It often takes time to see significant results, but most people who stick with the practice find it well worth it. It’s pretty common to find meditation challenging, a little boring, or even unpleasant, especially at first. Do you feel more relaxed? More optimistic? This closing exercise lets you check in with yourself and track your progress. Instead, take a few moments to sit with your (hopefully) quiet mind. When your timer goes off, don’t jump up right away. Instead, just acknowledge them, let them go, and then pick the mantra back up. When this happens, don’t try and force those unwanted thoughts away. As you meditate, you’ll probably notice your attention begin to wander.
Remember to gently redirect wandering thoughts. Unless you’re attempting to use a specific breathing technique, following this flow may help your meditation feel more natural. As you settle into the meditation, your mantra and breathing will eventually settle into a rhythm. It often helps to match the mantra to your breathing. You can say it out loud (this might help more with mantras intended to produce vibrations) or repeat it silently. Continue breathing slowly and steadily through your nose as you begin to chant your mantra. Just focus on the sensation of it entering your lungs and filling your body. Pay attention to your breathing without doing anything to try and modify it. Consider using a quiet, relaxing sound, such as ocean waves or birdsong, so the alarm doesn’t jar you from a peaceful meditative state. Decide how long you want to meditate (anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes) and set a timer. Mudras, or hand positions, help some people enter a meditative frame of mind, but they’re not necessary. Find a position you can hold for the length of your meditation, whether that’s sitting on the floor, in a chair, lying down, or even walking. Find a quiet place where you can meditate without disruptions. Once you’ve got a mantra in mind, it’s time to start using it. Matching your breath to your mantra can make this process easier and help you feel more relaxed at the same time. It can take some time to get accustomed to meditative breathing exercises. Repeating a mantra while meditating can also help you find a natural breathing rhythm. This synchronization may help improve brain function over time and possibly slow cognitive decline. improved visuospatial and verbal memoryĪccording to 2017 research, chanting certain mantras may stimulate these changes, since chanting can help synchronize the left and right sides of the brain and promote relaxing (alpha) brain waves. Changes in the brainĪccording to a small study from 2012, mantra meditation could help improve brain health.Īfter 8 weeks of Kriya Kirtan meditation, a type of kundalini meditation that involves mantra, 15 older adults experiencing memory problems showed increases in cerebral blood flow and cognitive function. Meditation can feel frustrating when you don’t see results, but regularly repeating a mantra that reflects your vision for yourself can increase the likelihood of it becoming reality. 
“I have compassion for myself and others.”Ĭhoosing affirming phrases also guides your awareness to your intentions.
Some people choose mantras that double as affirmations, such as: Meditating with a word you like the sound of, or one that makes you happy, can also reinforce a sense of calm or joy. You might choose a specific word or phrase that emphasizes your reasons for meditation, such as the Sanskrit word “shanti,” which means “peace.” This deep meditation can help release any blocked energy disrupting your well-being. Many meditation practitioners believe the vibrations and harmony of chanting certain syllables can enable a deeper meditative state. This can be especially helpful if your mind tends to wander a lot when you try to meditate. If you’re repeating a mantra, in your head or out loud, that mantra occupies your awareness and helps prevents it from drifting off in other directions. A mantra can make this easier by reducing wandering thoughts. Meditation doesn’t come easily to everyone, and many people find it takes time and practice to maintain focus. Some additional benefits of mantra meditation include: Increased focus Whether you practice mantra meditation or another style, you’ll often see many of the same benefits, including: You can meditate in many ways, and there’s no single “correct” approach.
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