Homework Leading up to Discussion Class
In our next class together we will be discussing your experience with Mantra Japa and Mantra meditation. In preparation for this class you will need to read the primary essays on mantra on this website (the next post). Also feel free to look through any of Sri Shambhavananda’s satsang texts for additional guidance on mantra— this should be easy to find as it is such a fundamental practice.
Take time to answer the free write prompts as you go in your own journal, and post one of those comments in the comments section of the primary essay post.
Dedicate your daily practice to focusing on and utilizing mantra on your cushion. Utilize the guided practices in order to see how this might be taught in a formal setting. Notice your experience— don’t just ‘do more mantra’, but feel the effect of doing more mantra, notice what it takes to bring your mind back to the mantra, participate in your practice whole heartedly and watch as the insight flows to you. Please leave a comment in the comments section of the ‘guided practice’ post with your experience of mantra practice this week. Remember, articulating our inner experience in words may feel like a lot of work, but this is what you are essentially here to learn how to do. The more often you do this after practicing, the better you will be able to express these subtle truths later. Final note— practice is always more important than reflection, so if you only have time for one or the other, always prioritize practice.
Feel free to incorporate some yoga and pranayama into your practice if you have found that beneficial. Your future students would ideally continue to utilize the previous lessons as skillful preparation for their daily practice, so by incorporating this yourself you can have a better idea of what you will be asking from them in the future.
Last but not least, there is a unique bonus practice for this section called the Mantranōm, a playful approach to multiplying your mantras everyday. This is yoga tested and approved!
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, looking forward to our discussion class together!
Read & Reflect in the Week Leading Up To Class:
Primary Essays: The Mind, Mantra and our True Nature
Daily Practice Focal Points Leading Up To Class:
Do 5 minutes of Yoga and/or Pranayama with recordings, or on your own
Sit with Guided Meditations on Mantra
Eventually feel free to do your own mantra practice after you feel you have learned from the recordings