Mantra and Stress Reduction by Nancy Weshkoff

Mantra and Stress Reduction

By Nancy Weshkoff

Beginners to yoga often ask what is a mantra and why is this used in yoga classes.  Mantra is a short phrase, or a chant, or it may be a single word.   It can be in Sanskrit, the ancient language of yoga, or it can be in English.  As an example, “shanti”, is a Sanskrit word and means “peace”.   At the end of a yoga class, a yoga teacher may close the class with “shanti, shanti, shanti” as a message that peace be with you and with the world.

Mantra can be any word or combination of words that has meaning to you.   It is important that it be a POSITIVE message.   For example, you can say “I am smart”, “I am beautiful”, “Everything is going to be okay”, “I am grateful”, “I am happy”, etc.    You want to avoid negative versions of this such as “I am not stupid”, as your brain has difficulty processing the negative and hears “I am stupid”.  You could also choose a famous phrase that resonates with you.  A simple “I love myself” is also wonderful.

Sometimes people think a mantra can only be used in a yoga class or if you are doing a seated meditation in your house.   This is certainly when you might encounter mantra, but mantra is available to you at any time during the day.   If you are sitting in traffic, on a train, waiting in a doctor’s office, standing in line at a store, or just walking down the street, you can use a mantra.   Just silently repeat to yourself the positive mantra of your choosing.

So, why is mantra important and how can it help with stress reduction?  During our day, our mind is occupied with many thoughts – not all of them good.   We might find ourselves regretting something from our past and reliving the past scene in our mind.  Or perhaps you are imagining what might happen in the future at a certain event which is making you anxious, and we start to worry.  Our blood pressure rises, which increases a strain on our heart and other organs.  Guilt and worry are two negative emotions that we should try to reduce as much as possible.

Instead of negativity, how about changing this to something positive?  If you change the negative into a positive mantra that you repeat to yourself, you start to relax.    It helps with stress reduction and lowers blood pressure.

Try doing this for just 2-3 minutes.   Select a positive mantra that is meaningful to you.  Notice how you feel before you start the mantra.  Take a few deep breaths.  Then start repeating the mantra to yourself.  If you are alone in a room, you can choose to say it aloud.   After just a few minutes of slowly repeating the mantra, notice how you feel.   You should notice a reduction in your stress and your mind should be calmer.   Mantra can be miraculous!

If you would like to discover more about mantra, come try one of the great yoga classes at our Moonflower Yoga studio in Bellmore, in Nassau County (Long Island, New York).  Our yoga teachers offer mantra to our yoga students and encourage them to incorporate these into their daily routine.  In our singing bowl meditation classes, mantra is used with sound, which is a fabulous way to relax.  In our Kundalini yoga classes, mantra is part of the yoga practice, and you may repeat your mantra while moving in a certain yoga posture or with a breathing technique offered by our Kundalini yoga teacher.  I encourage you to incorporate mantra in your life and see how it can help you relax and feel great!

Coping With Stress by Nancy Weshkoff

Coping with Stress

By Nancy Weshkoff

Life can be tough.    You may find yourself in a situation where you are caring for children, in addition to aging parents.    Employers are demanding more from employees, and with electronic media, jobs that were previously 9-5 are extending past this, as you may be expected to be checking and responding to emails in the morning or in the evenings.   Teens and young adults find pressure from social media.   Children are feeling stressed from rigid testing requirements.    Yikes!

Stress has negative effects on our health.   It contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.   Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US.   Stress has also been linked to other health issues.    We need to find healthy ways to cope with stress.

At Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, we have instituted a great, new program to help you cope with stress.   On Tuesday nights at 7:30 PM, we have a “Stress Buster” group of classes, with each class designed to help you feel more relaxed and calmer.   These classes range from meditation with mesmerizing singing bowls or guided meditation while comfortably seated in a chair, IET/angel healing where you can learn to work with the healing angels, a Reiki healing circle where you receive a relaxing Reiki treatment while reclining on a massage table, a candlelight restorative class to help you stretch and deeply relax with bolsters and blankets to support you, etc.   Our great yoga and meditation teachers have designed these fabulous classes to help you feel calmer and relaxed, putting you on a path to good health.

If you are on the south shore of Long Island, in Nassau County (New York), come try one of these great yoga, meditation or specialty classes in our Stress-Buster series.   Discover the calmness that comes from these relaxing classes!