What is the correct mantra so-ham. Mantra with Ham - exit from the labyrinth

In order to best know oneself, one’s essence, and look into one’s “self,” a person usually resorts to meditation. There's nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, the process of meditation is very important and beneficial for everyone.

Many meditation systems are quite complex. To use them, you must first prepare yourself in a certain way. But, nevertheless, there is one special technique for which you don’t need to prepare particularly.

Moreover, this technique is not at all complicated, both for men and women. Age is also not important, nor is religion. This method of meditation is called Mantra Ham (or So-Ham).

Why is breathing so important?

You can get into a state of deep meditation only with the help of proper breathing. Any person who has meditated at least once knows that a lot depends on breathing.

Everyone knows that a person takes two main breaths in life - when he is born and when he passes into the “other world.” Throughout our lives, we also breathe, and regularly.

The Ham mantra is contemplation of oneself, one’s body, as if from the inside. If you understand this technique correctly (first of all), then starting to meditate will be much easier.

When you inhale, a flow of air is formed (we create it ourselves) - this will be CO. And when you exhale - HAM. That's the whole "secret" of the So-Ham mantra.

By mastering the technique of the So-Ham mantra, a person sees life more clearly. He is no longer tormented by anxiety and nervousness; overall, life gets better.

As for the physical condition of a person, it also improves. After some time, you will notice the difference - what you were and what you have become!

What is the correct technique for performing the HAM mantra?

If you understand yoga (at least a little), then there are two poses for meditation - Siddhasana and Vajrasana. Well, when your knowledge of yoga “leaves much to be desired,” then you can sit in any position.

The main thing is that you feel comfortable doing it yourself. Nothing should cause discomfort. The main thing is CONVENIENCE! Someone is standing, another is sitting in a chair, a third is lying on the sofa.

But don't relax too much. So you can simply fall asleep! Be careful. You're not going to sleep!

Just listen to your breathing. After a while, when you have found some kind of “consensus,” you should move on. When you inhale you say SO, when you come out you say HAM. It's very simple.

It might be a little awkward the first time. Afterwards you will get used to it and will do everything “automatically”.

During the entire time (meditation) you need to repeat SO-HAM. Drive away different thoughts from yourself, the brain should be completely relaxed. Concentrate only on inhalation-exhalation and SO-HAM.

CO-XAM

Why is the So-Ham mantra often heard in spiritual practices “The Path to Arhatship”?

Each movement creates a certain sound.

The sound of breathing is CO (inhalation) - HAM (exhalation)

When consciousness is absorbed in the breath, its movement, its sounds, the breath becomes the vehicle that allows it to transit the surface levels of the mind and gain a higher experience, free from the influence of external senses.

Yoga and Tantra explain that the breath vibrates under the influence of prana. But every vibration is accompanied by sound.

Therefore, breathing also has a specific sound that can be perceived at a specific level of consciousness.

The Yoga Chudamani Upanishad says: “The breath leaves with the sound HAM and enters with the sound SO. Therefore, every person, 24 hours a day, unconsciously and involuntarily repeats the mantra HAM-SO about 21,600 times. This continuous repetition of the mantra is called ajapa-japa.” (V.3132).

Sensitive listening to this vibration frees a person from karma and samskaras.

To explore this phenomenon, it is necessary to practically experience the effects of the breathing mantra at various levels of the mind and consciousness.

Sound range

The sound we hear with our ears and the brain's ability to respond to it is only one level of perception. If sound waves exist at the conscious level, they must also exist at subtler levels.

The human ear has a very limited range of perception. It is known that cats, dolphins, bats and many other animals have such acute hearing that they can perceive frequencies inaudible in the human range of perception. The higher the frequency, the less able our outer ears are to detect these subtle vibrations. Although we do not hear subtle vibrations, they are still perceived in the deeper areas of our consciousness.

As our breath expands and becomes more subtle, so does the threshold for our perception of finer frequencies. So gradually a person begins to pick up the vibrations that initially emanate from subconscious, then from the sphere unconsciousness and finally from superconsciousness, which produces transcendental sounds.

