A mantra is a tool you can use to turn your thoughts in a more positive, or in my case, a mirthful direction.
In North America, the word mantra brings to mind patchouli oil-smelling hippies om, om, om-ing away in a park.
But really, mantras are energy-based sounds that can help you with setting your intention. Verbalizing helps make intentions reality, or so goes the thinking.
Frankly, I’m writing from a place of deep ignorance here. Although, I’m not the world’s worst Buddhist (it would be egotistical of me to claim that title and it’s already been claimed), I’m pretty close to terrible.
Personally, I love the mantra at the end of yoga class, “Om, shanti, shanti, shanti, peace, peace, peace.” That really says it all and it’s quite beautiful.
For the Sanskrit challenged, I think you can use anything. Even pop culture references. For example, when I find myself getting all riled up, I think to myself, “What would Chicken Joe do?”
If you’re my sister Kate, you’d say, “He’d light up a cannon and settle down with an econo bag of chips.”
I’d say, “No! Not Chicken Joe!”
Then, she’d say, “He’s one stoned bird.” And at this point, the gloves would come off and it would descend into hair pulling and bitch slapping to see who prevailed. But this is my blog, so I win.
For those who don’t know, Chicken Joe from Cheboygan is the lone chicken among penguins competing in a surf competition in Hawaii in the movie, Surf’s Up. He’s so blissed-out-in-the-moment that he sees only the good in everyone and every situation.
In fact, his sunny optimism verges on the dangerous. When he’s caught by the cannibal penguins and boiled up in a giant pot, he’s grateful that they arranged a hot tub for him. In the end, he wins them over and becomes their leader, never realizing how close to death he really was.
Chicken Joe’s high on life because he’s doing what he truly loves and how many of us can say that (I smell another post here)?
Actually, the word “Cheboygan” can be another mantra that can lift the mood. Just hearing the word makes me laugh. I dare you to try saying it without smiling.
In fact, silly place names can be a good source of mirth for the perpetually stressed. Examples include: Dildo (Newfoundland), Humptulips (Washington) and Slickpoo (Idaho).
Frankly, I think we all spend too much time thinking about and chanting that other place name, specifically: Fucking (Austria).
I’m a practical soul and so, I have a practical application for my own mantra. I find this one particularly useful when stepping down from a head stand in yoga.
It goes like this:
Don’t fart; don’t fart; don’t fart.
I wonder how you say that in Sanskrit?
I always liked Lake Titicaca — it made me giggle in grade four and apparently I’m not one jot more mature now. And I’m totally going to apply WWCJD to my next dilemma. Just out of curiosity, why are you so opposed to the cannon and the econo bag of chips?
Lake Titcaca. That’s a good one. My brother was there last year.
Not opposed to the cannon, so much as I really want to believe Chicken Joe’s state of mind is entirely chemically independent. I’m an idealist, even though I try to quash that side.
ok, slickpoo and your yoga mantra have me in tears. i need me a mantra. and i need to check out surfs up.
Love it Patti! I sooo get your mantra-my girlfriend and I used to joke about that possibility when doing pilates in a relatively small room full of both males and females. And…..there were some unfortunate people that should have practiced this mantra!
Love thst mantra…who needs yoga when we can just read Patti’s blog and all the stress rolls out with the laughter! Love this. And I’ll take an econo bag of chips as well and I’ll be set to go! There really is a lake called Lake Titcaca? That must be every teachers nightmare for field trips!
Chicken Joe is my hero….and you too of course Patti!!
Thanks for the kind comments. And yes there’s a lake called Titicaca. It’s on the border between Peru and Bolivia. I’ve asked my brother for a picture from there to run on my blog some day. He’s looking for it. And it’s definitely a pitfall for geography teachers, but not as bad as what science teachers face. Drum roll please…Uranus!