin, a neurotranmitter in the brain that transmits bonding and trust. So, chanting together breaks down barriers that separate us. (...) I believe that group chanting can effect planetary healing. The Yoga of sound is universal. The concept of mantra, of sacred chants, is in every faith tradition. Sri Swami Satchidananda understood this, and he honoured all traditions". Indeed, as we have stated before, it is your choice to use the Yoga of sound in your own believes, it is not restrained to the Buddhist perspective unless you want it to.
I can not overstress the positive effects mantra chanting has had in my Yoga practice, helping me to achieve above all, the most difficult: calming down my restless mind. I can no longer conceive my meditation practice without mantras, it is such a powerful tool when we are aware of its numerous effects, we can not allow ourselves to dismiss it entirely just based upon prejudices and preconceived ideas. It is therefore essential to preview, as a Yoga teacher, a cautious approach in their introduction to new practitioners in order to keep their minds open to such practice, letting them learn first the scientific explanations behind the benefits of mantra chanting, and when they are willing to accept its benefits practising them with an open mind, the rest will come on its own over time, just through personal observance. I believe part of our job as teachers is to unveil the power of mantras by encouraging self-appreciation of their effects in our bodies and minds, enabling the students to experience freely the feelings and changes in perception that result from mantra chanting, discovering it by themselves, inside themselves. After all, even the most stubbornness and unyielding person would agree that music is one of the most powerful emotional triggers we know of. And acknowledging this is already the first step, as it is precisely in this essence of music and sounds as emotional enhancers in which the immeasurable power of mantras will ground and progressively build upon. If we open the door, they will come in.
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