The seed of God's Name has great power. It destroys ignorance. The seed is so soft, the sprout is so soft, yet they pierce the hard earth. The earth cracks. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Spiritual practice is the care of our energy bodies on all levels; from the physical, mental, emotional levels to the most subtle energetic forces moving through us and out into the cosmos.  Mantra, traditionally the repetition of the name or names of God, is the use of sound, or frequency, to set the tone, vibration, or "Word" at cause in the creation, which is your Life.  Affirmation is a form of mantra. Music is an even more widely known form of Mantra in the western culture.     

Feeling gives mantra its potency. Much more than the recitation of empty syllables, feeling engages the powerful electromagnetism of the heart. Musical expression is the flow of feeling into the conscious creative universal field that responds to our call. This flow creates a momentum that potentiates the vibration of our words.

About 10 years ago I found myself taken over by a continuous stream of thought about all the pain, suffering, and heartache I had ever experienced and all the places in the world reflecting these aspects of life. While the observer in me wanted to shift this stream running through my head, the momentum behind it seemed unstoppable.  No matter how I tried to take over the reins of my own mind I could not seem to take command. 

At one point a voice within me rose up over the noise and said, " Sing!" That week I joined the Interfaith choir at One Spirit Learning Alliance in NYC and very quickly began to make progress.  Using the power of music through song I was able to say ‘No’ to the old story and write a new chapter of my life from a brighter perspective. 

Singing is a powerful way to shift our minds and influence our creations. The level of intensity found in "big city" environments requires ways that meet the challenges presented by this intensity. Mantra is one of the ways that has served me well.

What is the inner soundtrack of your life?

The purpose of spiritual practice as the care of the human body, mind, and spirit and includes the acknowledgment and care of the soul.  It is a natural part of daily life and living. It clears metabolic waste from our living energy systems and puts us back into conscious alignment with our natural divinity and connection to Infinite Intelligence at the very core and source of our being.

I have made and continue to make shifts as the layers of "old news" and corrupted programing purge themselves from my body/mind. It is an ongoing process just as life is an ongoing process. Practices with Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Mind, and Love, (Mantra being a Spiritual Practice of Mind and Mindfulness), support this purging.

On the more traditional path there is a great abundance available to discover about Mantra. But, don't just read about it. The benefit is in the doing; in the practice.  Set aside some time each day and give your old thought systems a taste of something divine.

Peace Arnold, LMT is an internationally recognized practitioner of Rebirthing - Breathwork with a healing arts practice in Manhattan. Peace has a background in oriental medical massage, is a licensed massage therapist and was acting director of complementary therapies at Comprehensive Pain Management in NYC. RebirthingNYC@gmail.com 917-579-1449