Getting Started With Mantra Meditation — the 5-Step Process
In the bustling, chaotic world we live in, finding moments of stillness can feel like an elusive dream
Life has certainly thrown its fair share of challenges my way. The relentless demands of building my company (Raves) and dealing with life’s ups and downs had left me battered, both physically and emotionally. But then, I discovered a practice that has become my solace, my anchor in the stormy sea of life — Mantra Meditation.
Mantra meditation is a flexible and relaxing style of meditation that has been practised since 1500 B.C.E. Its roots trace back to ancient India, where sages and yogis sought inner peace and self-realization through the repetition of sacred sounds or phrases. This timeless practice has stood the test of time for a reason, offering a pathway to profound inner stillness and personal growth.
Mantras are words or sounds repeated during meditation. The word mantra translates roughly into “the vehicle of mind; man means mind in Sanskrit and tra means vehicle”. In the West, mantras were introduced in the late 1950s when their use was popularised by the transcendental meditation movement made famous by celebrities and seekers including, and maybe most famously, the Beatles.
What makes Mantra Meditation quite different from other styles of meditation is that it doesn’t require focused attention or concentration. It is a flexible, simple and effortless practice.
In fact, during the Mantra Meditation, you will learn how NOT to exert effort while meditating in a process called non-effort. The practice of non-effort involves letting go of deliberate mental activity. Instead of actively trying to control or focus the mind, you must allow your mantra to flow naturally without force or strain.
I have been practising Mantra Meditation for the last couple of months, and I found that by following these 5 steps, we can calm our minds and centre ourselves to relentlessly and tirelessly pursue the core purpose of our lives.
So, here we go —
Step 1: Choose Your Mantra
Before you begin the Mantra Meditation practice, you’ll need to choose a word you’ll be repeating while meditating. This is your mantra.
Mantras can be used to affirm very specific goals and intentions but as a beginner, you don’t have to set an intention. Your mantra may not possess any meaning and you may not be focussed on achieving a particular outcome yet your mantra will drive its power solely from the relaxing sound it produces.
Sounds fill our lives and our responses to those vibrations shape who we are from moment to moment.
How do you react when you hear the chords of a famous song?
How do those simple vibrations change your mood or state of mind?
Mantras work in very much the same way and you’ll notice that many of the classic mantras end in either an m or n — sounds which tend to reverberate in the mind and bring about a state of deep calm.
Many people find that attaching a specific meaning to their mantra can be distracting. So simply pick the sound that you naturally find the most soothing. If you like several equally, then it makes no difference which you choose. You can always change your mantra later.
Step 2: Align Your Center
After you’ve chosen your mantra, take a moment to find your seat. You might be in a chair or a cushion, seated on the floor. Simply find a position where you are as comfortable as you can be.
Then, check in with your physical body for a moment, organising your posture, and aligning your head, neck and back. Rest your hands either on your knees or in your lap and slowly close your eyes.
Take a moment to tune into your surroundings. Bring your attention to your physical body and feel yourself fully rooted in your seat. Let your presence be in the here and now.
Step 3: Let Your Mantra Flow
Once you’ve aligned your body and mind to your core, gently let your breath recede into an effortless and natural rhythm. Then say your mantra aloud in your way and with your rhythm. Let your mantra wash over you very easily, naturally and fully without the need to force it.
Continue repeating your mantra and slowly change the volume of your mantra: Say it softly, whisper it and eventually, let it reverberate in your mind. Think of your mantra and hear it repeating effortlessly in your mind. Completely tune into it.
Your mantra will be your anchor, helping you tune in and turn inward. You’ll repeat as long as it comes to mind. But otherwise, let it move and change as it will.
It’s an effortless practice and a much-needed rest from the perpetual effort of daily life. You can think of your mantra as a radio signal. It’s always present but you can tune into it and turn up the volume more clearly.
Step 4: Don’t Mind The Distractions
When thoughts and feelings pass through your mind, watch them as they arise and then gently let them go as though they were clouds drifting across the sky. There’s no need to push the clouds away or hold on to them. Simply watch them come and watch them go and with the same ease, gently tune back into your mantra.
If you’ve been lost in thought, let those clouds drift away and slowly, tune back into your mantra. If you’ve been trying to remember your mantra, loosen your concentration and notice how your mantra comes back to you.
This process is so simple and natural that you might wonder if you are meditating correctly. Trust that you are. Sitting and tuning into your mantra, no matter how it moves, changes and sounds, is what the Mantra Meditation is all about.
Step 5: Let It Go
When you feel calm, centred and refreshed, slowly let go of your mantra. Let it recede and keeping your eyes closed, sit for another few minutes. Sitting with yourself will help integrate your meditation into your mind and allow the inner quiet you’ve acquired to carry over and infuse into the rest of your day.
Once you are ready, very slowly, begin to open your eyes. Bit by bit as though the dawn were creeping in. You may want to stretch a little bit. Rolling your shoulders in small circles, backwards and forward, gradually returning yourself to the everyday world.
It is as simple as that. This is how the Mantra Meditation is practised. Mantra Meditation has the potential to be a powerful tool in your life. While you may choose to practice Mantra meditation daily over, say 10, consecutive days, there is no requirement to do so. Move at your own pace. Progress will come and there is no need to rush or judge yourself.
It is possible for thoughts to pass your mind the entire time and if they do, you can happily count yourself among the majority of meditators and remember that this is a natural part of the process; it doesn’t mean you weren’t meditating correctly. Remember to accept what comes, whatever that is.
Greater intensities and deeper experiences will come in time and when they do, they will be other-worldly. But in the meantime, know that your meditations will be different from one time to another. They’ll differ according to your mood, and your physical state and will be heavily influenced by the circumstances of your life.
Mantra meditation will teach you how to use a simple word to reduce stress, improve mental focus and cultivate inner peace. You will learn how to create quiet moments of presence for yourself on a consistently regular basis. As these moments compound, you’ll find that you can reframe challenging situations and make clear decisions as you unlock deeper states of relaxation and inner quiet than you may have thought possible.
During this non-effort practice, you will acquire various insights such as — deep relaxation, a heightened awareness of breath and effortless repetition — needed to cultivate a complete effortless experience during meditation. At the same time, you will gradually learn to meditate for longer periods on your own without any guidance. And, with consistent practice, you will acquire the skills you need to sit in meditation anywhere and at any time with an unguided timer.
Let your meditation journey take a natural course. Trust that each time you sit, all you have to do is trust the practice. Tune in, turn inward, and move in alignment with the space you’ve created for yourself. Take this inner quiet and move through the rest of your day.
Thank you for reading.
