Sometimes you don’t need a big spiritual “process”. You just need something you can use in the moment, to release what’s rising, calm your nervous system, and stop a difficult experience spilling into the rest of your day.
Recently, I meditated using the chant “Gate gate”, a short version of the full heart sutra mantra. It struck me how perfect it is for letting go – especially at times of the full moon, end of life chapters or the end of the year. Maybe, simply after one of those everyday moments that leaves you feeling a bit angry, stressed, overwhelmed and generally not in alignment with the universe.
What “Gate gate” is (and where it comes from)
“Gate gate” is the opening of a famous Buddhist mantra from the Heart Sutra:
Gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā
(also written as: Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha)
It’s often translated as a journey from suffering and confusion into wisdom and liberation – a movement to the “other shore”.
The meaning of the full mantra (simple version)
• Gate, gate – Gone, gone
• Pāragate – Gone beyond (to the further shore)
• Pārasamgate – Gone completely beyond
• Bodhi – Awakening / enlightenment
• Svāhā – Hail / so be it / may it be so
Even, if you don’t use the whole mantra, the energy of it is clear: release… release… move beyond… and seal it.
How to say it (pronunciation)
A simple, user-friendly pronunciation: Gate = “Gah-tay”
So the full mantra can sound like: Gah-tay, Gah-tay, Pah-rah-gah-tay, Pah-rah-sum-gah-tay, Boh-dee, Svah-hah.
Don’t worry about “perfect”. Let it be rhythmic, soothing, and sincere.
Gate Gate Release
The short version “Gate gate”(“Gah-tay, gah-tay”), simple means gone, gone. This is the part I love for everyday life as it has a clear message. “I’m not carrying this forward.” Use it when you’ve had a moment where your inner peace is tested and you can feel your mind caught in the heightened emotions:
- A car cuts you up on the way to work or on the school run
- Someone pushes in front of you in the supermarket
- A customer service call leaves you feeling dismissed after a long wait
- A child has a meltdown and it triggers that horrible “I’m failing” feeling
- You try on clothes and feel fed up because they’re tighter than you want
These moments can hook into you – not because you’re dramatic, but because you’re human. “Gate gate” is a gentle energetic boundary. A way of saying: this can be gone now.
A Two Minute “Gate Gate” Reset for Anytime
1. Pause for a moment.
2. Take one slow breath out.
3. On the next few exhales, softly repeat: Gate gate… Gate gate
4. Imagine the moment drifting away from you, like you’re letting it float downstream.
5. Finish with a simple thought: “I release this.”
A Gentle Ritual Version for a Full moon or End-of-Year
This is beautiful when you’re ready to clear space for something new, without forcing it, without overthinking it.
- Take a piece of paper and write whatever is bubbling to the surface. It might be one thing, or it might be a whole page. Think of it as the opposite of a to-do list – a let-go list: I don’t need or want to carry this within me.
- Begin chanting Gate gate. Stay with it for 15 minutes or for as long as you need, until you can feel it moving on.
- As you chant, imagine yourself gently waving it goodbye. letting it drift away, lighter: Gate gate – gone, gone.
- When you’re ready, read what you’ve written slowly. After each item softly say: “Gone, gone.”
- Tear the paper up and place it in the bin, imagining the energy leaving with it.
- Finish with one hand on your heart, one slow breath, and say: “I release this. I make space for what’s next.”
Final thought and a gentle invitation
Letting go doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s just a choice you make in a quiet moment and a mantra that helps your mind and energy follow through. Gate gate. Gone, gone.
If you’re drawn to practices like this, you’ll probably love the way Reiki supports letting go too. Reiki doesn’t “force positivity”, but aids you in letting go, an energetic reset.
I’ve been teaching Reiki for over a decade, and I’ve trained students from Warrington, Manchester, and across the North West. I’m proud to be known as one of Cheshire’s leading Reiki teachers, and I love helping people build confidence in their own energy and intuition.
If you’d like to deepen this kind of release work and feel more grounded in your own energy, you can explore my Reiki training and upcoming dates on the Training & Events page of my website.
Any questions as usual, simply ask. In the meantime, let us “gate gate” so we can give room for the universe to nourish us with new opportunities.
Kind Regards
Julia
Proud Member of the UK Reiki Federation
Executive Training Provider for the IPHM. Accredited Reiki Training Courses
Photo credit: Jonathan Borba / Unsplash
