Naam Jaap and your well-being: spirituality and the science of repetition
We live in a world that has many notifications, social networking platforms, work pressures and mass media and thus finding moments of total peace can be very hard to achieve.The mind is constantly engaged in the process of thinking; it moves from one idea to the other and from one concern to the other and from one job to the other.
Naam Jaap is a very easy yet beneficial practice that you can implement in order to calm your mind.Naam Jaap (the devotional repetition of the sacred name or mantra) has been used in Indian spiritual system since time immemorial. It is not just a way of meditating, but the same as an expression of love, trust, thanks and memory of the Divine.In this article, we will look at how these ancient spiritual traditions can benefit our mental health.Studies on meditation, mantra repetition (repeated chanting of a word or phrase), prayer, and other forms of contemplation suggest that regular occurrence of these practices (i.e., repeating the practice along with regular occurrences of these two factors) may help individuals learn how to relax, become more focused, and manage their emotions. Naam Jaap should not be used as a treatment for a mental health illness, but in many people Naam Jaap can be an important part of creating mental health. In this article we will look at ways this may occur.
What is Naam Jaap?
Naam is a word that refers to the God or the Supreme Being and Jaap means the repetition of this word in order to remember God.There are several way to perform Naam Jaap.People can perform Naam Jaap by mentally or vocally whispering a specific name such as:Radhe Radhe; Hare Rama; Ram Ram; Om Namah Shivaya; or a similar sacred term or mantra having specific spiritual value to you. Your choice may be to chant it verbally, vocally or by repetition of it in your mind. It is a practice that you can perform in various positions like sitting peacefully, walking, counting on a mala or simply spending few minutes in peaceful environment during day.Basically, Naam Jaap assists us in repeatedly going back to the same source of focus by employing our mind.
Naam jaap can help you in many ways
1.Voicing and thinking over Naam Jaap brings peace to a restless mind.
Mental overstimulation is one of the most difficult parts of modern daily life. You might choose to be resting at home, but end up thinking about an past conversation, worrying what will happen tomorrow, thinking of work left unfinished, and imaginging at least once if it will happen or not. Naam Jaap gives the mind just one simple thing to come back to. So when your thoughts try to go off in a different direction, you just turn them back towards the Holy Name respectfully. When your thought drifts, you turn it back. When a new thought comes, you turn back.
For example:
Radhe…Radhe…Radhe…..
When your thought is not with you, you bring it back. When another thought comes, you bring it back.
As you get sidetracked, you will come back to your focus time and again.
This returning is tied with the attention component of meditation. You may not want to eliminate thinking altogether. Instead, you learn that not every thought is one that requires you to go along with it. A greater sense of space in your brain could result from doing this over and an extended period of time.
- Stress Reduction May Occur Through Everyday Use.
There are many stressors, and stress is how your body reacts to those stressors; therefore, if your mind has no downtime, it may be difficult to find a place to relax.
The practice of silent Naam Jaap creates a time out during the day that you can use to help calm your mind.
You will simply sit down.
You will take deep breaths. You will say the mantra. You will listen. You will not have to problem-solve for a short time). This type of planned break can lead to your body and mind returning to a state of relaxation.
The benefits may come not only from single words but also from rhythms, repetition, breathing, concentration and a feeling of security which are connected with the practice.
It’s just kind of giving your mind a few minutes off from all the confusion.
- Naam Jaap can provide an anchor for racing thoughts
Did you ever realize just how quickly one thought can become ten? For instance, you have one issue in your mind. Then you think about how many problems that single issue can cause. Lastly, you begin to speculate about what other people may say or think about that situation.
Then there is a tension about what may occur later.
The tension and exhaustion is often of an emotional kind, with no real event having taken place.
Naam Jaap can bring you back to a sense of an anchor.
When the mind is going off for no reason and creating all sorts of weird patterns, just come back.
Naam -> breath -> attention -> now
There will still be hard thoughts. But the effect of Naam Jaap is that there will be a new relationship to these hard thoughts.