I was looking for a new Sanskrit mantra to work with in my morning meditation practice. As I researched the sacred mantras in my text, one in particular landed with me.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
Liberation.
It stunned me. I couldn’t move past it.
What did I need to be liberated from, I thought to myself?
After no more than a beat, this: Everything.
Limiting thoughts and beliefs that were holding me back or keeping me stuck.
Old relationship wounds that were still buried deep in my heart, not allowing me to move forward and find real love.
Decades of torment around food, my body, how I looked, what others thought of me.
Negative blocks around money I didn’t even know I had.
Anxiety and fear buried deep within my root and sacral chakras, keeping me from feeling safe in the world. A steady state of panic that would cause me to hold my breath and then catch it, gasping for air.
Everything that I didn’t even know I needed to be liberated from until I removed the layers. But first I had to descend. Through painfully removing distractions and addictions. Through yoga and meditation practice. Through chanting and prayer. Through stillness.
Beyond liberation comes the thing I believe we are all seeking most in this world, even if we don’t fully realize it. Peace. Just peace. And love.
The longing is palpable.
