being our own champion

unless you have been living under a rock, behind a tree, on the moon, or sailing the seven seas, it cannot have escaped your attention that the world, and particularly the UK, has been caught up in the frenzy of Olympic fever!...for just over 10 days now, this epic and iconic competition of what seems to me to be bionic super human feats, has been unraveling in a kaleidoscope of emotion, both the highs and lows...though not usually a sporting enthusiast, the moments i have sat down to watch have filled me with a mixture of awe, joy, bewilderment (erm...the steeplechase?? discus throwing ???) and at times have left me very moved indeed (Saturday nights triple gold anyone! :-))

with a cast of hundreds and the support of thousands, these athletes of adamantine proportions, and super glowing health seem to achieve the impossible...which got me to thinking...what is it that lifts us with such internal force and drive, to leap (in this case quite literally!) and go for...ahem...gold? :-) 

in the case of these god and goddess like Olympians, their preparation will have been incredibly consuming; countless hours, days, weeks and months of practice; the right diet and healthy living; focus, concentration and the willingness to dig deeper, further, and out n' beyond the 'edges'...

and yet, what strikes me as probably the most important thing, as seen so clearly on the faces of these athletes, is the sense of utter and total self belief!..it's palpable...not just in the diamond hard focus, but in the body language, the way a head is held up, chest open and lifted, and in the (probably) one thought that repeats like a mantra in their mind...''i am the champion..i can do this..i am the best!!''...not only this, but the support of the home crowd surely increases the energy and intent by a 1000%...we all know what it is like to have the support and 'go for it!' mentality of our friends and loved ones...it's like a power source, and one that we can plug into...it reminds me of practicing together with others...the experience seems to deepen the intensity of whatever we are doing...in fact it is said that chanting mantras with others increases their (what i like to call..) super power by 100!!..incentive to head down to your local class or join a sangha indeed!!

now, as the years of my practice have eroded and sometimes sand-papered (well it times it can feel like that!!!) the layers of 'stuff' that has been hiding my light from the world, i have reached, what i feel to be, a deep rooted belief, or samskara (the yogic term for an ingrained habit or belief)...i kinda always knew it was lurking beneath and now it has come up to the surface...its a tricky one my friends, as when i feel into it, not seeking to avoid, distract, resist it, it feels uncomfortable, painful and a little (technical term alert!) icky!...what is this?...deep breath...it's my lack of self confidence, belief and value in my own self and worth...phew!!!..i told ya it was a biggy!

so...time to don the warrioress's gown, tighten my belt of power, and put up my shining shield against getting lost down this particular hole!..not this time lil samskara..no i will not run from you...it's time to use the force and go head to head!...and my weapon of choice?...

a mantra...

its been a while since i last used mantras for a specific practice, but nonetheless i am a devoted champion of their magic abilities...this time, i have called upon the mantra for building...erm...self confidence :-)...the late acharya thomas ashley farrand describes his take on this chant:

''...i wish i could give this mantra to every woman who has doubts about her own abilities or her own power. associated with the feminine principle, this mantra produces an extremely powerful effect, giving a sense of one's power, and the wisdom to use that power wisely''

sounds good hey?!

so..here it is..traditionally you would chant this with intention for a period of 40 days...using a mala (108 beads strung together to count), or your fingers..or simply chant this as you go through the day...there is plenty of information available on the web if you are interested in deepening your understanding of working with mantras..though i do recommend thomas farrands book 'healing mantras'

om eim hrim klim chamundayei vichei namaha

(om and salutations to she who is radiant with power and wisdom)

eim=the seed sound for saraswati, the goddess of sounds, the arts, and sciences...she also helps dispel certain types of negative energy

hrim=the seed sound for dissolving illusion, for cleansing, purification and inspiration

klim=the seed sound for attraction and abundance

chamunda=the beautiful aspect of the feminine, which can also be utterly destructive to a wide variety of negative forces and influences

yei= a shakti activating sound

namaha= i place my life at the feet of the highest/ i bow to you

so far i have been chanting this mantra for about 3 weeks and am loving how it seems to open me, lift my heart, and after a period of resistance, gives me a feeling of peacefulness within myself :-)..i will certainly be continuing for the 40 day traditional period and lets see what happens!

being my own champion; belief in who i am and what i offer to the mandala of life; valuing my service to life, my expression and my presence; illuminating with the simplicity of my being; self confidence alongside humility (very important or we end up arrogant...another imbalance to this 3rd chakra energy)...i call in all of these qualities, and i bow in gratitude to the beauty that lies within the potential of each and every one of us...xxx