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The Power of the Gayatri Mantra

It is believed that the Gayatri Mantra was written about 2500 to 3500 years ago and featured in the Rig Veda, an ancient collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns.  The mantra may have been chanted for many centuries before that.

It is said that this sacred prayer spirals through the entire universe from the heart of the chanter, appealing for peace and divine wisdom for all.  The Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom in us.

The Gayatri Mantra will protect you from harm wherever you are traveling, working, or at home.  Chanting acts to raise not only your vibration but also the space in which you chant and will bring peace to your body, mind and soul.  The Gayatri mantra will protect your body and improve your power of speech.

It is believed that reciting the Gayatri mantra at least three times during morning, noon, and evening will help to reduce the effects of the wrong acts one does every day. It is like buying goods for cash, instead of getting them on credit. There is no accumulation of karmic (result of action) debt, since each day’s karma (action) is atoned for that day itself by reciting the Gayatri mantra.

The mantra opens up your heart and when both our minds and our hearts open, we open ourselves up for new possibilities.

The cyclic enunciation of this mantra stimulates the subliminal power centers in the subtle body. The pressure on tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the connecting regions in the brain generated by continuous enunciation of the twenty-four special syllables of the Gayatri Mantra creates a resonance (or a vibration) in the nerves and the ‘threads’ of the subtle body.

It is significant that the prolonged repetition of the Gayatri has a cumulative effect on our bodies and our minds.  Our minds are sharper, our immune system is stronger, and our hearts are open.  When our energy centres, including our main Chakras, are activated by the vibrations of the Gayatri mantra, this has a positive and healing effect on our life force energy – on our Prana.

Ten Benefits to Chanting the Gayatri Mantra

  1. Calms the mind: The vibrations help to release relaxing hormones. The syllables are devised to help a person concentrate and thereby calms the mind.
  2. Improves immunity: The pressure on tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the connecting regions in the brain generated by the continuous chanting of the Gayatri Mantra creates a resonance in and around your head. These vibrations stimulate the hypothalamus (a gland that is responsible for the release and functioning of a number of bodily functions including immunity) that then functions more efficiently. Experts say that this gland is also responsible for the release of happy hormones and therefore is the key player in the mind body connection — so the happier you are, the stronger your immunity.
  3. Stimulates the chakras: Chanting helps stimulates your chakras or the extrasensory energy centres. The chakras align themselves with certain essential lymph nodes and organs of the body that help in the proper functioning of the entire body. This in turn helps strengthen your immune system as the vibration align all your chakras, maintaining wellbeing.
  4. Increases concentration and learning: When you chant the Gayatri Mantra the vibration first activates the third eye, throat and crown chakras. These three chakras help improve concentration as they directly relate to the brain and pineal gland (crown chakra), eyes, sinuses, lower head, the pituitary gland (third eye chakra) and thyroid gland (throat chakra). When activated the vibrations help stimulate the associated glands improving concentration and focus.
  5. Improves your breathing: While chanting the mantra you are required to take deep controlled breaths that when done regularly, helps improve your lung function and breathing.  Deeper breathing helps oxygenate the entire body keeping you healthy and can help as a therapy for asthma.
  6. Helps keep your heart healthy: Chanting a mantra significantly slows down a person’s breathing, which helps synchronise and regularise the heart beat, helping it stay healthy.
  7. Improves the working of your nerves:As you chant the mantra the pressure that is exerted on your tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the connecting regions in and around your brain create a resonance or a vibration that helps strengthen and stimulate the functioning of your nerves. It also stimulates the proper release of neurotransmitters that help in the conduction of impulses.
  8. Helps beat damage caused due to stress: Chanting also helps beat stress-related oxidative damage. Not only does it help your body build a stronger immune response but it also helps reverse the damage done by constant stress on your body.  Regular chanting helps keep stress at bay.
  9. Strengthens the mind and keeps depression at bay: Chanting of this mantra helps stimulate your brain, keeping you calm and more focused. The Gayatri Mantra also gives a person relief from stress making them more resilient.  The chanting of a mantra helps stimulate the functioning of the vagus nerve, which is a common form of treatment for people with depression and epilepsy. Apart from that the vibrations from chanting the mantra stimulate the pineal gland and help in the release of endorphins and other relaxing hormones, that help keep depression at bay.
  10. Gives your skin a glow:The vibrations also stimulate vital points on the face that help increase circulation and get rid of toxins from your skin.  Apart from that the deep breathing also helps oxygenate your skin making it look younger and glowing.

