Make Your Own Mantra

This month we are going to embark on a journey to understand the power of a mantra. There are so many powerful elements to having a mantra practice. We will talk about the benefits of a mantra, when to use them, and how to make your own mantra based on what you need in your life. It’ll be a fun exercise to do before we head into the holiday season.

So what is a mantra? I recently finished the book Polishing the Mirror, by Ram Dass. He writes, “a mantra is a repeated prayer, words, a holy name, or a sacred sound. It’s like a tape loop going on inside that reminds one of who they are.” The power of a mantra comes when we can use these repeated words to get us out of an emotional state or loop of thoughts that might not be helpful for us. Ram Dass goes on to explain, “mantra works on repetition. Practiced consistently, mantra had the ability to steady the mind and transform consciousness.” Mantra can be repeated any time, any place- when you’re driving, hiking, or even before bed to quiet the mind of the “to-dos.”

“In Buddhism, the word ‘mantra’ means ‘mind-protecting.’ A mantra protects the mind by preventing it from going into its usual mechanical habits, which often are not our optimal conscious perspective. Mantra is a powerful spiritual practice for centering and letting go of strong emotions, such as fear, anxiety, and anger.” ~ Ram Dass, Polishing the Mirror

The more often you practice mantra, it becomes part of your everyday. When I notice myself getting stressed or feeling like there are too many things on my list, I repeat the words “relax, just do the next thing.” This helps me come back to the present moment and not go off into my myriad of things I want to have gotten done by yesterday. Mantra is a daily reminder to be in the current moment and have moments of pause.

Tune in next week where we’ll talk about how to make a mantra. This will be good as we go into the holiday season and might feel some “to-do” stressors creeping into our lives.

With love and gratitude