What Is Primordial Sound Meditation?

Primordial Sound Meditation, or PSM, is a healing practice that allows us to

experience inner calm and deep relaxation. For thousands of years, people have used

meditation to move beyond the mind’s busy activity and emotional turbulence into

profound peace and expanded awareness.

In the age of digital devices, social media, and busy schedules, the restful awareness

we experience during meditation is more valuable than ever. The term restful

awareness captures the unique combination of physical relaxation and an alert yet

quiet mind. The pace of life has accelerated, and every day we are bombarded with

more information and stimulation than our ancestors encountered during entire

lifetimes. Not surprisingly, the number of people suffering from stress, anxiety,

insomnia, and chronic health problems is on the rise—and many are searching for

peace of mind.

The most direct way to experience inner silence and well-being is meditation, a tool

to rediscover the body's own inner intelligence. As scientific research reveals, when

you meditate, your breathing slows, blood pressure decreases, and stress hormone

levels fall.

Primordial Sound Meditation isn’t about forcing your mind to be quiet; it’s about

experiencing the silence that's already there and making it a part of your life. Silence

is the birthplace of happiness, creativity, and infinite possibilities. From this field of

pure potentiality we get our bursts of inspiration, our most intuitive thoughts, and our

deepest sense of connection to the universe. Practicing meditation on a daily basis

allows you to weave silence and stillness into your mind and body to create a life of

greater compassion and fulfillment. Even when your mind is filled with agitated

thoughts, you still have access to the inner stillness and calm that always lies beneath

the choppy surface of thought and emotion.

Primordial Sounds and Mantras

There are many different ways to meditate. At the Chopra Center, we offer

instruction in Primordial Sound Meditation, a powerful meditation technique rooted

in the Vedic tradition of India. Chopra Center co-founders Deepak Chopra and David

Simon have revived this ancient practice and made it available in a format that’s easy

to learn.

When you learn Primordial Sound Meditation, you will receive a personal mantra. A

mantra is a specific sound or vibration that helps you to enter deeper levels of

awareness. A Sanskrit term that translates as "vehicle of the mind," a mantra truly is a

vehicle that takes you into quieter, more peaceful levels of the mind.

The mantra you will receive is the vibration the universe was creating at the time and

place of your birth, and it is calculated following Vedic mathematic formulas. When

you silently repeat your mantra in meditation, it creates a vibration that helps you slip

into the space between your thoughts, into the complete silence that is sometimes

referred to as "the gap." Your mind is no longer caught up in its noisy internal chatter

and is instead exposed to its own deepest nature: pure awareness.

What Are the Benefits of Meditation?

As many studies show, a regular meditation practice offers numerous health benefits,

including lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, and releasing

stress and fatigue. In fact, meditating for half an hour can provide more psychological

rest than a full night's sleep. As you meditate on a regular basis, you will notice an

increased sense of well-being, as well as greater energy and creativity.

Today doctors are increasingly citing stress as a major contributing factor to most

illnesses. Even though meditation should not be considered a cure by itself, research

has shown it to be beneficial for a wide range of health problems. As stress is greatly

eliminated through Primordial Sound Meditation, our minds and bodies begin to

function with maximum effectiveness, creating health, vitality, and happiness.

Practicing Primordial Sound Meditation on a daily basis can help you to:

• Manage stress

• Reduce anxiety

• Improve your relationships

• Create inner peace

• Awaken your intuition

• Lower your blood pressure

• Become less judgmental

• and more