Chanting before meditation can help:

  • To create a shift from sound to silence
  • To resonate with the positive vibrations – chanting charges up the atmosphere with positive vibrations and in such a space, meditation becomes natural and effortless.
  • To bring the mind to the present

The Gayatri can be listened to, chanted, or even thought. There is power and potency in all three approaches.  Choose the approach that you are most comfortable with.  

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Unplugged Christmas

The Christmas holidays and New Year can be hectic. Searching for the perfect gifts for everyone, completing work in advance of the holidays, Christmas parties, getting all of the food in, preparing food, making time to catch up with friends and family. We can become very frazzled and worn out. This holiday season is a perfect time to unplug from your devices and take a digital detox.

  • Take a Break from your devices

Do you find yourself spending endless hours staring at your computer or device screen? Get lost in endless links and find you have wasted hours surfing the internet. Take a break. Give yourself a rest. Get some exercise. Try yoga and meditation.  Spend some time in silent contemplation.  Spend quality time with friends and family. You’ll feel refreshed, you’ll have more focus, you will feel energised and less likely to become distracted.

  • Turn off your devices for better posture

By switching off your devices for an extended period of time you will begin to notice a better posture. An opening of the front of your body, shoulders moving back and realignment of your upper spine. Your energy will open up, you will interact more naturally with others, you will appear more approachable and you will be more present. This will lead to better eye contact, deeper conversations, a sense of relaxation and great empathy towards others.

  • Not in the bedroom

Winter is the time for rest, rejuvenation, reflection, time to go within and to slow down. It is important not to take devices to bed with you. Looking at screens late into the evening and in bed prevents you from switching off properly and will affect your natural sleeping patterns. The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin in the body which makes us more alert as we are going to sleep. You may find you are getting enough hours sleep but it may not be a high quality sleep. If you normally use your phone as an alarm clock, buy an alarm clock. Over the holidays you may have the opportunity not to set your alarm and allow yourself to catch up on sleep.

  • Have proper conversations to feel more connected

Create bonds with others by having proper conversations. Gain insight into someone’s mind by having conversations. Conversations can be memorable and engaging, you will learn new things about others and yourself. Don’t jump on Google to find the answer, allow the conversation to develop as you explore the answers. It’s a lot more fun!

  • Switch off to improve your memory

Even after a few days without technology, you are more likely to remember obscure details about others. Neuroscientists believe that this is because when people are more present in conversations, their brains are able to process and store new information more easily. With the many distractions of technology, our brains have been trained not to register seemingly insignificant details. These minor facts are actually very important in the process of bonding and learning about other people. Rather than taking endless photographs we can be present and in the moment, taking in the details and using all of our senses to absorb the information. We will have a greater recall of events when we are fully present.

  • Developing New Perspectives

When you are offline for a while, it gives you space to review your career or relationships. You may wish to address your habits surrounding your health, fitness and lifestyle. You can really focus on yourself and discover areas you wish to transform.

  • Get creative

Stepping away from your devices can allow you to find new ways to be creative and achieve a state of flow. This time and space will help original thinking and big ideas. You may wish to try something new such as dancing, singing, making Christmas cards, baking a cake, creating gifts, mindful colouring in, silent meditation. The list is endless, don’t limit yourself and give new things a try!

  • Change your morning routine

Instead of checking your social media or email first thing, write down on paper three things that you are grateful for. Appreciation can make you a happier person and more positive. Doing this evokes positive sentiments, so when you’re feeling low reading over this list can be a great reminder of all the good things in your life.

  • Get outside

Make the most of the great outdoors and lose yourself in green space. A day out without your phone can feel liberating. You will more fully absorb and appreciate your surroundings. Being in a natural environment does wonders for your clearing your mind. Getting out into daylight in winter can really help with our wellbeing and promote a more positive mood.

  • Ask a stranger for directions

Try not to rely on Google Maps for every turn. Asking somebody for directions forces us to engage in human connection. It could put a smile on your face, and theirs – people love knowing they’ve helped someone out. Plus, you could get some inside knowledge of the local area that a screen digital map couldn’t tell you.

  • Eat, drink and be merry… but don’t post it!

Enjoy the festive season. Have fun with friends and family. Experience great food and new places but please resist the urge to post every detail online. Switch off your phone and appreciate the present moment. Being present and mindful will make your Christmas even more memorable.

  • Start a digital swear-jar

To keep your good digital habitats going into the New Year you could start a digital “swear-jar” with friends, family or colleagues. Every time someone checks their phone mid conversation, they have to put money in the digital “swear-jar”.  This really highlights the amount that people use their phones while engaging with others. You can use the collection for a gadget free night out, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll raise funds!