In a normal state, we are not able to perceive higher vibrations, because we are not aware of them and, as a result, that part of the mind that could perceive them is still asleep. These centers are not yet activated.

But when we can revive the subconscious perception, then we will hear the sounds of the subconscious. The same thing will happen with unconsciousness and superconsciousness.

Therefore, the ancient rishis and yogis, who rose to higher levels of consciousness through meditation, were able to perceive the sounds of subtler vibrations. Even before entering the transcendental state, they heard the sound of the breath coming in and going out, and what they heard was the sound HAM SO HAM SO HAM.

Sound is also present in the turiya range, but in this state the sense of individuality that could register this fact is lost. This is the sound of the universe, the vibration of AUM. HAM SO vibrates in the unconscious area.

When the subjectivity of the limited mind is eliminated, the veil between HAM (Shakti, the individual jiva) and CO (Shiva, the cosmic consciousness) disappears as an illusion. Therefore, there is a direct connection between the sound of breathing and different levels of consciousness.

Breathing Mantra

What does the phrase breathing mantra mean?

A mantra is not just a sound. The word mantra consists of two roots: man means reflection and contemplation, and tra- liberation. When the transcendental vibration of the mantra is identified with the breath, the unlimited consciousness is liberated from the captivity of the limited mind.

The So-Ham breathing mantra releases previously enslaved energies that are necessary to cleanse the consciousness. This is not religious approach, but quite scientific.

Root man also means reflection (manana). Therefore, a mantra brings liberation when it is reflected in the breath, like in a mirror.

The reflection of sound in the breath helps to awaken self-awareness, and the mind becomes absorbed in this process of self-realization.

When the effect of liberation occurs, consciousness is no longer connected to the sensory world and merges with the vibration at the deeper levels of the mind.

(Excerpt from Swami Satyananda Saraswati's book "Svara Yoga")

Many sounds have a very strong influence on us, whether we are aware of them or not. For example, the sound of vibration of our planet in space is not realized, but all organs and systems of the body are tuned to it, the slightest vibrations upset our entire energy.

Also the sound of breathing, we are in everyday life We don’t realize it, but it accompanies us from the moment of the first breath at birth to the last breath at death. This sound is life.

Meditations with the execution of the So-Ham breathing mantra, given in Arhat Yoga, have enormous power on the Consciousness, Subconsciousness and Superconsciousness, connecting them together, freeing consciousness from the captivity of the material world.

Inhale - CO, exhale - Ham!

Man and God, Earth and Space, Life and Death are gradually revealing their secrets!

Humor

Now it’s clear where the boors came from. Deep connection between the Russian language and Sanskrit. When a person forgets to breathe into himself the name of God, he omits So - only the boor remains.

Buddhism.

You probably know what it’s like to try to “reach out” to someone who has something else on their mind: they can’t or won’t give you their attention, and that’s very frustrating. However, such disappointment, to a greater or lesser extent, is constantly present in our experience, since we can rarely give our entire attention to one thing. Most of us have our minds occupied with so many things at once that our attention is easily distracted. The habit of being distracted becomes a normal part of our lives, a permanent feature of our consciousness. We are constantly distracted by one thing or another. Sometimes we get so distracted from our original goals that we even lose sight of what is most important and valuable to us. Sometimes the whole course of our life resembles one of those dreams in which everyone seems to have conspired to stop us, in which there is a feeling of annoyance: we know that we were going to do something, but we cannot remember what exactly.

By developing the ability to concentrate, you can achieve a lot. By focusing our attention, we begin to “find ourselves” - to reveal new depths and truths in our own nature. The meditation practice you are about to learn is a means to achieve such concentration. It makes it possible to simultaneously free the stream of consciousness and focus the mind on one subject, and one does not contradict the other.

It is important to understand that the mind cannot be forced to concentrate, at least not for long or very successfully. If we force our mind too hard while trying to focus our attention, our emotions will react, resulting in either an overactive mind or drowsiness. True concentration depends on the alignment of the intellectual and emotional sides of our personality. At the same time, for most people these two sides often act completely independently of each other. We often think about something without realizing how we feel, or we mindlessly allow ourselves to be carried away by the flow of emotions. This lack of mental balance prevents us from experiencing ourselves in our entirety, and therefore we cannot fully concentrate.

