How to Use Mantra Meditation in Mindful Practices
Calm anxiety and connect to your purpose with a personal mantra
What is a mantra? It’s a short phrase or set of sounds repeated over and over to help settle the mind and focus. A good mantra promotes feelings of calm and healing.
Traditional mantra meditation practices use sounds in repetition to help induce a deep meditative state. Its roots come from the ancient Vedic tradition in India and traditional mantras are in Sanskrit. A very simple example of mantra is the word/sound Om (Ohm) which is the easiest to remember and repeat and acknowledges the connection between all living beings. If you practice yoga, you’ve likely repeated this mantra many times. It creates a feeling of peacefulness and is often used at the beginning and end of a practice to set and close the container.
You can create your own mantras to help relieve anxiety and stress. In order for mantras to be most effective, it’s important to use words that feel meaningful to you. Try out a few, sit with them and notice how they make you feel. A really good one for anxiety is often “I am safe”.
If you want to make a big impact in your life, I recommend creating a daily mantra; a powerful statement that you can repeat to yourself each day. You can repeat mantras out loud or internally to help remind yourself of how powerful, resilient and committed to growth you are. You can also think of a mantra as a positive saying or affirmation.
Here are a few examples of daily mantras/affirmations to get you started on creating your own:
I am worthy
I am strong
I am creative
I am always learning something new
I accept myself just as I am
My wellbeing is a priority
I am making my dreams a reality
It’s okay to take a break
I believe in myself
I will take time to breathe today
You’ll know if you’ve found a good mantra by the way you feel inside as you repeat it. A mantra that resonates with you will create pleasant feelings and sensations.
Try to set aside a few minutes each morning (5 minutes works!) to practice your mantra and then repeat it several times throughout the day.
Basic Mantra Meditation
Close your eyes or lower your gaze and settle into a comfortable position of your choice.
Begin to connect with your breath and notice your inhales and exhales.
Notice how easily you begin thinking your thoughts.
With that same ease, begin to repeat your mantra either softly out loud or internally.
When thoughts intrude, as they will, gently bring your attention back to the mantra. Don’t worry about your thoughts and don’t attach to them or try to make sense of them; simply let them go by.
Keep repeating your mantra for as long as you have (see if you can try for at least 5 minutes). Let your mantra come and go just like your thoughts.
Notice and feel the sound vibrations and rhythm of repeating your mantra along with the words. Do you feel calm and relaxed?
Spend a few moments in stillness for some interoceptive awareness at the end of your meditation. How does your body feel? Does your mind feel more settled? What do you notice? This is a perfect time to get out your journal and write about the experience. You can also use the same mantra as you move through a yoga practice or while you are out for a walk.
Adding a daily mantra meditation to your self-care toolkit will be helpful and supportive. You’ll feel calmer, more settled, and find it easier to make day-to-day decisions.
Here’s are two more that I love and I invite you to try as well:
“I am becoming the best version of myself”
“I am the creator of my future”
I’d love to know your favourite mantra!
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