Sa Ta Na Ma—My February Meditation
This mantra is called the Primal Sound Mantra, because it consists of the five primal sounds: S,T,N,M, and ah [source]. The literal meaning is as follows:
It’s the circle of life: birth, life, death, rebirth.
I discovered it while reading Meditation as Medicine, and have been using it in February and plan to continue doing so throughout March. I began my meditation practice in January with the Ganesh mantra — Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha! — after I attended a workshop at the Laughing Lotus yoga studio in Chelsea.
According to the ancient yoga masters, mantras and meditation should be done just before dawn… “the ambrosial hours,” they call it. In his book, Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., provides some interesting modern neuroscience to support this ancient practice.
For January, I have been meditating on the Ganesh Mantra: Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha.
Ganesh, breaker of obstacles and patron of letters.
