Om Shanti Shanti Shanti: Mantra for Peace

The Om Shanti meditation is one of the most widely used mantras around the globe. The phrase is used in Hindu-Vedic traditions, and is employed by practitioners of yoga in both Western and Eastern schools.

In this post we’ll take a look at what om shanti is, and how you can use it to enhance your meditations.

Om Shanti Meaning

Om Shanti is an invocation for peace.

Om, in Sanskrit, cannot be translated into a specific meaning, but is used extensively as an invocation to God. It is said to be the original sound of the universe, and the chanting of the sound om is said to connect an individual to their divine source, or universal essence.

Shanti, is most commonly translated to mean peace. In some variations, shanti can be used to refer to a divine calm or sense of bliss-oneness with all that is.

Thus, when you chant Om, shanti, shanti, shanti, the mantra is an invocation to the universal, divine power within each of us, to bring peace to yourself and the world.

Often, shanti is repeated three times in order to represent peace of mind, peace in the body, and peace of spirit.

How To Use The Mantra

There are a number of different ways you could use the mantra and begin to incorporate it into your life.

During Meditation

The first, and most common way to use Om Shanti mantra is through a meditation practice.

To use the mantra, simply repeat the phrase during your meditation practice. You can do this by extending out each word for several counts, humming or singing the words in a slow chant.

Another variation on this technique is to chant the phrase at a moderate pace, without elongating the vowel syllables. Then, after you finish the chant, allow a short space of silence.

The silence after the chant allows the energy of the phrase to settle within you, so you can embody more strongly the energy of peace that you invoke with the mantra. For example, you might chant through a long exhalation, then pause while you inhale.

Thirdly, you can repeat the mantra silently to yourself. While this method is said to be less powerful than chanting aloud, it still helps you to center your mind around the idea of peace, and to begin to instill that energy within you.

Click here to read more about how to use mantras during your meditation practice.

Using Om Shanti In Everyday Life

Another way to incorporate the Om Shanti mantra is to begin to use it in daily life, stating it either as part of a greeting or a goodbye.

Used in this way, the mantra isn’t that different from saying ‘namaste’ or wishing someone well before you begin a conversation, or just before you part ways.