Meditate on it

The benefits of meditation are well known. People have been known to meditate through stressful situations in life, during childbirth, after operations for pain relief and in a range of other circumstances.

There are many different styles of meditation to try including mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, mantra meditation, breathe meditation and guided meditation. I’ve tried a range of different techniques, however I find mantra meditation the most successful.

Mantra meditation is technically a form of transcendental meditation. It involves repeating a word or phrase over and over again. This way, the mind becomes still and free from the random association of thoughts scrambled in your mind. One of the most popular mantras used in meditation is the Aum chant.

I’ve always been fascinated with Aum – the many meanings behind the mysterious symbol and the chant itself. The Aum chant has been something I genuinely enjoy and look forward to during yoga class, even though it only lasts a few minutes. At the start of class, we sit cross-legged in the yoga studio with the smell of incense gently hanging in the air. Then the chanting begins in unison. There’s something so meditative about the experience — the harmonisation of everyone’s voice, the oneness, the calmness that immediately follows.

Many have recognised the healing benefits of Aum. Paramahansa Yogananda noted by chanting Aum we can increase the body’s supply of cosmic energy and even direct it as a healing force to any part of the body, mind, and soul. It’s powerful stuff.

The benefits of meditation are best experienced when practiced regularly. Most recommend ten minutes each day. However, I find that even by chanting Aum several times, when I feel under pressure, does wonders to invigorate and clear my mind and let me deal with whatever issues are getting me flustered.

Situations where Aum has come to the rescue:

I’ve got a skyscraper-high pile of work to do. I don’t know where to start and I don’t know when I’ll finish. Mentally chanting Aum several times helps me calm down and allow me to get my thoughts together.

Aum for road rage. I’ve found chanting aloud in the car is beneficial to help the anger wane. It also lets you refrain from further verbally bashing your fellow man.

And in the last situation – a long, centered Aum chant also helped me get through what otherwise would have been a rather painful tattoo session.

Have you ever tried meditating to get through a situation? Which style of meditation best suits you?