We all live with the mind, governed by the countless thoughts that race through the mind. The mind can provide you with a healthy or unhealthy life. Memories of the miseries one might have encountered in the past and worries about the future, both can destroy the healthy state of mind. Only a healthy mind can produce all the required secretions, chemicals, enzymes etc. in the body, thus harmonizing health. A disturbed mind not only disturbs the quality of your life, but also has negative effects at the physical level producing toxins that make you physically unhealthy. Living continuously with a disturbed mind would ultimately result in a totally depressed, suppressed state of life.

How can one develop mental health? Japam is the medicine for developing a healthy mind. Whenever we hear the word Japam, we take it to mean the repetition of the Mantras of Gods or Goddesses. But if we understand the concept of Japam scientifically, it is the real means to strengthen and balance our mind. Every religion teaches us the importance of Japam. But the large majority of people do it mechanically with faith in God. Very few, because of their association with divine people, understand the inner meaning of Japam.

So, the first and foremost aspect to understand about Japam is that it is not enough that we do Nama Japam mechanically. We can transform our mind only when we understand the actual meaning and science of Japam.

How should one do Nama Japam?

Try to follow the following steps while you do Japam.

• After waking up in the morning, with a clean body, sit comfortably on a mat. (It doesn’t matter even if you don’t take bath)
• Sit straight, keeping your hands in CHIN Mudra on your knees.
• Close your mouth and eyes and take deep breaths, focusing your attention on the sound of your breathing. Feel that your breath is a bridge. When it enters your body, it merges with your own Self; when you breathe out, it merges with the Universe. So, your breath connects your Self and the Universe.
• When you breathe out, feel the sound is like AUM which contains three components “Aa”- representing the manifestation

“Uu”- the present existence and “Mm”- the dissolution

Now, understand that your body has come from the Pancha Bhoothas (Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth). Space is plasma, air is vibration, fire is friction, water is liquid and earth is solid. Introspect about your own life.

Your solid body has come from your mother’s womb. Before attaining the solid form, it existed in a liquid form. The liquid was generated from heat. The heat was generated because of the vibrations of the bodies of the parents. The vibration came from the desire in the minds. Before the origin of the desire, everything was in Space.

Your body manifested from the Pancha Bhoothas, is maintained by the Pancha Bhoothas and will dissolve into the Pancha Bhoothas. Ultimately your body will become ONE with the universe. As the wave dissolves and disappears in the ocean, your body will dissolve in Nature. Understand there is no destruction, but only transformation happening to the body in the form of appearance and disappearance. This is the journey of the body.

When you breathe in, you could breathe because of the Self and you are conscious about the breathing because of the mind. Now, understand that your mind also came from the Self, exists in the Self and must merge into the Self. You attain oneness with the Self.

All our Scriptures state this; and the Rishis declare from their own experience that this is God realization or God experience. When you do this Sadhana, your mind comes closer and closer to the Self. Such a mind becomes strong and powerful. It can easily detach and divert attention from problems to real solutions. Understand that a weak mind alone worries over problems. Those with weak minds find time only to complain. A strong mind finds the right solutions to the problems faced. People with strong and healthy minds spread the radiance and fragrance of positive energy.

In the place of AUM you can chant any Mantra, with the awareness that all the Mantras are thousands and thousands of names of your own Self. In other words, when you recite a Mantra, you are expressing respect and honouring and surrendering your Self physically to the Universal Energy and mentally to the Energy of Divine Consciousness.

HariOm!