I run hot and cold with mantras. I was really into japa mala for a long time. Chanted a long Sanskrit mantra taught to me during a training at Kripalu. (Om namo bhagavate vasu devya.) Wore my mala everywhere. I still have one hanging from the rearview mirror of my car. It came in handy during “waiting” times.
(Now I read my Kindle during long waits.)
That Sanskrit mantra was too long, though. I could never get my breath around it. I switched to a shorter English one at another training, and I still use that one from time to time, and I like it a lot. (“I open myself to you.”)
A few months ago I was on a “Thank-you” mantra-jag. That one was very, very nice.
I say my mantras with a mala—108 beads, 1 recitation of the mantra for each bead.
As I may have mentioned in an earlier post, my morning ashtanga practice makes me feel very quiet and meditative inside, so I’ve taken to sitting on my cushion after savasana with my beads and do japa mala.
This morning, for some inexplicable reason, I started chanting “Yes” as my mantra.
108 recitations of “yes.”
Whatever the question, or even if there is no question, the answer, the response, will always be“Yes.”
“Yes” is opening me up. I believe this could very well be the year of “Yes.”
I watched Jim Carey’s movie “Yes Man” last weekend. (cute.) And I read a section of Improv Wisdom that suggested an exercise of a week of saying “yes” to everything.
Yes.
A piece of apple pie now?
Hmmmm…..
Inspiration Location 