How it works
If you are a techie like me I am sure you’ve been wondering how this meditation works and if it will really apply to what you are looking for. So let’s dive in!
First of all, this technique uses the power of sound. On your first instructional session with me, you will receive your own personalized sound, also called a bija mantra. And I say sound on purpose because the word you’ll receive has no intended meaning. It’s a subtle vibration meant to calm your mind and along with it your nervous system.
If the sound would have a meaning, the mind will automatically cling to the meaning instead of using its vibration. For example, if I say ‘flower’, your mind will immediately serve you an image of a flower. But with a sound there will be no such imagery.
You would ask: Ok. Ok. But how exactly does this sound relax the mind? Good question. This is the nature of these mantras/sounds. They are not a man-made creation. They are subtle vibrations that have existed in nature for a long time now. They have a frequency designed to resonate with your nervous system. And as we know from quantum physics and our friend Albert Einstein: “Everything in Life is Vibration” – our whole universe is composed of atoms vibrating.
If you've taken a chemistry class you probably remember learning about atoms, and that everything is made up of atoms. These atoms are in a constant state of motion, and depending on the speed of these atoms, things appear as a solid, liquid, or gas. Sound is also a vibration and so are thoughts.
So when we meditate, we introduce the sound inside, this gentle vibration. Naturally our mind will start to resonate/sync with it. Similar to a musical instrument, that we are tuning to the right note using a tuning fork. Also quite interesting, our brain will start emitting alpha waves, which measure between 8 and 12 Hz. They are an indication that we are in a relaxed state, not focusing on anything in particular. You may be wondering why alpha waves are so important. Well, if they are suppressed it can cause anxiety, high stress, and insomnia, boosting your alpha waves will help to increase your creativity levels. In a 2015 study, researchers found evidence that they could trigger a surge in creativity if they specifically focused on enhancing alpha waves.
Next we have the concept of entrainment (not entertainment 😀) that comes into play.
So entrainment in physics refers to the frequency locking of two oscillating bodies, i.e., bodies that can move in stable periodic or rhythmic cycles. They have different frequencies or movement periods when moving independently, but when interacting they assume a common period. A cute example of this is a leaf falling from a tree and being blown by a gentle breeze, the leaf will fall/move in sync with the wind, not faster or slower. Or a stick of wood floating on a river will move with the speed of the flowing water.
And this is exactly what happens between the mantra and our mind. The mind will start to vibrate with the frequency of the mantra. And naturally become more peaceful and quiet, until it will reach a state of no thoughts. Finally! Some quiet time! Awesome, right? I know. It actually exists. This state is also called the state of transcendence. To transcend means to ‘go beyond’. Beyond what? Beyond the thinking mind.
The good news is that this will happen consistently with every meditation that you do. Starting with the first time you receive your mantra. This is the mechanics of this type of meditation. It is not a belief system, it simply works like that in accordance with laws of physics. Like gravitation does.
While ‘dipping’ into this state during meditation, our nervous system goes into rest and repair mode – parasympathetic activation. It will start to balance the many systems of our bodies, effectively bringing our body to homeostasis (optimal functioning of the organism) and in time to allostatic balance, which is even cooler. Because here is where true effortless resilience starts to naturally develop in your body.
Our hormones will be regulated, especially the cortisol (aka stress hormone). There are many scientific studies that show a reduction in cortisol of 30% when practicing this technique. This is definitely good news for people struggling with anxiety (I speak from personal experience here). This was one of the first things I noticed on the first days of meditation practice.
Did you know that there are different types of meditation?
There are 3 main types of meditation.
All of them promote health and well-being. The differences come in the technique, brain wave activity and mental effort. As you can see in the diagram.
Sakura meditation is a Vedic meditation technique.
What I love about this technique is that it is very easy to learn and implement in the daily life, no matter how busy the schedule is.
It can be done anywhere and anytime. No additional apps or gadgets are required.
Just me and my sound, —sitting in a comfortable position with the back supported. (I think this was the winning point for me)