By Silvia Mordini
Each day, I ask myself “How do I maintain balance in order to live my best day ever?” As much as I try to stay balanced, I have learned that I can easily lose it if I stop paying attention to it.
Chanting, or using rhythmic speaking or singing of words and sounds is a great way to find and maintain balance. Om Namah Shivaya is my favorite mantras to practice. During and after singing this song I feel a quiet but energized sense of equilibrium.
Om Namah Shivaya mantra uses the universal elements that govern each chakra: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. This song allows the chakras to better utilize the fundamental elements that exist in the chakra. When we repeat this mantra, we bring the chakras into balance with our energies.
The elements and chakras are contained in the syllables of Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya.
Na earth, 1st chakra
Ma water, 2nd chakra
Shi fire, 3rd chakra
Va air, 4th chakra
Ya ether, 5, 6, 7 chakras
This mantra also reminds us that we are born perfect. In sanskrit, the word for this is siddha. This translates to meaning whole, and balanced. Our natural state is one of balance where our energy is neither excessive nor deficient, but even.
By practicing this mantra, or others like it, we remember our intrinsic nature of equilibrium. Our journey as a human being is a return to our natural balance.
Even your hands hold the reminder within them, as each finger is aligned with an element and a chakra like this:
Ring finger = Earth Root Chakra
Pinky finger = Water Sacral Chakra
Thumb = Fire Solar Plexus Chakra
First finger = Air Heart Chakra
Middle finger = Ether Throat chakra
If you need a real time life balance exercise try saying or singing 108 rounds of Om Namah Shivaya mantra and touch each finger as you recite the mantra.
Make time to pay attention to how you’re feeling. Balance is easy to find but difficult to maintain without effort. At the end of the day, it’s our responsibility to try. This is the key to happiness.
Love yourself, love your day, love your life!
Silvia
