As I sat on my mat in Virasana (Hero’s Pose) for my morning practice, before I even brought my palms together at my heart center, a familiar tune started singing within me.
Hmmm hmmm-hmmmmmmm hmmhmm.
I hummed it out once or twice to bring it clearly to my mind and voice.
When I recognized it as the sixth Sūrya mantra (Sun mantra)—Om Pūshne Namah (I greet and bow in thanks to the sun for nourishing us)—my whole body softened in gratitude.
Of course! This mantra’s message was exactly what I needed to remember and feel given that my mind was already spinning with to-dos and to-gets in an imaginary field of time and energy scarcity.
I kept chanting the mantra, sometimes out loud and at other times silently, as I moved through my posture practice. By the end, I was in a completely different state of mind.
Calm, grateful, and full of trust.
Acknowledging the sun with the sixth Surya Mantra for doing so much of the work of growing your food is a fast and easy way to nourish your posture practice and shift into a state of abundance and contentment.
More than words
The term mantra has become common in modern vocabulary, and for good reason. It signifies a phrase that expresses a basic truth, system, set of beliefs, or philosophy.
Clinical studies and multiple scientific literature reviews show that a mantra is more than words or a creed by which to live your life.
When you repeat a mantra as the focal point in your meditation, measurable changes can occur in your brain. [1]
Although more research is needed, studies conclude that chanting a mantra can have positive effects on mood, social cognition, anxiety, tension, fatigue, PTSD symptoms, insomnia, and lowering blood pressure. [2-4]
Based on ancient yogic practices, my teacher, Jehangir Palkhivala, suggests using 3 notes—C, D, and D sharp—for chanting any mantra. If you do an internet search, you’ll hear all kinds of ways to express them. They all have their unique sound vibrations and results.
You don’t have to sit still to find those results either. You can chant a mantra as you move through your posture practice, go for a walk in nature, take a shower, wash dishes, garden, or any other activity that allows you to focus the mind.
FEEL the truth of the mantra’s words and the vibration of the sound. Notice what you experience in your body and where it happens.
When you repeat a mantra as an object of meditation, rather than simply thinking of it as a phrase you live by, you’ll notice a change.
Acknowledging the Gifts of the Sun
Yogic traditions share 12 mantras for the sun that correspond to each step of a traditional Hatha yoga Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). Each mantra honors a different gift that the sun conveys. From constant companionship to showing direction and giving the ability to see, the sun is always providing, even when you don’t see it because of the time of day or cloud cover.
The sixth Sūrya mantra is Om Pūshne Namah (I greet and bow in thanks to the sun for nourishing us). It’s all about showing gratitude to the sun for all the different ways it feeds us.
Pause for a second and think about it. If it weren’t for the sun, our food wouldn’t grow.
Plants (and animals if you’re not a vegetarian) need sunlight and water. Not only does the sun provide the light. It also evaporates water from various sources and turns it into rain that waters the food we eat and replenishes the drinking water sources that we need for our own hydration. The food contains vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that keep you alive.
The sun also has the power to produce vitamin D simply by penetrating your skin. Studies link vitamin D deficiency to all kinds of diseases, from common colds to rickets, cancer, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and multiple sclerosis. [5]
Though modern lifestyles often require vitamin D supplementation, the fact that the sun does so much to feed and nourish us is humbling to consider.
When I remember that there’s a lot of work that I DON’T need to do because the Sun is doing it for me, I automatically sigh with deep relief, even if it doesn’t take something off my to-do list.
You don’t have to do it all
True yoga (including and beyond the poses) is a practice that can help you deepen your faith, whatever that may be, and your understanding of and relationship with your chosen deity.
When you remember and trust that a force beyond you is taking care of so many things for you, you open up space to feel gratitude.
Not only does the vibration of the mantra enliven your practice. The mantra calls you to pause in gratitude. In that space you can recharge yourself, and find calm, contentment, and relaxation, knowing you don’t have to do it all.
Want more guidance in getting started with meditation? Click here for my quick start guide, “4 Simple Secrets to Making Meditation Possible.”
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.
[1] http://www.ijastems.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/v3.i6.5.Scientific-Analysis-of-Mantra-Based-Meditation.pdf
[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319851087_Chanting_Meditation_Improves_Mood_and_Social_Cohesion
[3] https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2011.0051
[4] https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17060611
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/