How To Start (And Stick With) An Empowering Mantra Meditation Practice

By Megan Monahan

In the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, yoga is described as the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. As one of the eight limbs of yoga that leads to union or "oneness," meditation helps us do just that. A daily meditation practice can promote a gradual slowing of the thoughts to reveal a deeper level of consciousness, awareness, and sense of stillness.

The silent repetition of a mantra, or "mind vehicle," is one method of transportation we can mentally hop into in order to navigate beyond our thinking mind.

What is mantra meditation?

The practice of mantra meditation utilizes the silent repetition of a word or phrase as the point of focus to help hone a more focused awareness. It aids in the slowing down of mental activity and thought.

Mantra meditation is not meant to stop your thoughts altogether. Instead, the goal is to expand your awareness so you can get more comfortable observing your thoughts (and any other external stimuli) without getting immediately involved in them.

The more you practice, the more you'll start to notice that you are inherently more present, with less mind-wandering to the past or future. You'll live in the moment with a greater degree of mindful (nonjudgmental) witnessing awareness.

You'll also likely notice that your self-referred thinking decreases, cultivating a greater sense of compassion for others, due to the reduced activity in the brain's default mode network1, which regulates both of those experiences.

Summary:

The practice of mantra meditation utilizes the silent repetition of a word or phrase as the point of focus to help hone a more focused awareness during meditation.

How to do mantra meditation

1.

Set aside the time.

For starters, decide when you want to create space (20 minutes preferable) for a daily practice. Making your meditation a ritual will help you create momentum and consistency with it, and meditating around the same time each day is a great place to start.

It's often easiest to meditate first thing in the morning, because there isn't as much tempting you to choose another activity, like spending time with friends or hitting the gym after work.

I'm the first to admit that in the beginning, before you start to see the benefits show up in your life, meditation feels a lot like "sitting and doing nothing," so find time when there isn't anything else fighting for your attention.