In brief, chakras are one way of mapping the movement of energy in the body. Our emotions are also energy. When an emotion isn’t felt or expressed in a healthy manner, its energy can remain trapped, making us feel unwell. Chakra mantras use sound, aka vibration, to help this energy to move again.
Different traditions present varying maps of the chakras, but in each, the chakras are associated with a seed syllable, or sound. Visualizing the chakra, meditating on what it feels like in the body, and chanting a chakra mantra are all means of disengaging with our rational mind and instead, simply feeling into the presence of energy.
Practicing with chakra mantras or repeating chakra affirmations resonates with many people as a mindful means of processing emotion and promoting the free flow of energy.
What are Chakra Mantras?
Chakra mantras are generally just one word. Each repeats the sacred seed syllable at the center of the chakra. Depending on the tradition you follow, you may have learned different mantras for each chakra. These ancient means of mapping the subtle body do not have an exact right and wrong.
As you repeat each chakra and feel its vibration in your own body, mindfully observe the connection between the sound and your personal felt experience. The chakras and seed syllables introduced in the video are representative of the most common chakra map.
How to Incorporate Mantras For Chakras into Meditation Practice
There are many ways to work with chakra mantras in your meditation practice. You might select a specific chakra to focus on. You could do a 7-chakra activation meditation by beginning with the root chakra and meditating on each up through the crown. Chanting mantras might be the entirety of your practice, or you could chant three times and then sit quietly with sensation. The possibilities are endless.
As you learn more about each chakra, you might also include visualization techniques or some form of compassionate inquiry. What is important, is that you set an intention at the beginning of each session, just as you do for your mindfulness meditation practice.
When meditating with chakra mantras, you are effectively doing breathwork and moving energy through the body. If at any time this movement of energy feels uncomfortable or overwhelming, offer yourself kindness and grace. You may find it’s best to take a break from the practice or to practice with mantra less often. When in doubt, seek the advice of a trusted teacher with experience in chakra practice.
What Does Chakra Mantra Meditation Feel Like
Personal experiences with chakra mantra meditation are as varied as we are. It can be helpful to remember that the chakras are someone else’s best effort to describe the experience of the subtle, energetic body. What’s felt in your body may be different.
As you sit in meditation, allow for your experience to unfold as is. Stay curious and present. Do your best not to attach to what you might label as good or pleasant, nor to push away what you might sense as unwanted or unpleasant.
During your chakra mantra meditation, you might feel or experience the following…
At first, you might feel little of anything at all, and that’s perfectly ok too. Mindfulness of the energetic body takes practice. Continue, and you will find your practice changes over time.
Recall too that the use of colors, shapes, sounds and other symbols helps us connect to experiences that are outside of what we can name. It’s not always beneficial to analyze or attempt to describe our experience.
Seed Mantra Meditations for the Seven Chakras
Chanting a chakra mantra during meditation activates body, speech, and mind. Incorporating these three energetic centers simultaneously can help us stay present, opening great potential for healing.
As you chant each chakra along with the video, lightly hold your awareness on the general location of the chakra. Notice if you sense a color. As you listen to the sound of your own voice, sense the vibration of your chanting as it’s felt by the body.
Conclusion
A 7 chakras mantra meditation practice can help bring awareness to the body’s energetic centers. Doing so can help us process emotion, which is simply a form of energy. We can use chakra mantras in our meditation practice in several ways. Listening to this video, or chanting along with it, is a very good place to start.