We often notice the lack of mental balance in others. Sometimes we say: "Think about what you say - she's not herself this morning." Or, in a more favorable situation: “I’m sure you’ll like old N. He always remains himself.” Giving such assessments of people's states, we intuitively feel what the balance is between their mind and emotions. “Being yourself” in the fullest sense of the word is the main task that we solve through the practice of concentration.

Many factors influence our ability to focus. It is obvious that some people have a naturally higher ability, while others are less focused. To different people easier to concentrate in different situations and at different times: external influences, various emotions, even the time of day - everything matters. At a turning point, even a cool and collected person can lose his inherent calm, and an energetic and purposeful person can experience anxiety if he does not find use for himself. But we all have the ability to concentrate to one degree or another. In order to improve further, we need to make this concentration even deeper and more stable, so that it is less dependent on circumstances.

Mindful breathing meditation method.

The beginner should focus his attention on the object of this meditation [i.e. breathing] by counting...

Then he can stop counting slowly, like counting measures of grain, and begin counting quickly [i.e. ahead], like a shepherd. For an experienced shepherd puts a handful of pebbles in his pocket and in the morning goes to the cattle pen... sitting on the crossbar of the gate and urging the cows on with pokes in the back, he counts each of them when she runs up to the gate, saying “one, two” and throwing down a pebble . The cows of his herd, who have spent three night watches closely huddled in the paddock, are rushing in groups towards the exit, jostling as they run. So he counts quickly (before the next cow runs past), saying “three, four, five” and so on until ten.

...For as long as the object of concentration is connected with counting, it is with the help of counting that the mind is collected together - just as with the help of a steering oar a boat is held steady in the rapids.

Traditional commentary by Buddhaghosa.

(Buddhist scholar of the 5th century AD, representative of the Theravada school).

The method behind this practice is very simple. For a long time, we direct our attention to the flow of our breath, to the sequence of inhalations and exhalations, and as soon as we notice that we are distracted, we calmly return our mind to focusing on our breathing.

As we continue our practice, our attention becomes deeper and more sustained, and our mind becomes less distracted and wandering. By persistently returning our attention to the breath, we can feel how our previously scattered energies are gathered together, like runaway cattle herded into a herd. This experience of unity of mind brings exceptional peace of mind: we feel increasingly serene, relaxed, and our mind becomes clearer.

Once we are able to constantly focus on the breath, we begin to feel completely immersed in meditation. We have a distinct sense of unity, an experience of complete self-identity.

It seems that nothing prevents us from concentrating our mind on any other subject: after all, breathing is only one of thousands of possible objects of concentration of the mind. For example, you can focus on a small material object - a matchbox, a black dot, a tree, a burning candle (or an image of a favorite Deity (from any religious pantheon of Deities!!!), with whose sublime qualities you seek to identify, in order to transform your lower nature) . The problem is that for people who are not yet accustomed to systematic (and long-term) meditation, this practice can begin to tire them or plunge them into premature trance states.

For beginners in learning to focus, the breath is a particularly good focus as it can capture (and hold) our interest for a long time while still allowing us to maintain some agility and flexibility of mind. This mobility of the mind is quite important: after all, if you allow your attention to become rigid and frozen, you can lose energy and inspiration. Breathing as a natural internal process is very interesting. It gives very clear sensations, has a certain rhythm and by its very nature is capable of captivating us with its soft, pleasant movement. In addition, breathing is a rather mysterious thing: it is the breath of life, something on which all beings depend at every moment of their lives.

Perhaps precisely because breathing is a necessary condition of life, its character is closely related to our physical and mental state. When we are emotionally aroused, breathing speeds up. As our body relaxes, our breathing slows down, and when our breathing calms down, the mind correspondingly becomes collected, focused and harmonious.

But even though the breath can attract our attention in many different ways, you still need some effort to focus on it throughout the entire period of practice. You may find yourself getting distracted every now and then, and sometimes even forgetting what you're doing. Therefore, at the initial stage of mindful breathing practice, it is recommended to mark each breath with a count of one to ten, simply to keep the mind on the task at hand.

