Sometimes life calls for a breaking down of the old reality in order to facilitate the birthing of the new. This is not always a pleasant realization to have and yet, using the power of mantra, such a time can transform from something potentially painful and full of resistance into a supportive experience of the transcendent new.
OM NAMA SHIVAYA
In the simplicity of this phrase lies the power of the universe and the eternal force of transformation. Shiva is the embodiment of the Cosmic presence. Shiva speaks to the consciousness behind all things, that which has the power to observe every happening from the all-seeing eye of Oneness and perfection. In this grand perspective, one can realize the beauty and necessity of change—even drastic change—and embrace it with fullness. It is through the invocation of Shiva—by use of this mantra—where we invite our body’s cells and energy field to merge with the Grace of metamorphosis, as uncomfortable as that sometimes is.
“In the name of Shiva consciousness I surrender to transformation in its depth, submitting to any death which must occur in my being, and allowing the remaining void to be filled with the creative power of Shakti and renewal.”
This is the voice and power of this mantra: To invoke the grace of change at its depth and to face it passionately and with surrender. Sometimes we recognize that a part of us is dying or needs to die. It is rarely our physical vessel that needs to go—it is often simply an outmoded way of thinking, living, or feeling that wants to go through a Shiva moment and transform. By using this mantra, we help support the death/rebirth processes in our lives so that we can get through them as smoothly as possible.
We are in an intense time of change already on the planet. If you look into every sector and arena in your life and in the world, you will see that transformation is already upon us. We are in the thick of it and have no need to “call it upon us” as it is already here. However, we can use OM NAMA SHIVAYA to bring us strength through this time of great change. As you allow the words to move out of your mouth and lungs, you can literally feel this power behind it. It is as though a firm knowing sits behind the words which speak to the alchemy at hand.
I love to chant this mantra when the chaos is swirling, to find a stronghold in the potency of this simple repetition. In this chant is thousands of years and millions of people’s trust and faith in a higher power to support the evolutionary cycles of life. I can feel all that when I chant it.
The first time I ever really chanted this mantra I was at yoga school in India. It was a dark night when we sat in the vast marble-floored courtyard of the ashram. The swamis sat up in the front with malas in hand. Om Nama Shivaya began…and then another chant to Lord Shiva—the Mahamrityunjaya mantra. The skies darkened and lightning and thunder coursed across the deepening black. It was as if Lord Shiva himself was making an appearance. My consciousness told me (during the resonant vibrations of chanting mixed with sky dances) that Lord Shiva was in fact present, and that I had walked through the doorway of one of the great transformations of my life. I knew not what the next four months would hold, but I did feel the potency of the mantras enter my being and do their work. I was forever changed by sitting in the midst of so many uttering these words with the intent to transform their beings. What a night!
When you find yourself in a situation which seems not to have an answer, whether it be due to chaos and drama, or because stagnation has taken hold, this mantra will assist in moving through the walls which hold back change, so that the new reality may birth.
I am so grateful to have access to the knowledge granted me through use of this mantra, and I pass along the secret to you today: Chant Om Nama Shivaya every day for 40 days (at least). Give it a chance to show you how it can support you. Focus your intention on what needs transformation and then watch your life align through the portals of darkness and death—into the birth-house of renewal. Like a phoenix, you will rise. Give it time to show you its effects. Trust the process and then, when you find yourself “on the other side” of it, remember to give thanks to the Word and to the Source Power within you were able to access with the power of mantra.
And so it is.
