A Simple Mantra for Inner Peace
What is Om Shanti?
Life is sometimes a wild ride where it can feel like you’re going through a storm of activity and emotion. Although the clouds do part, the sky’s shine bright blue and the sun radiates through, we cannot escape the turbulence – the highs and the low – of this human existence. Sometimes we feel calm and peaceful, whilst at other we’re overwhelmed, stressed out and anxious.
Whether it’s worrying about deadlines, managing responsibilities, or simply balancing work and family, everyday life can leave us feeling frazzled rather than fulfilled.
So what can you do to help calm down, centre and reconnect to that essential stillness within?
A regular mantra practice is one tool. And one mantra that is especially designed to help you find calm amidst the chaos is the mantra Om Shanti.
The Meaning of Om Shanti
Om Shanti is a mantra deeply rooted in ancient Sanskrit traditions, commonly used in both Hinduism and Buddhism.
The mantra combines two powerful words: Om and Shanti.
Om: It is a representation of the fabric of the universe. It is often said to be the voice of the manifesting world. It is the beginning, the end and all that lies in between.
Shanti: This word translates to “peace.” It signifies inner calm, tranquillity, and serenity. When chanted together, Om Shanti can serve as a powerful invocation of peace.
It can help clear the mind, and somehow heal the spirit. It brings out about a sense of harmony and balance.
Where Does Om Shanti Come From?
The origins of the Om Shanti mantra are over 3,000 years old, dating all the way back to the Vedic tradition of ancient India. The Vedas, a collection of sacred texts (and said to be one of the world’s oldest written texts), frequently reference Om as the sound of the cosmos, a fundamental component of creation.
Shanti appears in numerous Vedic chants and prayers, and is often repeated three times to represent peace in body, mind, and spirit.
In Hinduism, as in the practice of modern yoga, Om Shanti is often used as a closing chant in prayers and meditations, seeking to invoke peace at the end of rituals or at the end of a meditation, pranayama or yoga practice. Whilst in Buddhism, it’s used similarly, promoting mindfulness and tranquillity.
How to Use Om Shanti Daily?
Because it’s such a simple mantra, Om Shanti can be used any time, anywhere, any day of the week! Integrating Om Shanti into your daily routine can be that simple and incredibly beneficial.
Here are a few ways to incorporate this mantra into your life:
Morning Meditation: Try starting your day with a peaceful mindset by chanting Om Shanti during your morning meditation. Get into a very comfortable position, relax and close your eyes. Focus on the natural flow of your breath moving in and out of you. Use breath awareness to help increase your inner sense of yourself. When you feel centred, begin chanting Om Shanti slowly, allowing the vibrations to reverberate within you. You can even concentrate on the vibrations of your voice to help increase your mantra focus. This can be a wonderful way to start your day, setting a great tone for all that follows.
Stressful Moments: During daily life, if you catch yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take a moment or even just a few mindful breaths, and repeat Om Shanti. You can practice this aloud or quietly within. Use the energy of Om Shanti to help you return to yourself. This practice is especially helpful during busy or stressful moments. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and repeat the mantra until you feel more relaxed.
Bedtime Ritual: End your day on a peaceful note by chanting Om Shanti before bed. You can do this sitting up in bed, chanting the mantra aloud, or repeat it silently within yourself as you lie there, letting this be fertilizer for your mind before sleeping.
During Yoga Practice: Integrate Om Shanti into your yoga sessions. Chanting the mantra at the beginning or end of your practice can enhance your sense of inner peace and deepen your connection to the practice.
Listening to Recordings: You can also listen to recordings of Om Shanti, such as on Spotify or other music platforms. There are many wonderful interpretations of this simple, yet powerful and peace-filled mantra.
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What are the Benefits of Om Shanti?
The practice of chanting Om Shanti offers numerous benefits, both physically and mentally:
Reduces Stress: Chanting this mantra helps to lower stress levels by calming the nervous system and promoting relaxation.
Enhances Focus: The repetition of any mantra helps to improve concentration and clear the mind of the mental chatter from daily life.
Promotes Emotional Stability: Regular practice can help manage anxiety and foster emotional balance.
Boosts Overall Well-being: The combination of deep breathing and chanting improves respiratory function and can promote a sense of overall well-being.
Fosters Spiritual Growth: By the nature of its meaning and vibratory energy, Om Shanti can connect you to a deeper sense of inner peace and spiritual awareness.
What are Five Helpful Tips for Using Om Shanti?
A Quiet Space: It’s best to find a quiet place for your mantra chanting practice. This could be in a specific room in your home, like a designated corner, or in the same spot in your living room, or even outside in a serene area such as a nearby park, the forest or at the beach. The best is to have a comfortable, quiet place that you regularly use and where you can chant without interruptions.
Set an Intention: Energy flows where your intention goes, so your intention before stating your practice absolutely matters. Before starting, decide on a clear goal for your practice. It could be to calm down, reconnect with yourself, to simply relax, to practice mindfulness, or even to deepen your overall sense of gratitude.
Use a Mala: Using a mala chain, or prayer beads, is a helpful way to help focus when chanting as well as know how many repetitions of the mantra you’ve done. You can even set a goal for your practice of a specific number of repetitions – such a one complete round on your chain.
Be Consistent: As with anything, consistency is key. In order to embody the benefits of Om Shanti, it’s best to practice regularly.
Combine with Deep Breathing: Pair your chanting with mindful breathing. This enhances the calming effects and helps to ground your practice.
Why Chant Om Shanti?
Life is not meant to be stressful. Life is an incredible gift that can be enjoyed. It can be used to foster meaningful relationships, take time for self-reflection and to create meaning for ourselves and others. Yet, it’s all too easy to become consumed by stress and lose sight of what truly matters: our goals and our values.
That’s why a mantra practice can be so helpful. It can offer you support when you need it. And it can help you find ease and calm despite the chaos. Of all the mantras, Om Shanti is the mantra for peace. Incorporating this ancient Sanskrit mantra it into your daily life can serve as a gentle reminder to mindfulness. It can help you cultivate tranquility amidst the chaos.
Whether you’re new to the practice or an experienced chanter, Om Shanti can offer a simple and effective way to de-stress and reconnect with yourself. By repeating this soothing mantra, you can create a sense of calm and harmony, allowing you to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease.
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A Simple Mantra to Calm Down
This is why I use Om Shanti so often in my personal practice. Because it’s easy to get lost in the stress and the chaos… But there isn’t a lot of joy living in that space. Instead, I want you to find ease and live your life joyfully and abundantly.
Om Shanti!
So if you’re feeling a bit turbulent at the moment, why not try it out with me. Want to try? Close your eyes, take a deep breath and when you’re ready, begin:
Om Shanti, Om Shanti, Om Shanti
Let every repetition fill you up a little more. Repeat this mantra as often as you need until you feel more peaceful. You can even chant along with me to my version of Om Shanti on Spotify here: Om Shanti
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