I’m painting away and as always, as I paint, I let myself be guided to different music for each moment and part of the journey of creative channeling. Right now, I’m vibe-ing high, listening to one of my favorites by Krishna Das, Om Namah Shivaya – a very powerful mantra. I just love to sing it and feel it at my core. For me, it feels like a celebration and honoring of life and the divine nature within all that leads me to my origins.

Literally, it means  “I bow to Shiva” – the supreme reality, the inner Self, the name of your true identity, and the consciousness dwelling in all.

Here is some insight from Wikipedia on the mantra: 

Namaḥ Śivāya is the most holy name of God Śiva, recorded at the very center of the Vedas and elaborated in the Śaiva Agamas.

Na is the Lord’s concealing grace, Ma is the world, Śi stands for Śiva, Va is His revealing grace, Ya is the soul. The five elements, too, are embodied in this ancient formula for invocation. Na is earth, Ma is water, Śi is fire, Vā is air, and Ya is ether, or Akasa. Many are its meanings.

Namaḥ Śivaya has such power, the mere intonation of these syllables reaps its own reward in salvaging the soul from bondage of the treacherous instinctive mind and the steel bands of a perfected externalized intellect. Namaḥ Śivāya quells the instinct, cuts through the steel bands and turns this intellect within and on itself, to face itself and see its ignorance. Sages declare that mantra is life, that mantra is action, that mantra is love and that the repetition of mantra, japa, bursts forth wisdom from within.

This is not only my favorite version of it, but also my favorite from Krishna Das, just because for me, it evokes a core high vibrational resonance and ancient, heart connection within me. I’m listening to it right now on my cd in repeat mode LOL. 

Enjoy!