bikram yoga

These days whenever a politician repeats a promise over and over again commentators say that this promise has become a “mantra” for that politician. For the journalists
the word “mantra” means a meaningless phrase that is repeated endlessly. For yogis however
a mantra is a word or collection of words
which has the power of liberating a human being from all limitations.

How can the repetition of a word or a few words have the capacity to bring about such miraculous results? It is all based on a simple psychological principle
“as you think
so you become.”

If you someone tells you “You’re stupid
” that’s of course a bad insult and will hurt you. However if you start to think “I am stupid
” and keep repeating this phrase over and over
then that is far worse. When someone tells you that you are stupid
then this is a negative outer-suggestion. When you start to think about it
then you are giving yourself
a negative auto-suggestion. If you keep thinking in a negative way
then your personal development will be harmed.

Meditation mantras have a positive meaning. They remind you that your true nature is something great: pure consciousness and boundless love. If you start to think about the best part of your being
you will begin to have more confidence in yourself and this will become apparent in your actions.

However
many people have read philosophical
spiritual or self-help books explaining these ideas
and yet they never realize these great truths in their everyday reality. It is not enough to just think about a good idea once
and then close the book. You need to think in a concentrated and systematic manner over a period of time in order to get results.

Meditation mantras have a special quality that helps in the task of concentrated
positive thinking: their very vibration has the capacity to concentrate and focus your mind. Some sounds
such as power drill breaking a pavement
can upset you greatly
while other sounds
like soothing music
can transport you to another world.

The syllables and words used in meditation mantras have been chosen according their sonic capacity
and they greatly aid the task of concentration and contemplation
as well as carrying a positive meaning.

In order to get the benefits from mantra meditation
you need to meditate regularly with a mantra that has a positive meaning and the capacity to help you concentrate. You need to do it on a regular basis
sitting silently two times a day for a period of 10 to 30 minutes.

It sounds easy
but the common experience of most people is that as you sit and try to think about one word or one phrase
your mind is quickly filled with many other thoughts; thoughts about work
financial problems
disputes with people and all kinds of other matters. When this happens
and it certainly will
then you have to bring your mind back to the mantra. Meditation is a process where you concentrate on the mantra and its meaning for as long as you can
and when you mind wanders
you bring it back.

Keep doing it
and you will attain an improved capacity to concentrate and deep inner peace.

It may still sound too good to be true
and some intellectuals scoff at the alleged power of a mantra. Once
a renowned Indian yogi came to America and delivered many lectures on this subject. In one of the lectures he was challenged by someone in the audience who said that it was not possible for a single word to deliver the results that the yogi promised. The yogi turned to the man
who was a distinguished professor and said “You fool!”

The professor turned red
and began to shout at the yogi
who calmly watched the professor unwind.

The yogi then addressed the professor and said: “Now can you understand the power of a single word? All I did was utter the word “fool” and your behavior was changed in an instant!