A mantra is a meditation technique that helps you to take your mind to quieter, calmer levels of thinking. Mantras are often referred to as vehiclesfor the mind because with focus on the repetition of a mantra, other thoughts swimming in the mind dissipate and the mind shifts toward mental clarity and stillness.
The So Hum is the greatest of all Mantras. It is a simple but powerful technique that uses the breath and the repetition of a mantra to quiet the mind and relax the body. It is one of the most important mantras in tantrism and Kriya yoga. This Mantra comes in the Isavasya Upanishad: "Sohamasmi."
So Hum has a special meaning in Vedic philosophy, It is a phrase comprised of two Sanskrit words. The literal translations are:
So: “That”
Hum: “I”
Therefore, the translation of So Hum is “I Am That.”
Here, "that" refers to all of creation, the one breathing us all. This contemplation meditation is an opportunity to focus "thinking mind" on the mystery of being and to reflect upon the interdependent nature of all phenomenon revealed by the sages and confirmed by contemporary physics.
How To Practice "So Hum" Meditation
Choose a place where you won’t be disturbed.
Find a comfortable posture for meditation (seated on a cushion or blanket, in a chair or against a wall).
Close down your eyes, relaxing the muscles around them, as well as the crown of your head, your forehead and your jaw. Feel your shoulder blades melt down your back. The more the body is relaxed, the more the mind is able to relax into deep meditation.
Now take a slow, deep breath through your nose, while thinking or silently repeating the word So.
Then slowly exhale through your nose while silently repeating the word Hum.
Continue to allow your breath to flow easily, silently repeating So . . . Hum . . . with each inflow and outflow of the breath.
Whenever your attention drifts to thoughts in your mind, sounds in your environment, or sensations in your body, gently return to your breath, silently repeating So . . . Hum.
Keep repeating the mantra for 5-10 minutes.
When you are ready, gently stop repeating the mantra and take a couple of minutes to relax, keeping your eyes closed.
Open your eyes.
Do this process for a few minutes when you’re first getting started, gradually building up to half an hour.
Benefits of Meditation
The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its benefits.
You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance.
Reduces stress
Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons people try meditation.
Controls anxiety
Less stress translates to less anxiety.
Habitual meditation helps reduce anxiety and anxiety-related mental health issues like social anxiety, phobias and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
Promotes emotional health
Inflammatory chemicals called cytokines, which are released in response to stress, can affect mood, leading to depression. A review of several studies suggests meditation may reduce depression by decreasing these inflammatory chemicals
Research shows that maintaining an ongoing habit of meditation may help you maintain these benefits long term.
Enhances self-awareness
Meditation can help you "know yourself." This can be a starting point for making other positive changes.
It teaches you to recognize thoughts that may be harmful or self-defeating. The idea is that as you gain greater awareness of your thought habits, you can steer them toward more constructive patterns
Lengthens attention span
Focused-attention meditation is like weight lifting for your attention span. It helps increase the strength and endurance of your attention.
Meditation may even reverse patterns in the brain that contribute to mind-wandering, worrying and poor attention
May reduce age-related memory loss
Improvements in attention and clarity of thinking may help keep your mind young.
The improved focus you can gain through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity. These benefits can help fight age-related memory loss and dementia.
Can decrease blood pressure
Meditation can also improve physical health by reducing strain on the heart.
Blood pressure decreases not only during meditation, but also over time in individuals who meditate regularly. This can reduce strain on the heart and arteries, helping prevent heart disease.
May help fight addictions
The mental discipline you can develop through meditation may help you break dependencies by increasing your self-control and awareness of triggers for addictive behaviors
Research has shown that meditation may help people learn to redirect their attention, increase their willpower, control their emotions and impulses and increase their understanding of the causes behind their addictive behaviors.
This can help you recover from addiction, lose weight and redirect other unwanted habits.
Helps control pain
Your perception of pain is connected to your state of mind, and it can be elevated in stressful conditions.
For example, one study used functional MRI techniques to observe brain activity as participants experienced a painful stimulus. Some participants had gone through four days of mindfulness meditation training, while others had not.
The meditating patients showed increased activity in the brain centers known to control pain. They also reported less sensitivity to pain (40).
Improves sleep
Nearly half the population will struggle with insomnia at some point.
Becoming skilled in meditation may help you control or redirect the racing or "runaway" thoughts that often lead to insomnia.
Additionally, it can help relax your body, releasing tension and placing you in a peaceful state in which you're more likely to fall asleep.
Boosts sex life
Stress, confidence, over-thinking and fatigue can impact on your love life.
Stress kills desire. In women, levels of the stress hormone cortisol can rise so high that it makes orgasm physically impossible to achieve.
Regular meditation quiets the overactive mind, which is one of the major causes of anxiety and stress.
And it not only decreases levels of cortisol, it increases levels of dopamine and serotonin, ’happiness’ chemicals that improve the frequency and intensity of orgasm.
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