Effects of Chanting Om and Yoga Nidra on Anxiety - Steps, Benefits, and Tips

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is an ancient and complex process that was earlier a spiritual process, but now it has become a process of the physical and psychological well-being of a person. There are various forms of yoga, some of which are gentle practices, and others are physically demanding ones. The main aim of yoga is to give a good physical and psychological shape to a person's life and to experience infinity. So while doing yoga, one should keep in mind to make correct posture and experience infinity. This happens with practice. Yoga is mainly the addition of mind, body, and soul.

In the present time, the whole world is fighting with COVID-19, a world pandemic, which ultimately leads to psychological and physical disorders in most of the population of the world. The number of young people suffering from psychological disorders like anxiety and depression is constantly increasing. Allopathy has always been used as medical care for good health and helps in removing signs and symptoms of an illness. But unfortunately, it is unsuccessful in reducing the amount of stress.

What Is Chanting Yoga?

It is a rhythmic repetition of sounds that creates vibration throughout the body and calms the soul and mind of a person. Chanting not only helps in deepening the practice of yoga but helps in increasing consciousness and calming a person. A calm mind works more effectively. Various mantras are used in chanting yoga. Out of these, the most common ones are:

1. Om mantra.

2. Soham mantra.

3. Om namo narayana mantra.

4. Om namah shivay.

5. Om shanti.

What Is Om Mantra and Its Powers?

Om is thought to be an ancient sound that began first in the universe. Om is completely formed after one exhales, so it includes the whole procedure of inhalation and exhalation, and it creates a vibration all over the body, which connects a person to the creation. It is not just a word; it is a wave of the universe. Om is used at the beginning of yoga and also at the beginning of every ritual performed by hindus, jains, sikhs and buddhas. It is thought that om connects human beings to nature. It can be chanted silently or loudly. By repeating the word, a person's breath is aligned with the mind and provides positive vibes to their mind, body, and soul if it is chanted correctly.

How to Chant Om Correctly?

Om is not just o-m; rather it is pronounced as aa-uu-m, in which the mouth is open when someone pronounces aa, mouth is half closed when someone pronounces uu, and lastly, when m list pronounced mouth is fully closed.

1. Step 1- The first syllable, aa, is actually pronounced as awe, in which the mouth is wide open, and words come from the throat like it is stretched out. Vibrations are felt in the chest.

2. Step 2- Now, this sound is pronounced as oo, in which lips are closed, and as the words come from towards the upper palate, vibrations are felt in the throat instead of the chest.

3. Step 3- And finally, the last word, m, is pronounced by touching the roof of the mouth through the tip of the tongue.

4. Step 4- This is the silence part after chanting om. This is the most important part of yoga chanting.

What Are Advantages of Chanting Om?

1. Home Remedy for Stomach Ache- Many studies say that stomach muscle gets relaxed by chanting om. And hence, whenever a person has a stomach ache, chanting yoga is recommended.

2. Calms Minds- According to a few studies it is proved that yoga brings awareness and hence, calms mind, body, and soul and brings in positive vibes. It is seen that many teenagers have anger issues which can also be solved by chanting yoga. The productivity level of a person increases with a calm mind.

3. Reduction of Stress- It is seen that nowadays, anxiety and depression are common problems of every individual. Om chanting brings positive energy to the surroundings and hence, reduces stress which in turn helps in the reduction of anxiety or depression. This results in a happy and calm life.

4. Health Benefits of Om- Chanting of om increases immunity levels and hence helps in the reduction of many diseases. As it produces a vibration through the vocal cord, it clears up sinuses. It also helps in reducing various cardiovascular diseases by reducing blood pressure levels which is due to relaxation of the mind and reduction of stress and hence the heart beats in a regular manner.

What Tips Should Be Followed While Chanting Om?

1. Always find a comfortable and calm place to sit.

2. Always sit in a posture called sukhasana.

3. Back should be straight with relaxed shoulders.

4. Eyes should remain closed till chanting is completed.

5. Focus on breathing while chanting.

6. Chanting should be followed by a yoga session every day to keep one's day calm and happy.

7. Sometimes one can chant in a group. It provides more positive energy.

8. Some people use beads like rudraksha beads for chanting.

What Is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is also called psychic sleep or sleep with full awareness. During this, surprisingly the body sleeps, but the mind remains awake and hence it also creates self-awareness like chanting om. It has its origin in ancient practices called Nyasa, which means repeating a mantra mentally with concentration using specific parts of the body. It is used as a therapeutic technique for curing anxiety, depression, drug abuse, and many diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, cardiac diseases, etc.

Conclusion

It is concluded that although allopathy medicines dominate the world, yogas help in curing the roots of diseases and preventing them from being affected. Through various studies, it has been found that yoga helps to reduce stress and balance life. It is known that stress and lack of sleep are the root cause of most diseases like hypertension and diabetes and also major causes of suicide attempts. People worldwide are taking antidepressants, sleeping pills, etc., but still, the increasing rate of suicides and diseases is not reducing.Out of all forms, chanting in yoga plays a major role in reducing stress. As it is said “prevention is better than cure.” It should be made a part of daily life as it is cost-effective and makes one's life easy and happy by making one's body and mind calm; it relaxes us and keeps us away from anxiety, and depression.