MANTRA JOE
by Laura Plumb

Joe hadn’t had a peaceful night’s sleep in over thirty years. He often woke up in a cold sweat, sometimes screaming in terror. Recently, though, this Vietnam war veteran enrolled in a mantra therapy program at Balboa Naval Hospital where a group of vets have been taught to inwardly recite a ”mantra” for five minutes a day, and any time they feel agitated.

Two of the men in his group chose to repeat the words “Ave Maria.” This vet chose “OM Shanti.” He had no idea what it meant. He says he just like the rhythm of it, the way the words flow. As amazing as it might sound, it worked. The nightmares, the depression, even the addictions Joe fought for so many years have subsided and now this Vietnam Vet is sleeping peacefully.

Knowing that our veterans have these and other tools for coping with the stress of war is reassuring. But what about their families? How does someone bear the 15 or 18-month absence of husband or wife, father or child? What happens to the little ones whose mother or father is absent for such vital years? How does anyone live with the daily worry of having a beloved in a war zone where American deaths are now being reported almost daily? How are these long years endured and what are the scars they leave?

As Balboa Hospital’s research and practice shows, there are ancient methods to remedy stress arguably now more relevant and necessary than ever. Yoga, the larger science of which mantra therapy is but one aspect, has been addressing the problem of human stress, conflict, unhappiness, and mental imbalances for over five thousand years.

In fact, Yoga did not evolve to help people get exercise. In ancient times when Yoga emerged, people were more physically active than we are now. But even five to ten thousand years ago in the rich, fertile Indus Valley, despite the great abundance, people dealt with stress and discontent. So certain wise people studied nature, the human mind and human experience, and applied tools and techniques to balance the mind and bring individuals back into a state mental well-being. Over thousands of years, and many thousand experiments, Yoga emerged as a science of happiness.

Today Yoga is also a science of wellness, too. It creates a healthy body because physical wellness is the foundation for a happy state of mind. Yoga uses movement, what we call “Asana,” to purify and strengthen the body, so we can be comfortable physically and have the energy we need for our lives. Asana requires concentration, too, which helps develop the mind.

In Yoga, we use breathing practices to calm the nervous system and to quiet the roiling mind. We use mantra, or repetition of basic sounds, to soothe the nerves and comfort the heart. We sit quietly for a few minutes before and after class to cleanse the mind and bring spaciousness to the usually crowed mental field.

Happiness is like a work of art ~ one develops skills and works steadily and diligently until the sudden moment when the art is spontaneously revealed. Just as great works of art have emerged out of dark, depressing eras, happiness, or contentment, can emerge from worried, scary times. Yoga is the path that can lead us from darkness to light, from loneliness to joy, from helplessness to power.


Coronado Eagle
June 2007