Thursday is mantra day, so we’re coming back to this technique. 

I’ve been using mantras since I was first introduced to transcendental meditation (TM) around 20 years ago. I’m not a qualified TM instructor, so I can’t talk you through this process (and would recommend you contact them directly yourself if you want to know more), but I can tell you that working with my mantra was a very quick and effective way to settle into a meditative state and I soon saw the benefits in feeling more calm and less stressed. 

Mantra meditation in and of itself offers endless possibilities given that you can work with any mantra you like. Your mantra can be a letter or sound, something from your native language or a seemingly nonsensical collection of syllables, a word, phrase or sentence. 

When you work with a traditional mantra, such as Om, you are tapping into the energies and collective consciousness of that mantra, which some believe increases its potency. Personally, I like working with the same mantra for a long period of time rather than flitting about from one to another – this enables me to build and develop my connection with the mantra for increasingly profound experiences. However, it is entirely a matter of personal choice what you want to do – you might, for example, use an affirmation as a mantra, and work with. it for a specific amount of time before moving on because you feel you’ve gained enough benefit from it. 

If you want to change what we did last week (and there’s a lot to be said for staying with the words ‘Thank You’) you can try working with the word ‘Peace.’ You can do this for as long as feels comfortable or you can set a timer for 3, 5, or even 20 minutes. I like using a timer because not only does it mean that I will be meditating for a specific amount, I get a little surprise when it goes off because it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long – which is an indication of being in a meditative state. 

As before, simply repeat the word over and over in your mind. You can connect them with your breath or allow them to sound at a pace which feels right. If the volume or speed changes, that’s okay. Simply let your experience be your experience, whatever that may be. If you find your mind wandering away from the mantra, gently pull it back – and say thank you to your mind for whatever thought it gave you! You can always come back to it later. 

Let me know how you get on in the comments – I’d love to hear how this went for you.