The Story behind the Mantra: New Chakra Necklaces

We have just launched two new Chakra Necklaces at Mantra, to join the Solar Plexus Chakra that we already have.

As you know, we start with the words themselves – the mantra – rather than the design, so why have created two more necklaces using chakras, the Heart Chakra and the Sacral Chakra?

Last year, we started working with anxiety expert, Chloe Brotheridge, on a collaboration. Chloe is a hypnotherapist who has written two books on overcoming anxiety and building your confidence - ‘The Anxiety Solution’ and ‘Brave New Girl’ – having suffered herself from anxiety for many years.

Her calm and reassuring mantra, ‘I am brave. I move forwards with confidence’, acts as a gentle command to yourself through the day, encouraging you to use any anxious feelings you might have as a springboard for courage.

Chloe was very keen to use a chakra to represent her mantra, as she is interested in the physiological impact of anxiety, and how the body overcomes it. According to yogic tradition, there is a subtle energy which flows inside your body, focused around seven vortexes known as chakras. When energy becomes blocked in a certain chakra, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion.

The energy around the Solar Plexus Chakra is said to be what is out of kilter when we feel anxious. Physically, the solar plexus itself is a cluster of nerves and tissue just below the diaphragm and behind the stomach; energetically, the Solar Plexus Chakra is an energy centre in the body governing personal power and self-esteem. When your Solar Plexus Chakra is balanced and strong, you feel a strong sense of personal power and high self-esteem.

We agreed with Chloe that the symbol of the Solar Plexus Chakra would therefore make a beautiful design to bring her mantra to life, in a way that gave a physical shape to how one wants to feel, and a tangible object to hold onto for support.

Our new Heart Chakra

When we wrote our new mantra to welcome new experiences into our lives – ‘I open my heart to new experiences, without expectation’ – we felt that this could also be brought to life with a chakra.

This mantra is all about letting go of expectation, as expectation is one thing in life that can lead us to real disappointment and unhappiness. If we could only embrace life in an open-minded and open-hearted way, completely open to what life brings us – we would all be so much happier. Because we impose our own expectations and desired outcomes on experiences, we fall victim to disappointment when things don’t work out according to our fixed plans. If we could do more to ‘embrace uncertainty’, as Susan Jeffers put it, and welcome whatever new experience comes our way with a curious and non-judgmental mind, life would be filled with happy surprises and engaging experiences.

To encourage all of us to welcome new experiences in this more open way, whether it be new relationships, a new job, new friendships or new adventures, say this mantra to yourself as you embark on anything new.

We have brought it to life with the Heart Chakra design. The Heart Chakra, or Anahata in Sanskrit, is the energy centre that sits in the centre of the chest, symbolising love, compassion, empathy and openness, and encouraging connection and relationships – which we felt was perfect to help you visualise this mantra.

Our new Sacral Chakra

Finally this month, we are also celebrating the journey of womanhood in all its glory, particularly as we approach International Women’s Day. We wrote the mantra, ‘I celebrate the woman I am’, to celebrate ourselves for who we are, with all our personal characteristics and qualities, and to revel in our femininity and womanhood.

Throughout our lives, we change and evolve, from innocent young girl, to grown woman, to wise old lady. Our physical body is there throughout our journey, achieving amazing things for us every day as it evolves and grows with us; our love and compassion connects and bonds us to each other; and our feelings and emotions make us the strong and powerful women we are. 

We women can sometimes feel apologetic, small or unworthy, living smaller than we should. Self-respect, self-esteem and pride in our own achievements are to be celebrated, as we encourage ourselves to play big in this world and enjoy being unapologetically us. Life is for living in our own way, and we are the only one in this world with the unique mix of skills, experience, emotion and talent that we each possess.

So, we have used another Chakra energy point - the Sacral Chakra, or Svadhishthana in Sanskrit – to bring this to life. This is the energy centre that sits below our navel, associated with our emotional body, our sensuality, and our creativity. This representation of our physical and sensual selves seems the perfect symbol to bring this celebratory mantra to life.  

This mantra is perfect for as a gift for a woman you admire or want to honour, or an encouragement to a friend to believe in herself and treat herself with compassion. It also works as a reminder to yourself to celebrate your life experiences and all you have to give.

You can see all three of our Chakra necklaces here. Take a look at our Gallery to see how Chloe Brotheridge wears her Mantra necklaces.