From Stress To Shanti: How Mantra Chanting Refreshes The Brain

With so much always going on, chanting a mantra draws us back to that which is truly significant. It makes us aware that achieving peace takes work. People today find it an effective, strong tool. We can make it happen — even when things seem very chaotic.

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Many of us live in an era where busy schedules are honored and stress is often expected. When we’re always busy and trying to improve, being quiet with our thoughts is something we just don’t see very often.
At the same time, being still doesn’t mean you don’t have ambitions. Long term achievement, novel ways of seeing things and a clear mind all come from strategic thinking. You can connect deeply with that stillness without changing your daily routine by chanting mantras.

It’s not only a question of faith. It addresses a current challenge we have. Priyanka Om Anand, CEO Of Vedic Sadhana Foundation shares how mantra chanting refreshes the brain.

The Unseen Cost of Living in Overdrive

We are pulled to different tasks each day. Notifications, coming to conclusions, conversations and nonstop input. When we are not active, our minds continue to move on. Working at that speed has an impact on me.
When stressed, we feel restless, grow more irritable, are less focused and feel emotionally tired. It makes it harder for us to think logically, decide together and be there mentally for the people we care about.
While time management or trips help, what our bodies truly need is a daily chance to rest the nervous system. And it’s here that we use the mantra.

Why Sound Heals What Silence Cannot
You don’t need to be spiritual or religious to do this. It concerns knowing what is going on around us.
Scientists today confirm the insights achieved by India’s ancient rishis through their own inner experience. Saying a mantra out loud with your breath and attention lessens emotional activity, slows the breath and causes a noticeable change in brain activity.
When you practice yoga, your body tends toward balance, your mind becomes still and your breathing becomes regular.
When you say Om Namah Shivaya or the Gayatri Mantra, you’re doing more than just speaking words. You send out a vibration into the world. That vibration alters your feelings, your mindset and your bodily processes.

My Daily Anchor as a Leader
Building a global tech nonprofit from the CEO level keeps me very busy. I handle choices, upcoming deadlines and the heavy goals of a global mission.
I do not have the luxury of reacting. I should remain balanced.
That’s why I start every day by saying a mantra to myself. It is not something we do only because it feels good or is fancy. We need it.
I once seemed to be succeeding in life, but I was internally very scattered. I kept finding it difficult to relate to my success. Sadhana, mainly chanting mantras every day, helped me understand myself once more.
Such clarity turned everything around. It made it possible for me to work with patience, not stress, to think with care instead of rushing and to always mean what I said.

A Simple Practice to Begin With
Sanskrit is not necessary to understand. You won’t have to spend an entire hour. All you have to do is find some quiet time and decide to start.
If you are just starting, I typically advise people to remember this:

Om Shanti Shanti Shantih

I wish for peace inside of me, peace near me and peace everywhere.
Sit comfortably. Sit quietly, with your eyes closed. Say the words of this mantra in a steady and clear way. Adapt your breath to the rhythm in the music. Go along with the flow of the music.
Just a little movement daily can make a difference in your day’s mood.

Calm Is Not a Weekend Plan. It Is a Daily Choice.

We don’t become overwhelmed just from having too much work. We feel so much pressure because we have misplaced our own sense of order.
It is a mantra that restores a sense of order in your mind.
There is no quick solution. It often brings clarity, balance and a sense of myself despite our world’s distractions.