Sherianna Boyle - Mantras Made Easy: Mantras for Happiness, Peace, Prosperity, and More

We dont necessarily see things as they are. We see them as we are.

Ram Dass with Rameshwar Das, Polishing the Mirror

According to German authors Grazyna Fosar and Franz Bludorf, your body is programmable by language, words, and thoughts. Just like you are programmed to respond to the ring of your phone, you can program repeated words and phrases into your subconscious mind. If you repeat negative words and phrases, you begin to develop beliefs (e.g., Im fat) and behaviors (feeling guilty and irritable) that do not serve you well.

If thats the case for you, take heart. These tendencies are actually a reflection of our evolution. In order to survive, our ancestors were wired to focus on the negative, as this increased their chances of survival. They had to be on the lookout for predators and constantly be aware of threats to their food and water sources. Today, of course, we dont need to watch out for lions or remember how to get to a watering hole. But this information about how our brains work provides insight into why mantras are so powerful. Although focusing on the negative helped our ancestors survive, focusing on the positive through mantras is much more beneficial for the modern you.

Mantras are one of the most ancient mind-body practices. Although mantras have been around for 3,000-plus years, they were not fully discovered until the last 150 years. This is because a good portion of mantras were written in the ancient Hindu language of Sanskrit and kept private to preserve their quality. Although Sanskrit is not spoken today, it is very much kept alive through the practice of mantras.

Mantras are also found throughout the Bible. Syllables and words taken from prayers can easily be put into practice within a mantra. For example, the word amen, which was originally a Hebrew (Aramaic) term and made its way into Greek, Latin, and then finally English, is translated as and so be it. Moreover, Bible passages such as In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1) show just how important words are to the practice of faith.

Thomas Ashley-Farrand, one of the western experts on sacred Sanskrit mantras, reports that mantras were originally recorded on palm leaves. Certain families were asked to safeguard specific mantras, similar to a family heirloom or a secret recipe. Mantras in India and Tibet were secured through precise recording, storing, and passing from generation to generation. All of this information was eventually transferred and formally recorded in one of the oldest Hindu texts (still widely utilized today) called the Veda.

Sanskrit mantras were designed as a tool for healing and spiritual growth. They were used to increase abundance, prosperity, strength, protection, fortitude, and love. For example, one might commit to a mantra to increase the abundance of crops, ward off diseases, and/or attract good luck.

Thousands of mantras have been recorded throughout history and many are being created in our own native language today. What makes the Sanskrit ones so special is the amazing foundation they have been built upon. You can think of Sanskrit mantras as being similar to an eternal flame. When you recite a Sanskrit mantra, you are not only tapping into the energy of the words but also the level of consciousness that was put into the words by those who repeated it before you. Since this level of consciousness goes back thousands of years, you can imagine how strong this word energy is.