How to Use Mantra in Your Yoga & Meditation Practice

Sound creates vibration, which you may be acutely familiar with if you’ve ever attended a loud rock concert. You can feel the floor vibrate, and sometimes you still feel yourself buzzing even after you go home. 

Our bodies are already vibrating with life, and that vibration is impacted by our thoughts and feelings. We can influence it by taking control of our thoughts, and one of the simplest ways to do that is through sound. 

Enter the mantra, a key part of your yoga practice you maybe didn’t realize was missing. Mantras are repetitive sounds specifically designed to raise your vibration. Although you might have your own personal mantras that you use to get you through a workout or a long day at work, yoga traditionally uses Sanskrit mantras. They can be as short as one or two words or several lines long. You can say them out loud, say them silently in your own head, or listen to them. 

And you should. Mantra comes with a lot of benefits. They can be used to help you concentrate, which makes them especially great for learning to meditate. They’re also helpful for reducing stress and managing emotions (try this one for emotional balance). 

Every sound has a different vibration that connects it to different parts of the body—which allows you to target specific areas that need a little vibrational assistance. If you need to change your vibration, start with the bija mantras: seed sounds, the simple but powerful one-syllable mantras that speak directly to each chakra.

Lam 

The first bija mantra is lam (pronounced more like “lum,” the “um” of which is your pronunciation guide for all the first five seed sounds). It’s associated with the root chakra (muladhara), which is our center for security and our sense of our place in the world. Muladhara is all about getting our basic needs met and it provides the foundation for the rest of our energy. If you’re anxious or fearful, or longing for stability and connection, chant lam.

Vam

This is the sound to connect with the sacral chakra (swadhistana), the energy center governing relationships and reproduction. Chant vam if you’re experiencing physical difficulties in your low back or with your lower organs, or if you’re feeling isolated or uncreative.

Ram

To raise the vibration at your solar plexis (manipura), you want ram. Since manipura is associated with fire, it has a lot to do with determination, identity, and purpose as well as digestion and metabolism. Chant ram if you’re feeling powerless or lost. Ram can also help raise your vibration if you find yourself especially irritated or angry.

Yam

The yam vibration goes right to the heart chakra (anahata). Not surprisingly, it’s where love and compassion flow; physically, it’s related to the heart, lungs, and arms. Chanting yam connects you to love and understanding, so it makes sense to use it when you’re struggling to trust or when you feel unworthy, or when you want to lead with compassion through a challenging relationship situation.

Ham

Ham raises the vibration at your throat chakra (vishuddha), which is responsible for neck-and throat-related things on a physical level. On the subtler side, vishuddha is about speaking your truth and communicating effectively. If you’re having a hard time doing that, chanting ham will help you work through that blockage.

Om

Connecting with the last two chakras, ajna and sahasrara, brings us to the sound of the universe itself. Ajna, the third eye, is about how you see the world and yourself. Your intuition lives here, too; you’ll want to raise your vibration here if you’re struggling to make decisions or feeling like you don’t know what step to take next. 

Sahasrara is the crown chakra, the center for wisdom and enlightenment. It may need a boost if you’re confused or unfocused—or if you’ve gone off the spiritual deep end and you’re having a hard time dealing with the ongoing hassles of living in a physical world. While om takes you closer to enlightenment, it also lights the way for your life on earth. 

Chant with us! If you’re looking for more mantra or meditation ideas, contact us. We’ve got the mantra hook up.