August Focus of the Month

Each month we explore a mantra, philosophy or practice that can become a thread through our classes and our lives. This month we're working with the mantra:

Oṃ Namo Nārāyaṇāya

A simple translation is:

"I bow to the divine source within all things."

Or more simply:

"I surrender to that which is greater than myself."

In the yogic tradition, Nārāyaṇa is another name for the divine - the eternal presence that exists within all beings and throughout creation. Rather than thinking of this as a distant deity, we can also understand Nārāyaṇa as the deepest part of ourselves: the place that is steady, peaceful and untouched by the constant changes of everyday life.

More than words

It's easy to believe that understanding yoga comes from reading books, listening to podcasts or watching videos. While knowledge has its place, yoga reminds us that real understanding comes through practice.

Mantras aren't meant to be analysed endlessly. They're meant to be experienced.

Just as you can't understand the feeling of a sunrise by reading about it, you can't understand the power of a mantra until you chant it, breathe with it and allow it to settle into your heart.

The power of devotion

One of the most loved stories in the yogic tradition is about the teacher Rāmānuja.

After travelling long distances and returning again and again, he finally received this sacred mantra from his teacher, who instructed him to keep it secret. It was believed to be so powerful that only a few should hear it.

But Rāmānuja couldn't bear the thought of keeping something so beautiful to himself.

He climbed to the top of the temple and shared the mantra with everyone, believing that if it could ease suffering or awaken devotion in even one person, then it belonged to all.

His story reminds us that true devotion isn't about status or exclusivity. It's about generosity, compassion and sharing what helps us remember who we are.

Bringing it into practice

This month, instead of trying to figure everything out, see if you can practise letting go.

Notice where you're gripping.
Notice where you're trying to control.
Notice where life is asking you to soften.

Let this mantra become a gentle reminder that not everything needs fixing. Sometimes the practice is simply to trust, to breathe and to return to presence.

You might repeat it silently during meditation, as you move through your practice, or even while walking, driving or making a cup of tea.

Oṃ Namo Nārāyaṇāya

With every repetition, we're not asking for something.

We're remembering something.

That beneath the noise, beneath the changing thoughts and circumstances, there is a part of us that has always been whole.