Mantra: Say It Like You Mean It

Say It Like You Mean It

It is estimated that the average person has over 60,000 thoughts every day. Not all of these thoughts are happy approving ones though.
Meditation helps you to think differently by getting you into a new habit of monitoring your thoughts and the resulting actions. In this way, you begin to notice what you are thinking and then choose to act in a manner that is not only optimistic but compassionate too.

One Highly Effective Tool

When meditating it is often a challenge to remain focused on a single object, be it the breath, a light, or even a rock!
To encourage a single-pointed focus, I encourage my students to use the simple, but highly effective tool of a mantra.

Protecting your mind

A mantra is a mental or auditory word or phrase, often with a personal or sacred meaning. Derived from the roots of two Sanskrit words; manas, referring to the mind, and tra, meaning that which protects, a mantra is therefore a thought, word, or sound which protects the mind.

Raise Your Shield

During your meditation practice, if you notice that your mind has wandered off, a mantra pulls it right back to where you want it to be. It serves as a replacement for unwanted thoughts by allowing you to concentrate easily and fully. You can repeat or chant a mantra, focusing on the meaning and the sound, while hearing the mantra vibrate within you.

Mantras act like a shield against not only your own random thoughts during meditation, but they also pop up when you think derogatory thoughts about yourself or someone else. What’s also great about a mantra is that it also pops up if you encounter a person or situation that is either obviously harmful or subtly damaging such as meeting someone who wants to share the latest gossip.

The First Mantra

Om is known as the first mantra. If the mind has a tendency to wander or unwanted thoughts enter the field of awareness, it provides a simple means to relax the mind and allow it to surrender into the peaceful influence of this singular point of focus. Om (also known as AUM) will be written about in more detail in a future posting.

Traditionally, mantras are repeated 108 times, signifying one complete round. You can say as many rounds as you want to every day. Over time, you will notice that the mantra does have both a protective and a positive effect on the way that you think and subsequently act because you are replacing negative thoughts with more beneficial views and beliefs.

What Mantra to Choose

Either Om or a word or phrase of your choice such as I am Loved, Peace, I am Healed
You can continue with this phrase or repeat a different one, so long as it is meaningful to you and not derogatory in any way.

Focus on the sound and vibration of the word and you will eventually begin to absorb the positive frequency of the mantra. This is scientifically proven to contribute to not only mental heath but physical health too.

Send in Reinforcements

Try looking at yourself in the mirror and telling yourself “I Love You.” Do it 108 times every day for a week. Notice how you feel every day.
In time you will not only feel loved, but you will know that you are loved and be able to love others too.

Repeat your mantra silently each time you meditate or when doing simple tasks or even walking the dog. It’s easy to carry your mantra with you wherever you go.
Keep it short and say it like you mean it.
Soon you will not only mean it, you will believe it even when you’re not saying it.

Bach Flower Remedies: Dosages

Bach flower remedy dosages, like biochemic remedies, are not harmful, never mind how many doses you take in a day. However, taking the regular prescribed dose does work better unless it is an emergency when many more doses at shorter intervals can be given. These remedies can be taken by infants, children, adults, pets and even sprayed on plants.

The usual dose

The dosage for most ailments is two drops from the bottle the remedy comes in, four times a day. You should try and see that you don’t eat or drink anything for fifteen minutes before and after the dose if you want the remedy to act well. These are gentle healing remedies and strong flavours and tastes can minimize their effects. The first dose should be on an empty stomach in the morning, followed by doses at noon, evening and night at bedtime. The easiest way to have it is to put two drops into your mouth using the dropper. Do take care not to let the dropper touch your mouth. In most cases, the remedy will have to continue for three to four weeks. You will most probably feel better after the first few doses with the right remedy but you must continue and give it a chance to work well in your body.

Emergency dosage

When it is a serious case, you can administer two drops from the dropper bottle every fifteen minutes if necessary till the person looks better after which you can get back to four doses a day. In absolute emergencies, you can increase each dose to four drops.

Infants’ and young children’s dosage

One drop four times a day is the usual dose unless it is an emergency. Children usually respond very quickly to Bach remedies and sometimes one dose is all it takes to make them all right.

Pets’ dosage

Like children, one drop four times a day is the regular dose unless there is an emergency when you can make it a drop every half an hour till there is visible improvement.

Plants’ dosage

For plants, you can put two drops in a spray bottle and fill it up with water. You can then spray the plants with it. Plants that are diseased, have had a shock or are dying can be revived with regular spraying in most cases.

Other ways to administer Bach remedies

You can put the drops into a tablespoon of water and drink it. You can even put them into half a cup of water and sip it. In case you want to give these remedies to someone in the family without them knowing, you could put two drops into a glass of water and give it to them. It is preferable not to add it to juice or other hot or cold drinks. These remedies are so gentle yet effective but they must not be exposed to strong tastes or flavours.

They can be put into water and used as compresses when somehow is hurt or in pain. They can even be put into the bath water – 5 drops to a full bath is recommended.

Bach remedies are very often given in combination – a drop from each of the chosen Bach remedies for each dose.

What’s more, Bach remedies can be used with other medicines, including allopathic medication as well. They do not affect them. In fact, they are a great way to augment their healing power. They are however, best when used with other forms of holistic medicine.