RamDev – Healing at the Edge – Ep. 19 – Mantra Yoga with Monica Abrahamsen

RamDev - Healing at the Edge - Ep. 19 - Mind on the Mantra with Monica Abrahamsen

Monica Abrahamsen joins Dale for a conversation around the practice of mantra, including the aspects that can be most difficult and transformative.

Show Notes

All is Possible by God’s Name (Opening) – Dale and Monica talk about the tremendous power that lies in the repetition of the names of God. They discuss the mechanics of mantra and the importance of intention that goes into the practice.

“Saying a mantra, having the positive experience of remembering God and realizing our unity with God, eventually begins to balance out all those stressful things that are happening in our life. It begins to create new neural pathways in our brain.” – RamDev RamDev

Coming Back to the Name (14:15) – We look at the growing devotion and drawing in towards the divine that inevitably happens with regular mantra practice.

“As you say God’s name, you begin to realize that you and God are not separate. Hanuman was a devotee of Ram and said Ram’s name. When somebody asked him about his relationship to Ram he said that when he forgets who he is that he loves Ram, but when he remembers himself he knows that he is one with Ram. As the mantra deeps, even beyond this dualistic ‘I am in love with Ram,’ it becomes ‘I am Ram.” – RamDev RamDev

Krishna Das reflects on the practice of mantra and reminds us of why we chant on Ep. 58 on the Pilgrim Heart Podcast

Mantra and the Ego (20:10) – Just like with psychedelics or meditation, what comes up early on during mantra practice can be scary stuff that we tend to want to avoid. Monica and Dale discuss natural fears that arise when we confront our “stuff” (as Krishna Das calls it) through the repetition of mantra. They reflect on the way that culture influences our expression and perception of self-worth and the ego.

“It seems like when people get in touch with God that it can become too much. Almost like we cannot handle it.” – Monica Abrahamsen

Dale’s Dirty Secret (33:50) – Dale shares a secret about some of the difficulty that comes with our efforts early on in spiritual practice. He shares a lesson that he learned from his time with Maharaj-ji around relaxing the mind and letting go.