Become a meditator
Looking for a meditation practice that sticks? Take the 3-day course.
Meditation in a modern world
Meditation is a practice for mastering the mind, and connecting to our infinite potential as individuals in ths world. In a culture that is constantly competing for our attention, a consistent meditation practice is nothing less than a super power. We'd all agree that meditating twice a day is ideal. But how do we get from here to there? After all, meditation is infamously hard to stick with.
Meditation is no longer difficult when you have two things: a teacher and a technique. Just like you want a map and an itinerary to navigate a new destination on planet Earth—you want some guidance as you start exploring the inner world.
We offer 3-day Himalayan Mantra Meditation courses monthly at our studio. This is a simple and effective mantra-based technique, enhanced with breathwork and kriya, to optimize the benefits of meditation. These courses are taught by Alyssa Manny and/or Devon Barrow, who were initiated to teach this technique in Rishikesh, India by living master Anand Mehrotra.
The benefits of meditation
Meditation offers numerous brain health benefits, including improved focus, reduced stress, and enhanced emotional regulation.
Research shows that regular meditation can increase gray matter density in areas related to memory, learning, and emotional processing, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (Hölzel et al., 2011). It also helps reduce activity in the default mode network, which is associated with mind-wandering and anxiety (Brewer et al., 2011).
Over time, meditation may support better cognitive function and resilience against age-related change.
Meditation has been shown to offer significant physical health benefits, including reduced blood pressure, improved immune function, and decreased inflammation.
Regular practice can lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which in turn helps reduce blood pressure and the risk of stress-related conditions (Pascoe et al., 2017).
It can also enhance immune response by increasing antibody production and regulating inflammatory pathways (Black & Slavich, 2016). Additionally, meditation supports better sleep quality and may even contribute to pain reduction.
Meditation is widely recognized for its ability to reduce stress by calming the nervous system and promoting a state of relaxation.
Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can significantly decrease perceived stress and reduce activity in the amygdala, the brain's fear center (Tang et al., 2007).
It also helps lower cortisol levels, the body’s primary stress hormone, leading to improved emotional balance and resilience (Goyal et al., 2014). Over time, regular meditation can rewire stress response patterns, helping individuals respond to challenges with greater calm and clarity.
Meditation can enhance social well-being by fostering greater empathy, compassion, and connection with others.
Practices like loving-kindness meditation have been shown to increase positive emotions and improve social relationships by boosting feelings of warmth and goodwill toward both self and others (Hutcherson et al., 2008).
Meditation also strengthens emotional regulation, which supports more mindful communication and reduces reactive behaviors in social interactions (Creswell, 2017).
Meditation is often associated with profound spiritual benefits, including a greater sense of inner peace, purpose, and connection to something larger than oneself.
Practices such as mindfulness and transcendental meditation have been linked to enhanced self-awareness and feelings of transcendence or unity (Lomas et al., 2015).
These experiences can foster a deeper connection to personal values, increase life satisfaction, and support a sense of spiritual well-being regardless of religious affiliation (Van Gordon et al., 2017).
About Himalayan Mantra Meditation
Himalayan Mantra Meditation is a mantra-based meditation technique, enhanced with simple breathwork and kriya. This approach supports the full capacity of our awareness: the ability to transcend, and the ability to focus. This technique is practiced twice a day,
for 20-30 minutes each sit.
What makes this technique unique is its effortlessness. This practice is particularly easeful because it's designed to work with the nature of the mind, not against it. When it comes to meditation—many of us have an image of someone sitting perfectly still, perfectly upright, with no thoughts. With this technique, we learn that meditation can be much more relaxed, but just as powerful.
We teach this technique through a 3-day course. Scroll down below to learn more about the course.
The 3-Day Himalayan Mantra Meditation Course
Our 3-Day Himalayan Mantra Meditation courses are taught by Alyssa Manny and Devon Barrow, who both studied this technique in the Himalayas of India (the birthplace of this practice). Throughout this experience, you will be initiated into this technique. You'll also receive yogic teachings that serve as a strong foundation for the practice.
Additionally, you'll join a community of meditators who support each other. When you start meditating twice a day, your life will change. It's a beautiful thing to be surrounded by people who understand what you're going through; who are excited about your evolution. Once you pay the course fee, you are welcome to retake the course as many times as you want without charge.
Here is the general flow of the three day course (each session is two hours):
Day One
On the first day of the course, we'll explore the science and benefits of meditation; we'll examine fundamental yogic philosphy and we'll share a practice together.
Day Two
You will be initiated into your personal mantra and kriya technique. We'll teach you how to practice the technique, with a deeper dive on mantra and kriya.
Day Three
We'll learn the aspects of the subtle body, explore the nature of the mind, and share a practice. We'll provide insight on how to make your practice sustainable.
Ready to sign up? Please email info@ohanayoga.com