How Tantrik Mantra & Visualization Works Artwork

For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish

The world of Yoga is wide and varied. In this podcast, yogi Nish the Fish shares the deeper dimensions of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra, asking the big questions: why do we practice? What is meditation? What is the purpose of a human life? What is Beauty? What is Death? Nishanth Selvalingam studied various South Asian philosophies with his Shaivite grandfather in an ashram in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and moved to Los Angeles to study philosophy, teach yoga and play guitar in a rock band. Join him and special guests as they explore Yoga, in all its splendours. For more episodes and instruction, and to support this humble offering of the heart, visit me on Patreon: patreon.com/yogawithnish

All Episodes

For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish

How Tantrik Mantra & Visualization Works

October 13, 2024 • Nishanth Selvalingam • Season 8 • Episode 72

The calling card of Tantrik spiritual practice is creative visualization on rich, complex and thoroughly symbolic imagery along with the repetition and chanting of subtle sound patterns or speech formulae known as "mantras." After all, Tantra is a highly aesthetic tradition and it is as much of a literary and artistic movement as it is a spiritual one! If you want to learn more about Tantrik art and spirituality you can check out these two videos here and here.

Anyway, the heart of Tantra is connecting to a particular form of Divinity, an aspect of Non-Dual Consciousness, through visualizing that Deity's specific form while chanting the Deity's mantra. Many often wonder: "how does all of this work? What is the inner mechanism behind the process? Is there a psychological explanation for why simply visualizing something and repeating something can induce a full-blown mystical experience?

Also, if you are regularly chanting a mantra or something like a kavacam (Tantrik hymn of protection) but not enjoying the desired effect, we say a few things to (a) troubleshoot why this might be the case and (b) resolve the issue for better, more meaningful and more effective chanting!

Of course, this discussion is centered around the Mahalaxmī-Dhyānam (meditation on the Warrior Laxmī) which we also talked about in the previous podcast episode/ video here.

Laxmī pūjā (the upcoming full moon after Sārada Navarātri) is coming up so it's nice to contemplate Mā in this form as much as we can around this time!

Jai Mā!

For more detailed Kali puja instructions, watch this playlist:
https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815

For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish

To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

Support the show