eMag ~ Mantras and Mental Health

From the Sanskrit words "man " (mind) and "tra " (to liberate, protect), a mantra is a powerful vibratory pattern that frees consciousness and energy trapped in old neurotic and maladaptive mental and emotional patterns.

When our attention is inside a mantra, we are protected from the dark forces within the psyche and freed from old, persistent, painful habits of thinking and feeling.

Because mantric syllables are encoded in Sanskrit, the “language of the gods,” they convey sattwic information: coherent, sacred, luminous energy that resonates with our spiritual essence, calms the mind and emotions, and opens pathways to deeper cognitive resources.

Mantras soothe the limbic system, which generates emotions in the midbrain, and links this part back to the frontal cortex, the rational intelligence that regulates emotions.

In other words, mantras travel beneath surface thinking into the deeper brain and mind, where we can access tranquillity and positive feelings.

Modern research has shown the many benefits of mantra therapy, including enhanced heart rate variability, stabilizing respiratory rhythm, modulating default-mode activity, and reshaping the brain’s self-regulating networks. All without causing any pharmacological side effects.

Therapeutically, mantras function in two ways:

1. Rhythmic repetition replaces the inner critic with a neutral, steady cadence. This grants the prefrontal cortex space to reinterpret experience more creatively and expansively.
   
   
2. Mantric vibration penetrates destructive mental patterns, dissolving their emotional charge and making room for change.

This dual action cultivates resilience because the mind is granted the freedom to choose which signals to amplify and which to silence.

Over decades of personal practice and clinical application, we’ve witnessed the unique power of mantras to stabilize the nervous system, uplift emotional states, and create a steady center from which to meet life’s challenges.

There’s something both ancient and immediate about the experience of mantra. Its resonance isn’t only heard, it’s felt. A mantra doesn’t require you to believe in it for it to work. If you can link your awareness to the mantra, its power, rhythm, resonance, and vibration do the work. You begin by repeating the mantra, but over time, the mantra begins to arise spontaneously from the deep mind. While this is going on, the vibrations are shaping the mind, softening the heart, and gradually restoring a sense of inner coherence.

For many of our students and clients, a mantra becomes a constant companion—a subtle, soothing presence in daily life, offering a thread of stability and clarity. Whether used as part of formal meditation or throughout the day, it is often the first tool people reach for when feeling overwhelmed, scattered, or emotionally unsettled.

We include mantras in our teachings not only because of their deep roots in yogic tradition but also because we know, through experience, that they offer something few other tools can: a direct, vibrational path back to the Self.

We invite you to join us for our Mantra workshop this month, where we'll be sharing our knowledge and practices on this powerful technique.

- Jayne and Swami Shankardev

Mantra Therapy: Transforming Thought Patterns for Emotional Healing & Mental Wellbeing

Learn about the brilliance of mantras from modern Western medicine and the ancient yogic perspective from Dr. Swami Shankardev, who will reveal how he applies mantra healing within his psychotherapy practice.

Explore how sound and vibration can reshape thought patterns, shifting the mind toward healing and well-being.

And, practice the most effective and powerful mantras and meditations for stress, anxiety, and various mental health disorders.

Find Out More 

This is the fourth workshop in the Yoga of Mental Health Workshop Series, which shares knowledge and practices that integrate Eastern philosophy and Western medicine to improve mental and emotional well-being. This series is ideal for yoga practitioners, healthcare professionals, and anyone seeking a holistic approach to mental well-being—bridging ancient philosophy with practical, transformative tools.

Reading

The Big Shakti website has many articles on the power of mantra. Here are two suggestions:

How Mantra Therapy Supports Emotional Healing  

Our latest blog post describes Mantra therapy, or mantra chikitsa. This is the conscious use of sacred sound formulas to influence the mind, emotions, and energy body. Rooted in the Vedic and Tantric traditions, mantra therapy goes beyond simple chanting. It is a therapeutic modality that utilizes the vibrational power of mantras to calm the nervous system, stabilise mental patterns, and awaken the inner intelligence that governs healing.

📕 Read Article: How Mantra Therapy Supports Emotional Healing

10 Mantras for Anxiety: Calming the Inner Storm Through Sacred Sound

Anxiety can feel like a rising tide; mind racing, breath shallow, emotions frayed. In the yogic tradition, this is more than a mental state; it’s seen as a disturbance in prāna, the vital energy that connects mind, breath, and body. 

Mantra offers a steadying influence. Its rhythm and vibration bypass the chatter of the mind and guide the nervous system back to a calm, grounded, centered, and stable state.

This article shares 10 mantras traditionally used to reduce anxiety, along with gentle guidance on how to practise them.

If you're looking for a natural, grounded way to settle the mind and soothe emotional restlessness, this piece is a supportive place to begin.

 📕 Read Article: 10 Mantras for Anxiety

Reflection  

"As a spider moves along the thread, as small sparks come forth from fire, so from the Self come all mantras, all worlds, all gods, all beings.”

Here are 5 reflection points to consider as you move through the month.

1. How does sound affect my inner state? Consider how different types of sound—music, speech, silence, mantra—affect your mood, energy, and clarity. What changes when you introduce a conscious, rhythmic mantra into your practice?

2. Do I chant with attention, devotion, or habit? Reflect on the quality of your mantra practice. Are you able to remain self-aware, mentally engaged, emotionally connected, or just going through the motions? Mantra only becomes powerful when infused with presence and heartfelt intention.

3. What inner patterns am I seeking to transform? Mantras act as a subtle tool to release energy trapped in repetitive mental loops and emotional turbulence. What habitual thoughts or feelings do you need to dissolve through the vibrational medicine of mantra?

4. Which mantras resonate most deeply with me, and why? Each mantra carries its own energy and purpose. Some soothe, others energize and awaken insight. Which mantra feels like a true ally in your current phase of life, and what might it be revealing about your inner journey?

5. Can I feel the mantra as a living presence, not just a word? Beyond repetition, mantra is a field of consciousness. Reflect on moments where the mantra felt alive, as if it were chanting you, guiding, protecting, or illuminating from within.
   
   

Behind the Scenes

We recently visited Montsalvat - the oldest continuously operating artists’ community in Australia. It’s hidden away in the wild outskirts of Eltham, 20km from Melbourne. Once you walk through its old iron gate, you’re transported into an ancient world. The stone halls, sandstone buildings, and medieval-style cast a spell of timelessness.

It all began with Justus Jorgensen, an architect and painter who in 1934 envisioned a community for artists and creatives to create, collaborate, and be supported. The name “Montsalvat” translates to Mountain of Salvation.

The place has a sense of serenity and soulfulness. Artists in residence contemplate and create their days while the busy world falls away. 

There was something quietly mantric about Montsalvat - the repetition of birdsong, the hush between brushstrokes, the silent rhythm of creation. It reminded us that healing and insight often arise not from bold gestures, but from returning again and again to the still, resonant center within. Just like mantra, places like Montsalvat hold space for quiet transformation.

That's all from us for now. Take care and stay well 🧘🏼 

Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati & Jayne Stevenson