Mantra & Mind Student Essays & Presentations
Your Assignment
Teaching about Mantra and the Mind
A Note on the Assignment
Writing a ‘Teaching Essay’ is no small task— Be compassionate with yourself in this process, and try to start early so that you can really connect inside and make it a part of your growth. Reflect on the prompts presented in the essay, read a little from the sacred texts, and most importantly meditate and feel inside yourself for how YOU connect with this topic.
The general format is a 500 word essay that would take about 5 minutes to present. In this essay/presentation we hope to communicate the idea that mantra is a tool that takes you beyond the mind to an experience of your true nature. There are a lot of different images, metaphors, quotes, and perspectives that can communicate this concept— but your goal is not to try to cover all of them, but rather, to pick the path that means the most to you, and answer those questions through that lens.
For example, perhaps you really connected with Patanjali’s description of ‘calming the thought waves of the mind’, and the image of a still body of water that allows you to see through it to the depths. Awesome, go with that! Write the metaphor out in your own words and take time unpack its many subtle layers— for example, where do the waves come from? Are the waves bad? What is it that is below the surface, and why does that matter to me? How do we calm these waves? And so on. Always try to support your descriptions and explanations with quotes from ShambhavAnanda’s book and/or the Yoga Sutras text, as it imbues your words with the power of time and tradition.
And because the angle that you are taking on the topic stems from your personal connection to your practice, ie. how mantra has worked for you, don’t hesitate to incorporate a story along the way from your life. For example, in keeping with the theme of the ‘thought waves’, my first experience of yoga was the almost unsettling, yet remarkable, feeling of quiet that surrounded me. I was walking down the street wondering who turned the volume down, the white noise of my mind was on pause! Maybe you have an experience that you can share that makes your experience relatable.
All of these things and more come very naturally once you open the door to the free writing process. So give yourself time and let yourself explore this topic organically, we are looking forward to what you have to share. And just like last time, please post your essay below, as well as the link to your oral presentation and guided meditation. in the comments section. Please leave comments for at least 2 of your peers.
Assignment Checklist:
5 min/500 Word Essay Posted in Comments
Minimum 3-4 ‘Free-Writing’ Sessions
A final free writing session to produce the finished essay
Very Minimal time spent editing, trust your work
YouTube Link Posted with Essay
To Be Recorded & Uploaded to YouTube
A 5-minute oral presentation of your essay
A 5-7 minute guided Mantra-based meditation
Establish the seat of meditation
If doing mantra out loud, lead it clearly
Establish a connection with the breath and clearly tie the mantra into the breath
Try to utilize the angle of your presentation to inspire the practice