MANTRA SO-HAM and breathing as one of the best objects of meditation.

Hinduism.

When we are born, we take our first breath. With the last exhalation, life leaves our body. Breathing is life itself. It is above all conjectures and reasonings of the mind. Breathing is either present or it is not.

Contemplating the process of breathing is contemplating the very movement of life! Our body breathes, no matter what our mind is doing. But if the mind contemplates the breath, then all thought forms (of the mind and emotions) gradually calm down and a person can experience a state of deep meditation.

Ajapa-japa.

The meditative repetition of a mantra is called japa meditation. Connecting the mantra with the natural rhythms of the body is ajapa-japa. Or natural, spontaneous japa. It doesn't require any effort to complete. Vice versa. You need to calm your mind and remain in a relaxed state, contemplating the processes in your body.

SO-HAM is a natural mantra that our body repeats whether we are aware of it or not. When the body inhales, the noise of the air creates the sound CO. When the body exhales, the sound HAM is created. If you listen to your body, if you allow yourself to “just breathe,” this mantra becomes clearly discernible.

The benefits of SO-HAM meditation.

The benefits of meditation practices are difficult to describe in words - it is better to experience it for yourself. The mind becomes more balanced and focused. Thoughts and the entire internal state are more collected. This affects not only the psyche, but even the physical body - it becomes healthier.

Execution technique.

The meditation pose can be any. If you are already doing yoga and can sit in meditative poses, then this practice is best done in Siddhasana - the perfection pose. Diamond Pose – Vajrasana – is perfect. But this meditation technique can be performed while sitting in a comfortable chair or even lying on the sofa. True, if you lack the proper experience, then due to a relaxed body position, there is a high probability of quickly falling asleep, and this will no longer be meditation. But in fact, in this regard, SO-HAM meditation does not have strict limitations.

The technique is extremely simple - take a meditation pose. Take several full yoga breaths (deep inhalations and exhalations) and relax your body as much as possible. Turn your attention to the breathing process, but do not control it, but contemplate it, allowing the body to breathe naturally and spontaneously. And every time you inhale, the mind should repeat CO, and when you exhale, HAM. Something like this: SO-O-O-O-O-HAM-M-M-M-M! The repetition of the mantra synchronized with the breath continues throughout the entire meditation practice.

Whatever thoughts come to your mind, don’t drive them away, but don’t concentrate on them either. And then the thought forms will gradually begin to calm down and the mind will begin to plunge into a state of meditation.

The duration of the technique depends only on the practitioner. And 5 minutes will bring benefits, and an hour of practice will not be unnecessary. For beginners, 10-15 minutes of meditation can be recommended. As a daily practice, SO-HAM meditation can be done for 20-30 minutes.

The meaning of the SO-HAM Mantra.

Reflection on the meaning of the mantra SO-HAM is in itself a powerful technique of Jnana yoga - the yoga of wisdom.

SO – means That. HAM - I am. SO-HAM - “I am That.” By That we mean the endless and impersonal flow of life that manifests itself in our being. Thinking about what “That” (TAT) is, what the (True) “I” actually is, is an excellent yogic technique of self-knowledge.

Relaxation technique before bed.

When you go to bed, you shouldn’t once again dive into the cycle of your own thoughts, assumptions, desires and regrets. The chaos that usually goes on in our heads should stop at least before falling asleep. This is simply necessary for normal sleep. And in general for a healthy existence.

Therefore, before falling asleep, it is better to immerse the mind in contemplation of breathing and synchronized repetition of the SO-HAM mantra. You need to do this as long as your mind can keep you from falling asleep. Sleep after this practice will be calm and allow you to rest well.

Mantra SO-HAM – Universal Meditation Practice

Performance technique It’s extremely simple – take a meditation pose. Make a fewfull yogic breaths and as much as possible relax your body. Switch attention tobreathing process, but not to control it, butbehold, allowing the body to breathe naturally and spontaneously. And every timeinhale, intelligencemust repeatCO, and on exhale – HAM. Something like this: SO-O-O-O-O-HAM-M-M-M-M! The repetition of the mantra synchronized with the breath continues throughout the entire meditation practice.