Use this holiday period to balance and set new boundaries. Allow yourself to completely rest and rejuvenate. Take the time to gain control over your devices rather than the other way around!

Have wonderfully restful and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

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Spiritual Ecology – The CRY of the EARTH

My summer programme has well and truly kicked in! My diary is packed with yoga retreats, festivals, classes, workshops and writing. I’m in the process of writing an e-course which I will start filming in a couple of week’s time. It’s a really exciting development and I can’t wait to get this course up online.

In my busy schedule I am a making sure that I take time to get out to enjoy the summer. This includes regular walks at the beach, yoga practice, meeting up with friends at local cafes and taking time to catch up on some reading.

“Spiritual Ecology – The Cry of the Earth”, a book of essays edited by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, has just arrived. I’m enjoying dipping into the various essays written by elders from around the globe such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Vandana Shiva, Satish Kumar, Chief Oren Lyons and many others.

“This book is important to the survival of humanity. We must reconnect with Mother Earth and treat her as a source of life instead of a resource to be plundered. Everyone must read this book, understand it and live it if we are to leave anything to our children and grandchildren.” ~ Hanne Strong, founder The Manitou Foundation and Earth Restoration Corps

The first essay I have read is “In the Time of the Sacred Places” by Winona LaDuke. Winona is an activist and voice for Indigenous consciousness devoting her life to protecting the lands and lifeways of Native communities. In this essay she talks about the importance of sacred sites and how place belongs to our deeper understanding of spiritual ecology.

For many years I have been interested in Indigenous cultures and their connection to Mother Earth and sacred places.

“Since the beginning of times, the Creator and Mother Earth have given our peoples places to learn the teachings that will allow us to continue and reaffirm our responsibilities and ways on the land from which we have come. Indigenous peoples are placed-based societies, and at the centre of those places are the most sacred of our sites, where we reaffirm our relationship” ~ Winona LaDuke, “In the Time of Sacred Places”

The essay highlights a selection of cases where the land has been named and claimed for the empire and desecrated for mineral rights and financial gain. Some cases go back to the 1850s and others are in most recent years for example Eagle Rock, known as “the home of the White Wolf and the High Place”, a sacred site to the Anishinaabe and other peoples for centuries.  Rio Tinto Zinc, a UK based mining company through their subsidiary Kennecott submitted plans to mine the copper deposits adjacent to this sacred site. It has been a seven-year battle and the Michigan regulatory authorities ruled against the tribes, the water and the sacred site, stating that “the site could not be sacred or did not have spiritual significance because a place of worship must be a BUILDING”.

The state, on these grounds approved the mining permit. In response, the leadership of the HoChunk Tribal Court noted, “consultation should include learned tribal members who are the leaders of our ancient societies. Their knowledge spans the time prior to Christianity and Christopher Columbus. It is this understanding that makes who we are. There is no other place where tribal people can gain this understanding….”

This is the difference between world views – where one society, an industrial society, views a rich ore body, and another society views this as a source of great spiritual and cultural wealth.

It has been a seven year battle for the sacred site and now a petition to the United Nations for intervention under the declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to not only protect their sacred sites but to be protected from minerals exploitation which will destroy their life ways. A separate petition to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, by the National Congress of American Indians requests, “that requirements be imposed on Kennecott Eagle Minerals to mitigate the negative aesthetic impact of the proximity of the mining operation to Eagle Rock and that members of the various Native American communities be provided unfettered access for traditional use of the sacred ceremonial place”.

The Anishinaabe and their supporters who care for this land and do not wish to see the threshold of the world’s fresh water poisoned, have continued to gather and pray at and near Eagle Rock – amidst its strength and in the face of greed and destruction.

We can learn much from these Indigenous peoples and these cases illustrate how far we need to go in order to restore the health and wellbeing of Mother Earth.

I’d highly recommend Spiritual Ecology and I’m looking forward to diving into the other essays within the book.

Visit my Events page to find out What’s On over the summer.

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Top Self-Care Tips

“Self-care is not selfish or self-indulgent.  We cannot nurture others from a dry well.  We need to take care of our own needs first, then we can give from our surplus, our abundance.” Jennifer Louden

Life can be busy, demanding and stressful.  With ever increasing demands from work, family obligations and life in general, we may feel the consequences of not taking adequate care of our physical, mental or emotional health.  We can end up feeling drained, depleted, stressed and out of control.

