Mantra meditation is one that eludes many, but I am here to dispel any confusion and make it applicable to your life. It is considered a very accessible form of meditation that is suitable for beginners wishing to start meditating. ...

Welcome back to another exploration of meditation — let’s dive in. If you are new here, you have done well to continue to learn and develop your curious mind. Let’s explore what the style of mantra can do for you and the great benefits you can gain from it.

Meditation overview
Understanding the unique practices of mantra meditation helps to place it in context with other forms. For all our newcomers, refer to our beginner’s guide to meditation. In it, we cover the various types of meditation and how it works overall to achieve mindfulness. Additionally, I specialize in silent meditation, a form that I greatly respect and strive to share with others. If you have an interest in trying a non-mantra based practice, be sure to check it out after reading this article.

Overall, all forms of meditation are different avenues of practicing mindfulness or being present. Whether you want to focus on stillness or movement, silence or sound, setting an intention is a central focus throughout a meditation practice. In my meditation 101 program, we highlight an intention every day of our 14-day journey. This helps to give you focus and break down the objective into manageable tasks. Oh, another thing. Try to have fun with meditation and allow yourself to experience small steps. You will progress, but don’t beat yourself if you feel you are not experiencing immediate results. One cannot become fit enough to run a marathon overnight as well. With that said, let’s start unpacking the world of mantras.

What is mantra meditation?
First off, as practitioners of meditation, we need to pay homage to its origins. Mantra is a Sanskrit word, a very early language hailing from the greater India subcontinent. If we break it down, ‘man’ means mind and ‘tra’ means release. So, it is a practice of releasing the mind, using silent or spoken utterances, traditionally sacred, but we can also use positive affirmations as well. And I say positive because the goal is to avoid giving negativity a place in our minds. By focusing on the positive, we allow positivity to inform our psyche. We welcome that energy to nurture us and in turn, we emanate it into the world. If we gave that same focus to a negative aspect, well, we’d be allowing negativity to consume us — and meditation wants to help us live in light, awareness and understanding.

Having a positive mantra would be akin to a cheer, or motivational speech before a sporting competition. The difference in setting the competition off by doing our best would be something like, “we are going to do this!”, or “let’s go kick some butt!”, versus something negative like, “we are going to get killed”, “we suck compared to them!”. Which sporting event mantra would you like to rally to?

Mantras are not intended to stop any particular thoughts, but we use them to expand or steer our mental awareness of our thoughts, feelings, reactions, and ourselves. Mantras give power not just by the positivity we want to instil in our meditation session, but also through their essence.

We have all heard of the power of words and mantras certainly do live up to that. Not only do they serve as affirmations that assist the mind frame, but they also affect the body. Once mantra meditation is underway, it can then link with our breathing. For example, if we were to use the silent mantra ‘So Hum’, which means ‘I am’, we would inhale while envisioning the word ‘So’ and exhale while thinking of ‘Hum’. Other alternative words could be syllables or sounds like ‘Om’ or ‘Aum’, which represent consciousness and the ultimate reality.

Using these words and sounds creates a steadying action where the mind can become trancelike, purely by just focusing on the tying together of thought, action, and being present. We may experience wandering thoughts to the past or concerns of the future, but we return to the moment — with help from things like a mantra, our breathing, and just being. This activity demonstrates the mantra’s power to deliver energy to keep us in the moment and a tool to unlock our potential. Studies have shown that the act of using mantras or chanting relaxes the mind and improves brain function in the long term by synchronizing the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Talk about benefits!

How to use mantras
While there is no right or wrong way of going about mantra meditation, there are a few considerations that may be helpful to you.

What mantra should you choose?
Well, I would say something that resonates with you. And before you decide what resonates with you, try not to let yourself feel silly. You don’t need to make yourself feel out of your element by using a term foreign to you, but it is okay too if you want to try. Use any Sanskrit utterance for its meaning or for the way it sounds, as you can focus on the vibration your vocal cords create when you say them out loud. Alternatively, use a phrase that motivates you or an affirmation that inspires you.

How long should I practice?
There is no set time. However, if you are wanting to incorporate mantra meditation into your daily routine, I suggest you try 20 minutes in the morning or night. Maybe mix it up. Each time of the day will present different and unique challenges. If 20 minutes seems too daunting, start slowly with 10 or 15 minutes before working up to 20 minutes. Not only will it set the tone for your day, but it will help calm you if you feel anxious, give your mind a centered focus and allow you to feel a great sense of accomplishment. Give yourself scheduled self-care time and things will feel a lot more manageable with morning consistency.

How do I prepare for this meditation?
Like with all meditation, the session is for you and you alone. Create your intention — whether you are holding a specific goal for yourself with a meditation practice, completing a duration of time, allowing yourself to be still, considering a theme for the day, or experiencing the moment. Whatever it may be, allow it to guide your meditation session. And remember to try and have fun, learning and understanding what everyone is talking so much about.

Next, get comfortable. Create a space in which you can decompress and eliminate distractions like invasive lights, sounds, and interruptions. We try to clear our space of worldly distractions, so we can work on the activity of our minds as much as possible. Try not to use meditation to calm yourself down from an already agitated state. That is not the best time to tackle learning meditation.

Once you are ready, either set a timer or have a clock in your near vicinity so you may look to check your time. Turn the phone ringer off, but alarm notification on. Seat yourself down, either on a mat or cushion or in a chair sitting upright. Allow yourself to have a few deep breaths. Calm your body, slow your mental chatter, hush restless activity, and reset your being.

During your meditation utterances, breathe through your nose. As you say it out loud, you will notice how the sounds create vibrations and feel your lungs expanding, filling, and contracting. If your mind wanders, acknowledge and return to your breathing and mantra. Remember, it takes time to learn how to maintain focus. Mantras overall get created to occupy your awareness and assist in preventing your mind from drifting and straying too far from your daily intention and mediation practice.

Additional ideas to try
If you prefer a little atmospheric mood-setting, try light sounds and aromatherapy. Use natural sounds like a forest or ocean soundscape to provide the white noise you need. For scents, perhaps burn a candle, incense, or use essential oils like lavender or mint. As for those needing a tactile activity, mala beads provide the answer. They consist of 108 beads and originate from a range of religions such as Hinduism and Catholicism.

The goal is to be comfortable and give yourself the gift of uninterrupted time, with yourself. Getting to know yourself and explore what hundreds of celebrities, athletes, business icons and leaders have all found in mediation. By focusing on uttering your mantra whilst touching a bead, it creates an additional rhythm to your breathing that helps set a pace and allows you to be in the moment.

Overall — allow yourself to experience practicing how to be in the moment. You can anticipate frustration and wanting immediate results, but by envisioning meditation as a journey, you will be more understanding of your own experience and accept the steps leading you there. Hence, appreciating ourselves by learning the art of being present and mindful. What a beautiful practice of gratitude.

Make your meditation session count
I truly enjoy sharing my understanding of meditation with you and only wish you the same fulfilment with each lesson we cover together. May your mantra meditation provide you with the peace you seek. If you are looking for further assistance or information, please reach out and make contact.