HANNAH LEATHERBURY
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The Mantra of Peace - Asato Ma Sadgamaya (8:51 min)

4/23/2018

8 Comments

 
Full MoonPhotograph by Rachel Perry
Last week, I was scared. It was a lingering fear that spread itself out in a thin layer over days. My normally hearty appetite was gone and I worried about what to eat. Thin lines framed the corners of my mouth and teeth marks imprinted the sides of my tongue (both signs of malabsorption according to Ayurvedic medicine.)

At first, I related my indigestion to a lavish meal I took in celebration my husband's 39th birthday. The meal involved a glass of prosecco, an appetizer with goat cheese and truffle honey, a wood-fired pizza, and creme brulee for dessert. Though, I was already full by the end of the appetizers, I could not leave that last bite of creme brulee on the table and it made me hurt.

Two days after this meal however, I was still having no inspiration to eat my morning breakfast. I felt edgy and tense. I had scheduled a craniosacral treatment many weeks before and that afternoon found myself staring  at an intake form for my session.

What would you like to receive from your session today?

"Balance" I wrote, and then went on to describe my weak appetite and indigestion.

My therapist came over to review my form. When she asked me what I hoped to receive from my session, I repeated what was written on the form.

Then almost uncontrollably, I vomited the words "and my friend's husband has cancer. He's 35." My eyes grew wet and hot. She nodded. "That is a lot to swallow."

The night before my husband celebrated his 39th birthday, a dear friend told me her husband was diagnosed with stage 2-3 colon cancer. His surgery was scheduled for the following Saturday and depending upon the results of the surgery, he would need chemotherapy treatments. This summer, my friend and her husband (who share the same birthday and got married on their birthdays) are set to celebrate his 36th birthday on their anniversary. Their youngest son is not yet 1 years old and their oldest son is in preschool.

Too much to swallow. 


During the craniosacral session, I laid face up on a massage table while two therapists held space for me. Hot tears ran down into my ears, and a Sanskrit mantra came to mind. The mantra was taught to me as a way to reframe my thinking when I felt afraid, lost or overwhelmed:

Lead me from misunderstanding to truth 
Lead me from ignorance to wisdom 
Lead me from what is limited (fear of death) to limitlessness (knowledge of the everlasting) 

For the first time in days, my stomach gurgled and I swallowed. 

In this months audio meditation, I will share this mantra with you. I feel great peace believing that it might be sung across a great web of caring souls. 
​
Namaste,
Hannah

8 Comments
Carmen
4/25/2018 07:14:47 am

Thank you for sharing this mantra. It helps me organize my mind and find clarity. Namaste

Reply
Dorothy Wohlslagel
4/25/2018 01:47:36 pm

Great meditation, Hannah. Thank you for sharing your story too. I have heard Deva Premal sing this mantra and it is one of my favorites. I find the third phrase a little harder to catch and I would love to see it in written form (in English) to help. Thank you again! Love you, Dorothy

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Hannah
4/26/2018 02:49:32 pm

Namaste Carmen,

Clarity is something I also experience when I chant this mantra. I am glad it serves you.

Reply
Hannah
4/26/2018 02:57:49 pm

Hello Dorothy!

Deva Premal's melody was an inspiration for the recording - she has a powerful way of transmitting the vibration of this mantra. In terms of the last line of the mantra - it was the hardest for me to wrap my tongue around, but it is literally translated:

Lead me from death to immortality - but my way of relating to it is something more like: Lead me from feeling limited, helpless and insignificant to feeling connected to all that is, limitless and whole.

Phonetically, the chant runs together some of the words:
mrit-your-(maam)-rit-am gama-ya

Reply
Allegra
4/27/2018 11:56:38 am

Hugs to you sweet friend.

Reply
Hannah
4/27/2018 04:47:54 pm

Hugs received my friend and returned one thousand fold

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swaha pattanaik
6/1/2018 04:29:19 pm

Thanks for this beautiful audio. I've known this mantra all my life, but never thought of chanting regularly and the impact it could have.

Reply
Mary Grieger
12/17/2018 07:53:12 pm

I sing this mantra with my 3 & 11 yr old children. It is a wonderful way to settle & quiet all of our minds. And to pause to breathe. Thank you.

Reply



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    Hannah Leatherbury

    ​Hannah has been a student of yoga and meditation since 2003 and a practitioner of Ayurveda since 2013. She spent a decade teaching yoga classes and yoga teacher trainings throughout the metro-DC area. In August of 2019, she left full-time teaching to pursue a two-year Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She intends to combine yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda into speech therapy sessions with those struggling to share their voices. While she does not currently teach regular classes, you can study with her online through Insight Timer. 

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