For some, self-care may seem like an impossible luxury.  You may be running at a thousand miles an hour, never catching up and the thought of self-care may even seem selfish to you.

Self-care is not a luxury, it is ESSENTIAL.  We cannot operate from an empty vessel so ignore any warning signals from your body, mind and spirit at your own peril.  If we do not take the time to fill up our vessel, we will have far less to offer others including those closest to us.

If self-care is being avoided, your body-mind-spirit will start to flag up this lack.  Initially the signals may be subtle but if ignored, over time, the messages will get louder and louder.  You may experience anger, frustration, fear, impatience, lack of energy, illness or injuries.

The key is to understand when we feel unbalanced and to identify self-care strategies that work for you.  We need to understand what helps to restore and nourish us.  This may be different for each individual but developing your self-awareness can help identify what works for you.

Here’s a list of self-care activities.  See what resonates with you and add anything that makes your heart sing.  We have a deep inner knowing so take the time to connect with your heart to understand what your body, mind and spirit are calling out for.

  1. Eat healthy fresh foods – Plant based foods or those closer to the sun (less processing) will have greater energy and health inducing qualities.  Eating a nutrient packed diet can help you be more productive, reduce stress, ensure that you are healthy and help you to live longer.
  2. Get sufficient sleep each night – The recommendation is 6-8 hours per night and make sure that you switch off devices several hours before bedtime as the artificial blue light affects your circadian rhythms and melatonin levels which can disrupt the quality of sleep.
  3. Take regular exercise – Find something that you really enjoy and commit to it on a regular basis.
  4. Get outside – Sunshine and sunlight are hugely beneficial for our health and wellbeing.  Sunlight can help with the production of Vitamin D which the body can store for about a month.  Regular exposure to sunlight, particularly in the winter months, enables the body to maintain levels of Vitamin D.
  5. Maintain your social networks – Social support and social interaction have a positive influence on our physical and mental health. It helps lower stress, depression, anxiety and also highly affects our endocrine-immune system.  We are social animals so positive social interactions are hugely important.
  6. Laugh! – There’s nothing like a deep-rooted belly laugh.  Laughter is known as the best medicine.  It can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormone levels, improve cardiac health and trigger the release of endorphins.  No wonder it feels so good!
  7. Meditate daily – Developing a daily meditation practice can be hugely beneficial.  Your life will become calmer and clearer, it helps to lower blood pressure, helps to reduce stress, your mind becomes clearer, you will be able to achieve more and you will feel amazing!  You may feel that you don’t have the time to meditate but start off with 5 minutes and increase your practice over time.  You will find that extra time will open up for you as you deepen your practice.
  8. Get a massage – A soothing massage can help you unwind.  Massage is known to help with reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.  It’s a perfect way to dedicate some time to yourself in order to replenish and nourish.
  9. Cultivate hobbies – A hobby is an activity that you enjoy.  Hobbies can enhance your well-being and give more meaning to your life.  It’s a chance to connect with ourselves and to explore our creativity.
  10. Develop mindfulness – Mindfulness is developing a moment-to-moment awareness of our experiences without judgment. Mindfulness can help reduce stress, improve focus, decrease emotional reactivity, improve empathy and compassion and promote a better quality of life.

Go ahead and find out which self-care strategies work for you.  These may change over time but make a start.

Here’s a gentle reminder: Take care of yourself today.

“Taking good care of YOU, means the people in your life will receive the best of you, rather than what’s left of you.” ~ Carl Bryan, Tennis Coach

“Self-care is a divine responsibility” ~ Danielle La Porte

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Warm Salad Recipe: Roasted Vegetables, Butter Beans and Feta

This is a super simple nutritious recipe that you can adapt dependant on the ingredients available to you.  I like to add a variety of beans such as butter beans and kidney beans.  So much taste for so little effort!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
2 yellow peppers, seeded and sliced
2 red onions, sliced
2 medium courgettes, cut into chunks
4 tbsp olive oil
500g cooked butter beans
400g cherry tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar
200g feta cheese, roughly cubed
A handful of pine nuts (optional)
Rocket salad or mixed baby leaf salad to serve
Salt & black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas mark 4.
  2. Put all the prepared vegetables into a large roasting tin, add the olive oil and gently toss the vegetables to coat.
  3. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are nearly tender, then give them a gentle stir and add the butter beans, whole cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, feta cheese, pine nuts and some seasoning.
  4. Return the vegetables to the oven for about 10 minutes.
  5. Serve with the salad leaves on top.