It’s July 1st and tomorrow I head out on an adventure to my two favorite I countrys: Ireland and Italy. Ireland has been one of my go to places for almost 20 years. After meeting spiritual teacher Derek O’Neill in NYC in 2005, I have been to Ireland and his family’s healing center almost every year since. Creacon Wellness Retreat is situated in New Ross, Wexford County and through all the changes over the years, it remains a most sacred place for me and many others.

After that little visit, I then take off into the great unknown for a meditation retreat on the island of Ischia with the Happiness Sangha. This is the reward I have given myself for making it through one of the most difficult years I have ever lived – not that too much bad stuff was happening externally – more like a perfect storm on the inside – almost like every loss, doubt, fear I ever had about myself as a human and a spiritual being was activated – speaking really loud internally. My only choice was to listen and love it all. oh Joy!

And that is the truth. Oh joy. This harrowing journey of self-reckoning, loss and healing invited me into an even deeper, more authentic expression of my true self and all the joy and sorrow that entails. (new music coming soon ;))

What helped me this past year and what has always helped me is practicing mantra. What is mantra, you may ask? In preparing to write this I looked up online the actual definitions of mantra – there were many. Here is one I resonate with:

From Deepak Chopra’s website: “In our westernized, modern-day spiritual practices the word “mantra” has become as mainstream as “intention.” But the two are actually quite different. The word mantra can be broken down into two parts: “man,” which means mind, and “tra,” which means transport or vehicle. In other words, a mantra is an instrument of the mind—a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation.

Like a seed planted with the intention of blossoming into a beautiful perennial, a mantra can be thought of as a seed for energizing an intention. Much in the same way you plant a flower seed, you plant mantras in the fertile soil of practice. You nurture them and over time they bear the fruit of your intention.

I have been using mantra and contemplative prayer my whole life. A mantra my mom used which was one of my first recordings is known as a prayer of loving kindness goes like this:

May I be at peace
May my heart remain open
May I awaken the to the light of my own true nature
May I be healed
May I be a source of healing for all beings

Check out all 3 versions: the OG, combined with Samastah, and the Live version

I have also recorded these mantras: Asato Ma, Gate Gate, Om Nimah Shivaya, Om Sri Laksmi, Hare Krishna and my most streamed track on Spotify Om gam ganapataye namaha.

These mantras are in Sanskrit but mantras can also be in English and as simple as “I am loved and I am lovable” (see Chopra for lots of great teachings on mantras and meditation). I have a song called I am that I am, which many use like a mantra.

No matter what is happening in your life or in your mind, you can tune into mantras that help sustain and create what it is you truly want in your life. Tune into me, tune into to you, tune into whatever or whoever feels right and empowered.

When I return from this trip I will be offering one-on-one mantra healing sessions as well as group classes sharing more of what I have learned and practiced using mantra. Have a beautiful July and I will see you on the other side of my great adventure into Love, self-compassion and joy joy joy!