Mantra Meditation is a type of meditation that involves the use of a word, phrase or syllable which is repeated multiple times during meditation. The word “mantra” comes from “manas” or mind and “tra” meaning tool. A mantra can be chanted, whispered, spoken, or even repeated within the mind. Basic methodology of mantra meditation techniques involves two critical aspects, namely mindfulness meditation as well as mantra chanting or recitation. This form of meditation has been in practice within the spheres of Hindu and Buddhist believes for a long time. However, there can also be types of “sacred word” chanting and recitation meditations that can be ascribed to numerous spiritual traditions, including Shamanic believe systems and Judeo-Christian practices. At present, mantra practice has also attained widespread popularity among non-secular individuals who practice mantra meditation as a form of mindfulness.
It is important to note that the reasons for doing mantra meditation can be as varied as the people themselves. You can practice mantra meditation as a way of protecting your mind against unwelcome thoughts, emotions and distractions. Some people also use mantra meditation to deal with their fears or apprehension about traveling or their issues with sleeplessness. Spiritual seekers use mantra meditation for developing a deeper outlook on life and enhance their spiritual understanding of existence. In numerous ancient Hindu as well as Christian traditions, mantra meditation is a tool to connect the mind and heart with the divine realms. In Buddhism, mantra meditation is used to train the mind to focus at the present moment. It also helps in evoking different kinds of positive qualities such as strength, courage, confidence, fearlessness and creativity instead of relying on some external deity.
Before you start, you must ask yourself why you want to practice this form of meditation. It helps a lot if you have a goal in your mind to start with, and then you can expand further as you become more used to the practice. While some people perform this meditation to remove distracting thoughts and have greater control over their emotions, others believe that mantra meditation can provide them with deeper spiritual connection with the universe. When you successfully master the technique of mantra meditation and practice it regularly, it can lower your blood pressure levels and remove any signs of stress, fear and anxiety.
Once you are done with the basic preparatory stage, you should find a comfortable position wherein you can sit and practice your mantra meditation. It is always a good idea to seek a place that is quiet and lacks sensory overstimulation such as bright lights. You should also focus on the goal of your meditation as this can help you to stay anchored properly.
Sit in a position that lets you attain a state of mindfulness. You should also focus on the process of breathing in and breathing out. You may find that there are tensions and resistance in your body. Make sure that you acknowledge them and gently release and let them go. This will help you to prep your inner being to benefit from mantra meditation.
As you chant your mantra or recite it in your mind, do not try to immediately find a transcendental experience. Instead, try to relax your mind and body, increase your awareness of the present moment and simply move on with the flow. Continue your meditation for as long as you like and make sure that you observe everything that is going on in your mind and body. Soon enough, this is going to be your second nature and you can slip into a meditative state at any time of the day.
Mantra Meditation uses the transformative powers of sound to bring positive energy in your mind, body and soul. The sound produced by a mantra is pure vibration. When you practice this form of meditation, it impacts the cells in your body which are also vibrating in their own pace. Whether you realize this or not, your feelings and thoughts also carry a vibration of their own and they not only impact your body and your consciousness but also your life in the physical realm. The sound patterns of the mantra also impact the watery components in your body, such as your hormonal secretions, behavior, perception, cognition as well as overall psychological well-being.
Therefore when you look at it in this way, your psyche or mind functions as an assortment of patterns, all of which have their own vibrations at distinct frequencies, speeds and volumes. Mystics and yogis have long known about the powerful nature of sound and the way that they can shape up our thinking, feelings and life as a whole. They also know how sound can be used to transform the mind, body and soul.
Therefore if you are looking to change your thought patterns and emotional states and get rid of fear, apprehension, anxiety, change your moods and achieve happiness, then you can benefit a lot by practicing mantra meditation on a regular basis. You can also use this form of meditation to achieve samadhi, go into the deeper recesses of your consciousness, have greater control over your mind and achieve other benefits. Musicians and filmmakers are well aware of the subtle but powerful effect of sound and music that can evoke different kinds of emotions and thoughts in the audience. Just like a nice song can uplift your moods and help you to achieve healing from within, the mantra meditation can also help you to achieve similar benefits when you practice your personal mantra for thousands of times. The sound, speech and rhythm have truly profound impact on the body, emotions and thoughts. Mantra meditation makes use of sound to purify, transform and pacify your heart and mind.
When mantra meditation is combined with mindfulness, it can serve as a powerful instrument for your mind and enable you to achieve altered states of consciousness. This can have a profound impact on your psyche. This form of meditation allows your consciousness to rotate around a sound so that it is amplified to a huge degree. It is also believed to be comparatively easier than some of the other methods of meditation that you can practice.
Our minds are made in such a way that we can only focus our attention at a single thing at any given point of time. So when you actually focus your attention on the mantra, you remove all thoughts, sensations and memories from your inner being. By joining one repetition of the mantra with another, you can stay in that elevated state of consciousness for a long period of time. It is a great way to avoid scattering your attention to millions of things and then put all of it into a single point. While mantra meditation works in a way that is similar to other types of meditation, a unique thing about this meditation is that it involves sound which can remove other types of thoughts and feelings from your immediate conscious thinking. The rhythmic vibrations of the mantra can enable you to completely silence and still your mind which can actually enable you to have the maximum benefits of meditation.
It is important to note that there is no definite universal mantra. The mantras tend to be rather personal which means that you need to find a mantra that you can strongly resonate with. The mantra you choose can be from some ancient language Sanskrit, Hebrew, Aramaic, Pali or Tibetan or it can be something of your own creation. Make sure that you meditate regularly to attain the best results.