Duration The execution of the technique depends only on the practitioner. And 5 minutes will bring benefits, and an hour of practice will not be unnecessary. Forbeginnerscan be recommended10-15 minutes of meditation .

Relaxation technique before bed

so ham mantra

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SHABDHA SANCHALYAN

In Sanskrit "shabdha" means "word"; "sanchalyana" means "rotation, advancement." Therefore, this practice can be translated as “promoting the word filled with consciousness.” Instead of the word here there is the mantra “SoHam”. Shabdha Sanchalyana can be considered as the sixth stage of Ajapa Japa.

WHAT IS SOHAM

"Soham" is often called ajapa gayatri - spontaneous song of the breath. This is a mantra that occurs automatically with every inhalation and exhalation. This sound is associated with the natural rhythm of breathing. And every person sings this mantra constantly, regardless of whether he knows it or not, whether he wants it or not.

In all Vedic practices, consciousness must be fixed on something. This should be the focal point at which the vibrations of the mind are brought into order and targeted. Many things can be used for this purpose: a mantra, a mental image of a deity, or even your thumb. But this “something” should automatically attract your attention and constantly evoke memories. And it's not that easy.

Consciousness resists the process of concentration, constantly strives to run away and wander. And the symbol we choose is easily forgotten. The practitioner again finds himself in a stream of wandering thoughts. SoHam is an ideal mantra because it is performed independently of consciousness. She can only stop when her breathing stops. And therefore, SoHam reminds you to be conscious.

Any mantra can be integrated with the breathing processes in order to continuously produce memories. But SoHam, unlike all the others, arises naturally in the mind, and therefore it is the easiest mantra for most people. This has already been tested by countless yogis over thousands of years of experience. We highly recommend it (as well as the AUM mantra) for all sincere sadhaks. Constant remembrance of her leads to dhyana.

SoHam also literally means: “I am Shiva (pure consciousness)” or “I am He (pure consciousness).”

The mixture of the individual and the cosmic or higher consciousness indicates the union of Shiva and Shakti. However, readers should not be too concerned about how the word should be translated or how the meaning should be understood. Any attempt to understand this word mentally will lead to confusion. It can only be understood on an intuitive level. And only when the practitioner understands its transcendental meaning, only then can it be used as a means of constant support and remembrance. "It" means the constant flow of dhyana.

If you wish and if your consciousness is completely single-minded, you can delve further into the depths and real meaning of the word SoHam. But this is already a method of jnana yoga. However, it will not bring any results if your mind is tense and full of problems, even if you pronounce this word without stopping, twenty-four hours a day. Only if your consciousness is ready and your aspiration is strong enough, only then will you understand the transcendental meaning of the word SoHam. Its meaning is like a tongue of flame, a stripe of active light. But remember that for this you must be ready. For those who are already ready for this type of jnana yoga practice, we recommend entering SoHam as the best sadhana.

In Shabdha Sanchalyan there is no need to worry about the meaning of the word Soham. The main thing is to be conscious and observe how the sound synchronizes with the breath.

PRONUNCIATION OF THE WORD SOHAM

Some people hear "SaKham" instead of "SoKham". In principle, this is acceptable and can be used in Shabdha Sanchalyana.

SoHam must be integrated with breathing. With the practice of ujjayi pranayama, this sound can be heard quite clearly. Give it a try. You will most likely hear: So - on the inhale and Ham - on the exhale.

In Shabdha Sanchalyana you should hear “so” as you inhale as the consciousness moves from mulyadhara along the frontal arohan channel to bindu. It should be a long sound. From mulyadhara to svadhisthana this sound should be expressed in the sound: “s - s - s”. From svadhisthana to bindu it should sound like a long “oooh”. This pronunciation is reflected in the accompanying picture.

