So you’ve been working with Mantras for a while now, maybe you are working on a 40-day discipline and you are noticing that you are feeling tired- more than is customary. Maybe your significant other is mentioning that you seem more testy than usual. This could be a sign of sensory overload.

When we repeat Mantras, we are, in a sense, re-tuning our energy body. Sometimes this retuning brings in a little too much energy. More than we can safely process and this causes our body to experience overload. Our minds to shut down a bit and we feel fatigued.

The best way to deal with this is NOT to stop doing your discipline but to just cut back. If you are doing 5 malas a day for an example of a Lakshmi Mantra – may be cut back to 1 and then work your way back up. Ease up on yourself a bit. Even too much of a good thing doesn’t feel good.

We have to work with our bodies where they are. I have had a lot of experience with this personally. When I first started working with Mantras, I was in heaven and decided to do copious amounts of Mantras every day. After a while of this, I started getting very testy and then there came a point when I felt “If I do one more Mantra I’m going to jump off a mountain!”.

So I  learnt the hard way to adjust and really listen to my body. Respect where I was and not try and do more than was comfortable. It is an edge you need to ride because you don’t want to not push yourself either.

If you want to work on expanding how much energy your body can take in there is a lovely Mantra to help us with that.

NAMO NAMO GANESHAYA, VIGNESHAYA NAMO NAMAHA
VINAYAKAYA VAITUBHYUM, VIKRITAYA NAMO NAMAHA

SALUTATIONS TO GANESHA, LORD OF OBSTACLES, WORTHY OF WORSHIP AND ADORATION, OWNER OF ALL

Also, there is another issue here that needs to be brought to your attention. Sometimes when we start working on these deeply embedded and powerful patterns of ours – our karma. Things get stirred up. And just like how dirty a swimming pool looks when it’s starting to get cleaned, all the crap gets churned up to the surface.

So know that that will happen and take that into consideration. Through experience, you will find the best way to work with your energy and balance your emotions. How much can you handle – be honest with yourself and manage your growth wisely.

These are just some of the things to pay attention to on your Mantra path, but know that it is so worth it. The experiences you can have are very beautiful and humbling and will stride you on your path. Play with the amount you can handle and be easy on yourself. In time you will build up your capacity and be able to chant more and more.

With love,

Aly M. Dunne