Today we’ll be journeying inwards with a simple mantra-based meditation video taught by my good friend Yashoda Devi Ma. Yashoda is an experienced meditation teacher based in Boulder, CO.

In the video below, Yashoda will guide you on a brief but powerful practice designed to soothe the nervous system, ease stress and fear, and bring the body into a state of relaxation. This practice is for absolutely everyone — even those who are total newbies to meditation. 

Simple breathwork and the use of a mantra help to anchor the mind into a state of peaceful stillness. In the current global climate, I think it’s safe to say we could all benefit from a little more relaxation in our lives!

“Mantra” is a repeated word or saying.  It’s a technique that has been practiced for thousands of years, moving from ancient yogic practice into the modern day. It is a proven and powerful meditative tool.

If you’re unfamiliar with using mantra, the most vital thing to remember is that mantra is designed to calm the mind. Repetition of mantra helps to quiet the constant fluctuations of consciousness, and affirm positive thoughts and beliefs. If you haven’t tried a mantra-based meditation before, Yashoda’s practice offers a beautiful entry point to experiment with using mantra in your own daily meditation.

00:00 – 00:22: Welcome + Intro

00:23 – 00:50: Using Mantra

00:51 – 01:14: Breathing Technique

01:15 – 01:53: Meditation Posture + Mudra

01:54 – 13:43: Guided Meditation and Breathwork Practice

FULL TRANSCRIPT

[Yashoda] Hi, I’m Yashoda Devi Ma. I’m here at my studio in Boulder, Colorado – YDM Meditation.

I’m going to lead you through some very simple breathwork and a nice, short little meditatioN that’s going to help us move out of fear and into fearlessness. We will use mantra.

Mantra is a mind expander and it’s a mind liberator. When we use mantra it allows for us to not focus on our thoughts, but to bring our attention
into mantra; to expand us beyond whateveR limits we’re experiencing. And one can be fear.

So we want to lift out of fear and into fearlessness. So this breathing that we’ll
do is very simple. We’re going to inhale – nice long inhalation – through the nose. Nice, long exhalation through the mouth.

When we exhale, I would like for you to you can make noise – just release through the mouth itself. Letting go of all worry, all anxiety, and
all fear. And then we inhale nice and smoothly. Your hands can be relaxed like this, it can be placed like this.

This is a mudra that helps calm the mind, and placed in your lap.
You can be sitting, I have something that’s behind me, so you can be sitting with the back relaxed.

When we go into the mantra part of the meditation with breathwork, we’ll have the spine nice and tall. You can sit on your couch, you can sit on a comfortable chair. If your knees bother you, they don’t need to be crossed, they can be stretched out before you or they can be placed on the ground and seated comfortably with the spine nice and tall.

So I will guide you through both breathwork and mantra meditation today. First, we’ll begin with a nice, long inhalation through the nose. When you feel comfortable, close your eyes, so the eyes can relax.

Nice, long inhale … and exhale through the mouth. Inhale through
the nose, exhale through the mouth. Inhale through the nose … exhale through the mouth … inhale … and exhale, just letting it all go.

Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.

One more time, inhale through the nose, and exhale letting it all go through the mouth. And slowly, opening the eyes. Finding your comfortable position, either knees bent and crossed, with your back supported against something, or stretch the legs out forward or place them on the ground if you’re in a
chair. You’ll have your hands relaxed, either placed in your lap or on your knees. And the mantra that we’re going to use is … LAM.

L – A – M. LAM, it helps with the root chakra, which helps to remove fears that we’re feeling to help us to move into a fearless place. And so together we’ll do this mantra out loud and then we’ll go inward. So don’t mind the time, don’t mind your thoughts, just take everything as it comes – thoughts, physical
sensations, or emotions, all are okay. We don’t resist anything, we just take it as it comes.

So we’ll close our eyes and we’re going to say this mantra out loud. Nice inhale, exhale the mantra …

LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

and the eyes are closed.

Inhale … LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Inhale … LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Now, we’re gonna go softer.

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

And now a whisper.

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Inhale …] LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

And now, without moving tongue and lips just thinking that mantra – LAM.

[Inhale … LAM]

[Inhale … LAM]

[Inhale … LAM]

[Inhale … LAM]

[Inhale … LAM]

And keeping the eyes closed, slowly letting go of the mantra from the inside – just sitting in silence. Then slowly open the eyes …

***

As you begin Yashoda’s meditation, you might notice a sense of calm descending and settling over your body. Your heart rate may slow slightly, and your breathing may even out and lengthen. These are signs your body is switching over from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system — a state of rest and calm. 

Relax and prepare to deeply unwind!

Stay curious,

Nick Polizzi
Host of Proven: Healing Breakthroughs Backed By Science
& Founder of The Sacred Science

PS: Learn more about Yashoda and the incredible meditations she offers at http://ydmmeditation.com/