A mantra is often used in the practice of meditation, by repeating a word such as love, a sound, or creating an inspiring phrase, often from religious or spiritual texts.
You don’t have to say a mantra in meditation. You can whisper, or think about it in your mind. With meditation practices, you don’t need much in the way of equipment or tools. All you need to practice is a comfortable spot to sit and a good way to practice your meditation.
A little history
The basis of the centering prayer in Benedictine Christian traditions can be found in the fact that many of the spiritual traditions used in the west and east during the last thousand years have used the same form of chanting. There are many kinds of meditative traditions in Asian countries. Still, you’ll find them in some Western religions as well.
Dr. Chopra, a clinical professor of family medicine and public Health at the University of California-San Diego, says that ‘Man’ is related to man, human, woman, and mind. “‘Tra’ takes you beyond the mind to the source of mind, which is consciousness, and it is an instrument of the mind that does this”.
Breath work can help take you away from your internal dialogue. Sometimes there is no chanting or thought. These moments are referred to as being in another place. It is worth noting that the chant and phrase you use as part of your meditation could be vastly different.
Choosing a Mantra
There are a number of generic mantras that you can choose from.
Eastern wisdom tradition allows for the choice of the mantras based on astrology.
The traditions of Buddhists have their own way of selecting mantras.
A teacher or religious leader may give a student a mantra to use for a period of time. If you are just starting out, your teacher can give you one you can try.
A student may have a preference for a particular kind of mantra or they can be at a point in their meditative journey when they might choose a specific mantra or form of meditation.
There are no right or wrong mantras.
Ask yourself why you’re meditating—to reduce stress and get calm? To gain confidence? Your answer may guide your choice of mantra.
Journaling what you want in life, your focus and choices can also help you pick a mantra.
Mantra examples
Some examples of a few mantras you might use in your meditation are:
- I am calm.
- I am present in this moment.
- I am at peace.
- I am conquering my fear.
- I am content in my body
- I am happy
How you use a mantra
Now that you know the definition of the term, you can choose to meditate. Getting comfortable is the first step. You can find it easier to focus at a place that is quiet.
Take a deep breath and think of your breath. As you keep on breathing, repeat your mantra. Don’t worry, your thoughts could wander, don’t worry about it. Simply return to your mantra when you feel focus coming back.
You can continue to repeat your mantra for as long as you’d like, or you can just set a timer before you begin.
The benefits of a mantra in meditation
All types of meditation have a number of physical and mental benefits, but one of the goals of meditation is not to anticipate a response,
Most people experience relaxation and deep rest, as time goes on you can have deeper insights that lead to revelation and inspiration.
Like other types of meditation, the benefit of using a mantra in your meditation is to be aware of your meditative state which will help with self-compassion, stress reduction, and a more positive attitude. A review study published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine shows that there were positive effects on mental health when it comes to meditation.
It doesn’t take a lot of your time—just try about 10 minutes, at first.
What if mantra meditation isn’t for you?
Remember,: you really don’t need a mantra to meditate, some people just find it helpful.
If you don’t want to use a mantra, that’s fine.
