Breathwork
Tibetan Buddhism
Four syllables, repeated a hundred and eight times. That’s all this purification mantra needs to shift your breath, and with it your attention, somewhere else.
Maybe you know the feeling: a day when your head is full, and you just need something to focus on that doesn’t ask for more thinking. Chanting a mantra is like that. No explanation, no technique to master, just four syllables you repeat until your breath naturally slows down.
One of the mantras I use most myself is Om Benza Satto Hung, also written as Om Vajra Sattva Hum. It is one of the best-known purification mantras from Tibetan Buddhism, and its simplicity is exactly what makes it accessible, even if you have never chanted a mantra before.
Listen along
The best-known recording of this mantra is by Deva Premal together with the Gyuto Monks of Tibet. Put it on and chant along, or simply let it play in the background.
What does Om Benza Satto Hung mean?
The translation closest to the original meaning is: I invoke the purifying and protecting power of Universal Mind. The mantra is the shortened version of the hundred-syllable Vajrasattva mantra, used when the full version is too long or complex for daily practice.
In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the mantra is associated with Vajrasattva, the purifying buddha form. The sound itself is seen as a way to release what you’re holding onto: old patterns, accumulated tension, thoughts that keep repeating.
The four syllables, one by one
What I like myself about this mantra is that each syllable carries its own meaning. That turns the chanting into less a matter of repeating sounds, and more a matter of consciously invoking something.
Why breath and sound work together like this
Within the InnerPower Method, I work a lot with ADEM (breath) as the second step: making space by slowing down the exhale. Chanting adds something extra on top of that. Repeating a mantra out loud or in a whisper naturally deepens your inhale and lengthens your exhale, exactly the pattern that signals to your nervous system that it’s safe to slow down.
You don’t need to feel anything special for it to work. Some people notice a wave of calm, others mostly notice that their thoughts become less insistent after a while. Both are a sign that your nervous system is responding to the rhythm, not to the exact words.
Getting started: how to chant this mantra
Traditionally, Om Benza Satto Hung is repeated 108 times, with a mala (prayer beads) to keep count. That number isn’t sacred: feel free to start with just a few minutes, no mala, simply seated or lying down.
- Sit or lie down comfortably, close your eyes if that feels good.
- Breathe calmly in and out a few times, without forcing anything.
- Repeat Om Benza Satto Hung out loud, in a whisper, or silently in your mind, at your own pace.
- Let the length be entirely up to you: three minutes is just as valid as thirty.
As with any breathing technique or mantra: there’s no right or wrong. Notice what feels good, and stop if something feels uncomfortable. This is not a substitute for medical or therapeutic care.
Frequently asked questions
What does Om Benza Satto Hung mean exactly?
The most common translation is: I invoke the purifying and protecting power of Universal Mind. In Tibetan Buddhism, the mantra is used to release old patterns and purify the mind.
What is this mantra used for?
It has traditionally been chanted for purification: releasing what you’re holding onto, from accumulated tension to recurring thought patterns. Within the InnerPower Method, I mostly use it as a simple breathing exercise, to lengthen the exhale and help the nervous system slow down.
What is the difference from the Vajrasattva mantra?
Om Benza Satto Hung is the shortened version of the hundred-syllable Vajrasattva mantra. The short form is often used in daily practice, when the full, longer version isn’t practical.
What do the four syllables mean individually?
Om represents universal consciousness, Benza represents indestructibility (the diamond), Satto represents the awakened mind, and Hung represents the union of mind and body.
How often should I chant this mantra?
Traditionally it’s repeated 108 times, with a mala to keep count. That number isn’t a hard rule: a few minutes of chanting, at your own pace, is just as valid.
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Ilse-Marie Sobering is the founder of House of InnerPower and the creator of the InnerPower Method: LAND • ADEM • VOEL (Land, Breathe, Feel), a cyclical practice of returning to yourself again and again. She has studied yoga philosophy and Eastern philosophy for more than 25 years, and has worked professionally since 2015 as an E-RYT 500 yoga and Yoga Nidra teacher, mindfulness and breathwork coach, Ayurveda practitioner and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner. In Spain, where she lived for seven years, she taught trainings, teacher trainings and retreats at various locations in the Málaga region, including near Periana, Nerja and Frigiliana. She now works from the Netherlands, teaching trainings and speaking in the Netherlands, in Spain and online. Within the method she works with Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, breathwork, meditation, Qigong and somatic work, complemented with elements from her hypnotherapy training. She teaches teacher trainings, continuing education and company training, for people living with long-term stress and for professionals who want to deepen the way they guide others.
