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What is a mantra exactly?
A mantra is a sound, symbol, word or phrase that creates transformation.
That sounds amazing doesn’t it?? And guess what: it works!! You just have to use it in the correct way, believe in yourself, continue to work hard, accept the unanswered prayers you’ll find along the road, continue and enjoy your journey and all will come true.
Sounds easy, right? Maybe not.
A mantra is the idea of creating transformation or change, but the biggest problem with a mantra is that we can do this unintentionally. When we say things such as “I hate my job, I wish I didn’t work here” eventually the universe will start listening and create a transformation, a plan and a change to get you out of there. The only problem is, that unless you were purposefully creating this mantra AND a plan as to WHEN to leave…. you may be out the door and on your feet much quicker than you want!
Mantras can be intentional and a beautiful practice. I remember a few weeks before we got Apollo, I was on the phone with the rescue agency asking them questions and applying to adopt him. It was an easy process but there is always the chance that they may say no based on a variety of aspects. My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t be able to bring him home. One of the nights I spoke with this women I went to a yoga class and ran into my friend Rhia. I told her all about Apollo & my plight and she told me we could manifest his coming home with a mantra in our practice. We BOTH thought about me bringing him home and mere hours later Karthik & I received a call that said we were furry baby parents!!!!!
Last weekend at my teacher training weekend, I learned the art of “opposite mantras.” The things we need to begin to feed our minds with in order to create transformation.Example 1: You’re angry with a friend for her attitude. She has deceived you in some way and it’s truly angering you. You keep saying to yourself “I hate her, she’s so terrible. What type of person can LIVE that way?” That’s fine… it’s anger. But once your anger begins to dissipate, do not feed into that mantra any longer. Allow yourself to forgive her for her deception. Begin to send her positive thoughts and love, even if you really don’t feel like it.The reason you want to send all of that positive love is two-fold. Number one, you never know what is going on in someone’s life. We are selfish, each of us only living our lives within our own bodies and our own experiences. You could be twins and completely different people! Perhaps the deception was done out of desperation or due to a stream of circumstances that lead up to such a deception. The second reason is because of YOU. The reason you are likely angry with this friend is due to your own personal beliefs…. and if you dig deep enough you will remember a time that you acted upon a similar deception. Even if it is not the same moment, the same experience, or even the same act, in some way the reason you are angry is because of your OWN experiences.Once you begin sending that healing light, you will feel so much lighter. You will feel lifted and loved. The longer you hold anger, the more you hurt yourself. The only person you hurt through your anger is truly you. In order to heal, we must first forgive.
Example 2: You really want a specific job you’ve applied for and you continuously bargain with yourself. “If I get this job, I will work even harder every day. If I get this job, I promise to move closer to my family.” OR you begin creating a dramatic plan before you even hear back from the company about your resume. OR you put your whole life on the line for this job: “If I don’t get this job, I will have NOTHING.”WOAH! Pull back. Stop. Drop. Undramatize. BREATHE.Try a simpler opposite mantra: “Receiving this job would be a gift I would treasure.” “I would love to get this position.”By taking away the fear, the pressure and the plans, you are paving way for you to manifest this job… without the complications of allowing the job to be EVERYTHING. A job is truly important, as are career moves and transitions…. but it is not EVERYTHING in life, and as rough as the economy is there are plenty of jobs out there. Just keep looking, and keep your head up!Example 3: Your daughter is moving to a new city, your husband got a job transfer to another state, your mother-in-law needs to find a nursing home, you just found out you’re pregnant, your best friend is getting married OR any other major life change.
Immediate reaction/mantra is typically a mixture of excitement and fear. Take a few days to let it all swirl, take deep breaths and THEN create a non-fear based mantra. “I am here. The only thing constant is change. I am ready for the next chapter.” By taking a moment to step back from the fear-based reaction, you can create a reaction of love, excitement, and gentle assisting.
You are the only one who controls your happiness. Create happiness & love by using opposite mantras. Evaluate your reaction and then find the positive goodness in the situation. Find love, find light & find happiness.So what about YOU?!?! What are some situations you’ve come across that required an opposite mantra? I would love to hear in the comments below!
Get out there- do yoga & make life sparkle!Namaste,Jenny
