Ganesh - remover of obstacles

Ganesh has been the inspiration for my classes this week. For some reason, I keep bumping into obstacles myself, and find that a mantra is helpful to quiet my own mind, remove my thoughts from whatever is causing the reactive pattern within myself. Once I've quieted that pattern, I am able move on with grace.

An obstacle in this sense is a reactive pattern that you have developed and that prevents you from growth. You are ready to grow, ready to expand, but find yourself back at the same place again. When you find yourself there, catch
yourself... and replace your thoughts with a mantra, whether the Ganesh mantra - Om Gum Ganapataye - or any other words that help you focus your mind on something other than what is before you, what you are reacting to. Over time, you will find you can move gracefully past that obstacle, that reactive pattern, that you so often find yourself stuck in, and you will grow.

Here is a great article from elephant journal for further exploration: