Sweeping the Body With Mantra:Bally Chohan

Bally Chohan

“She who is grounded in the rhythms of Universal pulsation, without judging the world, quickly realizes that her truest being is one with Shiva. She thus dares to plunge into herself. Through immersing into the perpetual surge of her own Universal Consciousness, she is blown wide open; she becomes complete awakened and lives in the liberated state.”

We’ve all heard the word “mantra,” but what does it really mean? And how can I start to use it?

The Sanskrit root man means “mind” or “to think.” Tra means “to protect, guide, or lead.” So, a mantra is a sound, vibration accompanied by a bhav (feeling/meaning) that protects, guides, and leads the mind. Another meaning of mantra is “a measure,” as in a vibration or rhythm that we attune to, instead of the normal patterning (and therefore vibration) of the untamed mind. According to Rolf Sovik, author of Moving Inward, “A mantra is an audible form of pure consciousness—a pure note reaching the mind from the silent interior space of consciousness. Through meditation the sound of that  note is awakened in the mind, transforming inner life by its presence.”

Why use a mantra?

Sally Kempton, one of my favorite Tantric teachers, says that a mantra acts as a “cleaning force—a subtle but extremely strong broom that sweeps the basement of your subconscious.”

I like to think of using mantra as way of tuning into a different music station. So often throughout the day, we subject ourselves to an endless stream of mind-chatter. Studies show that most of the thoughts we have today are dramatically similar to the thoughts we had yesterday. A mantra helps us shift that old thought-flow and tune our attention to higher vibrations of love, compassion, power and capacity.

A mantra is also a challenge. It is like a subtle fire. When you rub your mantra against your old mental patterning, you create something of an internal fire. That fire melts your old conditioning, opening you up for new possibilities and perspectives on your life.

It important to use a mantra that has been empowered, or held, by a lineage or tradition. Anyone can go online and Google “mantra” and start chanting. But the true sacred power of a mantra comes from its being held in love, by a teacher, for many years. In this way, the mantra is “unlocked.” The easiest mantra to begin with is passed to us from the Himalayan Sri Vidya tradition, and it is So Ham. This mantra translates as “I am That.” I translate So Ham as, “I am the very thing I keep looking for.” It is the universal sound of both being and becoming. So is the sound of inhale. Ham is the sound of exhale. As I inhale I hear/am Universal Being, as I exhale I hear myself merging the individual into the Everything, the Goodness, the Highest Power.

How to Work with a Mantra

We look at the practice of using a mantra as working from the gross to the more subtle realms. First, begin by saying your mantra out loud. Over time, sometimes as little as a few minutes, you may be able to move into saying your mantra quietly, like a whisper. Then, after a few minutes, try saying it silently to yourself. You may work with this layer of mantra repetition for a few weeks, or even years. With time, you may begin to actually hear your mantra beginning to unfold on its own. This is a good sign that you are surrendering to the power and vibration held in this sacred sound. Maintain your awareness as a listener of the mantra. There may be 10 percent of you holding the mantra, or having the intention to hear the mantra, and 90 percent of you just listening.

With time and practice, the more subtle levels of the mantra will emerge. There may come a time when you do not hear the words at all, but feel a visceral pulse beginning to emerge. It may manifest in more and more subtle ways—as light, a symbol, or even the apparition of a god or goddess image. Keep coming back to being in the sacred pulse of the mantra, letting it dissolve and resolve any and all obstruction, bringing you back into the silent roar of Love at your heart. With time, the mantra is no longer said or heard, it begins to “say you.” You become the mantra.

Finding Light in Winter’s Darkness : Bally Chohan

Bally Chohan

I just can’t get that holiday carol, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” out of my head. I heard it at my sweet little grocery store the other day, and since then its been with me like a seasonal mantra. Lately, everywhere I turn I’m offered spiced cider, party invitations, and gift ideas. The holiday season brings an abundance of words like happy and merry—declarations that urge as much as they proclaim. It’s as if these classic seasonal phrases are saying, “Stay uplifted, sister!”

But is it the most wonderful time of the year?

From an Ayurvedic perspective, its actually kind of a tough time of year. The drying, cooling aspect of vata dominates. Vata is the energy of movement and change. Its the force that dries up the leaves, flower petals and rivers. Its also the force that dries out our skin, our hair, and what feels like our bones. Quite honestly, its the energy of dying off.

Not long ago, our ancestors had to work really hard just to make it through this time of year.

And yet, behind all the dark, long nights and cold winter mornings, there is something incredibly beautiful happening. As a collective group of human beings, we have consciously, or unconsciously, decided to cope with winter’s darkness by ritualizing the light. We string lights to trees that have lost their leaves. We give each other gifts to increase life’s sweetness. We hand out cards during the holiday that let our family and loved ones know we care. We bundle up in ridiculous amounts of clothing and head out into the night-time air to sing to one another. We place a single white candle in each window of our home—a potent reminder to passersby that underneath the cold, barren landscape rests the bright warm light of the soul.

This is what makes this season truly mystical and important: the unfailing human ability to find light in the middle of the darkest season. These old rituals were important because they offered hope. Behind dark is light. Beyond death is immortality. Quite yogic if you think about it …

So, on that note, as we approach the shortest day of the year, I want offer you some light-infusing, warmth-bringing holiday habits. I promise to do each and every single one of them if you do.