The sound “Ham” should be performed on the exhalation, when consciousness moves along the spinal canal avarohan from bindu to mulyadhara. From bindu through ajna to vishuddhi it should sound like: “x - a - a - a.” From Vishuddha to Muladhara it should be heard as: “m - m - m.” It is a buzzing sound that vibrates in the spine.

The sound SoHam should not be pronounced out loud. This is the natural sound of breathing. The sound should be such that you can hear it, but anyone standing very close to you, even very close, cannot hear anything.

BODY POSITION

Stay in the same position that you used for Pawan Sanchalyana. Only if you feel pain or excessive tension, somehow move or change positions. The traditional poses for this kriya are padma asana or siddha asana (siddha yoni asana for women). If these asanas are not convenient for you, you can use others, such as: ardha padma asana, swastika asana, etc. Keep your spine straight throughout the entire kriya. Only the head can move if necessary.

MENTAL CHANNELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

As you inhale, your consciousness should identify with the sound “So” and rise up the frontal arohan channel. After leaving the mulyadhara chakra, you should feel the mantra and breath passing through svadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi and finally bindu.

When you exhale with the sound “Ham”, your consciousness should descend along the avarohan spinal canal. As you leave the bindu, you should feel the mantra and breath gradually passing through the ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, svadhisthana and finally the mulyadhara chakra.

AUXILIARY EXERCISES

During Shabdha Sanchalana you should practice ujjayi pranayama, khetchari mudra and unmani mudra. As you remember, they were also used in Pawan Sanchalyan.

EXECUTION TECHNIQUE

Perform Shabdha Sanchalyana immediately after finishing Pawan Sanchalyana. Sit comfortably. Straighten your back. Open your eyes, do khetchari mudra and hold it throughout the practice. Exhale deeply and tilt your head forward. Feel, directing your consciousness, the muladhara chakra. This will begin your first round of energy circulation.

Using ujjayi pranayama, inhale and begin to ascend the arohan channel. Hear the sound "So" and feel it pierce each chakra as it rises.

When your consciousness begins to move between the field of Vishuddhi and Bindu, slowly raise your head. Your head should be raised and looking forward when the consciousness reaches the bindu. The “So” mantra and inhalation should end as the consciousness reaches the bindu. Become aware of your location in bindu for a few seconds. Then begin to exhale using ujjayi through the avarohan channel. Accept the performance of unmani mudra. Hear the sound of “Ham” and feel how it pierces the chakras one after another. There should be no mental naming of the chakras... only consciousness. Your exhalation and the sound “Ham” should end when the consciousness reaches mulyadhara. Bend your head forward. Open your eyes. Maintain your consciousness on the mulyadhara for a few seconds. This is the end of the first cycle. This process is shown in the attached figure. Now start the second cycle. Using ujjayi, inhale and with the sound “So” begin to raise consciousness along the arohan channel. Do this for fifty-nine (59) rounds. After this, move on to Maha mudra.

BREATH

Practice ujjayi breathing throughout the kriya. Hold your breath for a few seconds on the mulyadhara chakra. Inhale through the arohan channel. Then hold your breath for a few seconds, gaining awareness of being in bindu. Then exhale through the descending avarohan channel.

MENTAL CURRENCY

If your consciousness is in a state of imbalance, allow the sound “SoHam” to appear a little louder than we prescribe, and the breathing to be more frequent. When the tension subsides and the mind relaxes, the sound of “SoHam” will become more subtle and the breathing will become slower.

CONSCIOUSNESS

Maintain awareness of the SoHam mantra, breathing and psychic channels.

SUBSEQUENCE

Shabdha Sanchalyana should be performed immediately after Pawan Sanchalyana and before Maha mudra.

DURATION

You should complete fifty-nine (59) circles. This will take an average of 25 (twenty-five) to 40 (forty) minutes, depending on the speed of breathing.

COUNTING LAPS

When describing Pawan Sanchalyana, we advised you to use one hundred and eight beads (108) to count. They were also advised to tie a knot or place a sumeru bead at the end of the forty-ninth circle. For Shabdha Sanchalyana you do not need to tie any knots. After completing Pawan Sanchalyana, your fingers remain on the forty-ninth bead. And after it, proceed to counting the circles of Shabdha Sanchalyana, because 49 (forty nine) circles of Pavan Sanchalyana and 59 (fifty nine) circles of Shabdha Sanchalyana give the required number 108 (one hundred and eight).