Fire and spice Make something warm and spicy, like a rich hot cocoa with a splash of cayenne pepper, or a cardamom-heavy chai. Make a fire in your fireplace, outdoor pit or chimey. If you don’t have access to these, light six candles of differing sizes. Sip in the glow of the light.

Tell stories It’s wonderful to gather in a circular form to hear stories. In Hawaii, people get together to “talk story.” Gather your kids, friends, or neighbors. Everyone can agree to share their favorite tale, or bring a short story to read.

Share food  Nothing makes me feel more loved than my sister’s stews. Now, I’m a pretty darn good cook, but there is something about her food that acts as a loving affirmation for my soul. Make a huge pot of your favorite winter stew. Surprise your neighbor (sister, brother, friend) with an unexpected winter meal.

Deck the halls  Bringing greenery into the home infuses the spirit with unseen plant medicine. Effervescent plant smells bypass the “thinking-brain” and go straight to the heart. Great winter smells include cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg, clove, fir needle, pine, cedar, sage, frankincense and myrrh. Add some mistletoe, holly, ivy, evergreens and acorns to your mantle or dining room table.

Tend and befriend  Winter is truly the time of Kali, the Hindu Goddess who reminds us of impermanence. It is a time when we may feel more of the energies of despair, confusion, frustration and grief. Winter is a key time to lean into those that love us. Have friends around and make an even bigger effort to be a good friend.

Make a hot Ayurvedic toddy  Take a huge chunk of fresh ginger and peel it. Slice it up. Throw it in a medium-sized glass bell jar and fill it up with some nice brandy or whiskey. After two weeks have a teaspoon or so before bed.

Surrender to winter’s shadow  If we truly allow winter to be our teacher, this time can act as something of a seasonal womb. Like a womb, winter prepares us as a creative vortex that will burst forth during the spring. Interestingly, most babies are actually conceived in winter (of course). Use the dark times to go inward. Make friends with stillness, and allow that stillness to show you what lies inside, be it grief, overwhelm, fear, impatience, or joy. Trying laying down once a day and ask yourself, “What am I feeling?” Once you identify the feeling, find where it lives in your body. Practice being in loving silence as you watch and feel the energy of the emotional color shift, change and teach you.

Access Prana and Let Your Light Shine : Bally Chohan

Bally Chohan

The ancient yogis understood that we are much more than this beautiful physical vessel. With its aches and pains and time-molded wrinkles, the physical body is something our culture very much encourages us to identify with, and yet it something we are all going to eventually lose.

Connecting to something timeless

In Bally Chohan yoga classes the practice of yoga encourages us to free ourselves from the burden of over-identifying with the physical body. Moreover, yoga asks us to consider that we are not only solely the physical body, we are also not only the thoughts and emotions we experience on a daily basis, but a composite of the finite and the infinite, woven into the fabric of many layers of being. The yogis called these layers koshas. (For an overview of your koshas, read this.)

One of these layers is called the prana body. It’s the part of you that is innately intelligent. Prana is the force responsible for the energetic processes that precede physical processes. Let me give you an example: Every night, without you thinking or planning, you go to sleep, and something keeps your blood steadily pumping, your pH levels stable, and the breath flowing in and out. There are literally millions of chemical processes taking place all the time in your being, and all of them occur without you trying. The force responsible for this miracle is prana, an operating intelligence, like an electrical impulse (or a divine messenger!) that keeps things flowing smoothly.

The prana body is woven into the physical and mental bodies. That means, the food that you eat affects your prana. The thoughts that you think affect your prana. And your energy, in turn, affects how you feel. You are one big mandala of multiple subtle bodies, each layer informing the others. The yogis fell in love with the prana body because they figured out that it was pretty darn tough to stop or change thoughts, but our energy could be quickly altered through visualization, focused asana, and breath work.

The ancient yogis knew that prana is the great dissolver. It dissolves old pain and heartbreak. It breaks up darkness in the body. It can heal old intrinsic memories stored inside of us, releasing their unconscious control over us. In essence, connecting this great dissolver frees up our insides, removes the veil over our own light.  And we feel more awake and more emotionally liberated.

Get in your prana body

The first step in connecting to the prana body is to know how to find it. It’s easy to feel your physical body, especially if it’s aching or ailing you. Similarly, everyone knows what the “thinking body” feels like, especially if we feel emotionally overwhelmed or intellectually stimulated. It’s not always as easy to feel the prana body, at least initially.

To get into the prana body, let’s go back to a few of our ancient sages and texts for some guru-clues on how to access it. The Yoga Spandakarika says that pranashakti manifests in our awareness like a spanda, a pulse, vibration or tremor. If you close your eyes and sense subtle pulse, or see internal color or light, it is a good clue that you are beginning to access your prana body. Pretty simple, yet profoundly powerful.

Prana follows focus

If you don’t see subtle light or feel pulse, don’t worry. Wherever you take your focus, prana goes. Eventually, you will sense the subtle presence of prana pulsing you alive by simply quieting the mind and focusing on a specific area of your body for a few minutes.