The book is intended for those who want to understand how extrasensory perception works and master it.

Singing mantra for each chakras y is one of the ways to open and clean them. Why is this being done? Opening the chakras promotes the correct flow of vital energy ( prana) in the body. The person feels good, both physically and psychologically.

In the article:

Chakra (Sanskrit चक्र, cakra IAST, lit. “circle”, “wheel”, “disc”, “mandala”) in the spiritual practices of Hinduism are centers of power and consciousness located in the internal (subtle) body of a person.
Wikipedia

In Hinduism and Buddhism, where this concept is also used, The chakra system has seven energy centers in the subtle body person. Each of them has its own color, sphere of influence, sound and element.

Chakras need to be opened, cleansed and filled with energy. For this, various meditation And pranoyamas(breathing practices). The most famous meditations cannot do without each of the seven energy centers. Most often used bijma mantras - simple monosyllabic texts without much meaning. They are read from top to bottom: AUM, OM, HAM, YAM, RAM, VAM and LAM.

First chakra SAHASRARA, sound “AUM”, color purple. Located on the top of the head. With harmonious development, it affects the brain. It is believed that developed sahasrara gives high level intelligence up to genius, well-developed intuition. In Buddhism, it is responsible for the feeling of nirvana. Meditation occurs in the lotus position or Padmasana.

Second, AJNA, is located in the space between the eyebrows. It is often called the “third eye”. Sound "OM", color blue. Responsible for the development of intuition, emotional control, and extrasensory abilities. Meditation on it takes place in Virasana(hero pose) and Matsiasane(fish pose).

Third, VISHUDKA, is located in the throat area. The sound is “HAM”, and its color is blue. This chakra is in charge of communication, creativity, and self-expression. Meditation on it is performed in an asana called Mahamudra(great seal pose).

Fourth ANAHATA. Sound "YAAM", color green. Heart, as it is also called. Located in the thoracic region. Responsible for breathing control, empathy and emotions such as love, devotion, kindness. This mantra is chanted in asanas that reveal chest: Ushtrasana(camel pose) and Chakrasane(bridge, wheel pose).

The fifth is in the solar plexus, MANIPURA. Its color is yellow, its mantra is “RA”. Responsible for power, control, confidence. They meditate on it while in Sarvangasane(birch tree pose).

Sixth, SVADHISTHANA. Its color is orange, the sound is “VAM”. It is located in the abdominal area, four fingers below the navel. In her power: sexual pleasure, emotions, desires and pleasures. It is best revealed during meditation in Bhujangasane(cobra pose).

The last one is the seventh MULADHARA. It is also often called “root”. located in the coccyx area. The color is red, the sound is “LAM”. It is considered the main center of life. Responsible for the desire to live, self-preservation instincts, all types of aggression, safety, health, desire to procreate. Meditation on it is performed in asana Ardha Matsyendrasana.

Rules for meditation and chanting mantras on the chakras

First of all, It is important to clear your head of unnecessary thoughts and emotions. This is done so that nothing interferes with you during the meditation process. Cleansing from obsessive thoughts and strong emotions is achieved through meditation.

As in other yoga practices, it is advised not to eat for at least a couple of hours until the meditation itself.

In addition, it is important that no one distracts you during the practice.
At first, you need to choose the voice and music you should like.

After finishing the meditation it is important relax the body and normalize breathing. The dead man's pose is suitable for this or Shavasana. You need to lie in it for at least ten minutes.

Take care of your comfort while chanting mantras. You should neither be hot nor cold. For beginners, it will be difficult to perform some of the above asanas and chant the corresponding mantra at the same time. Therefore, you can do this practice while sitting. There are other options for working with chakras that are performed while lying down. However, mantras are always chanted while sitting.

Chakras hide many reserves of our body and inner “I”. In order for them to work properly, it is important to give them proper attention. Meditation on the chakras with mantras for each of them is one of effective ways working with these energy centers.