Choosing your own Mantra
In the Western world mantra meditations are probably the most well-known ones that are most frequently used. Thanks to the Transcendental Meditation group. Mantra meditations are meditations in which the repetition of a sound, a word, a sentence or an affirmation is our object of meditation or the focus of our thoughts. We speak the mantra out loud or we repeat the mantra in our mind. Mantra meditations are especially effective to bring our stream of thoughts to a standstill. In some schools of meditations the ultimate aim is being 100% focused. In this state you reach a situation of Samedhi: you become one with the object of your meditation.
"TM", says the founder Maharishi Yogi, "means directing your attention inside at increasingly subtle levels of concentration until the thinking is surpassed and the mind reaches the source of thinking."
Mantra meditations go back as far as the ancient Vedic traditions, in which mantras were used to influence the gods. Since then many cultures have held the holy power of words in high esteem. In Sanskrit man is translated thoughts and tra means protection. Consequently the original meaning of the word mantra is considered to be "that which protects our mind". In many schools people also think that mantras have a healing effect as a result of the specific vibrating energy that every word has. Think of the kind of effect that music has on you and it is clear what kind of effect sound has on us. Whereas in the past we used mantras to get the gods in a good mood or to improve our spiritual abilities, nowadays we use affirmations in modern psychology to heighten our self-esteem or to improve our health. Have you ever stood in front of a mirror and said to yourself: "you can do it, I am beautiful, strong and healthy, I am happy or I am extremely attractive?"
In our meditations we can use mantras that are derived from yoga and from meditation schools, we can also use mantras that we invent ourselves and we can use positive affirmations. The mantras can be as simple as a sound: "AUM" or even a word or a sentence: "I love myself" It all depends on your own preference, views and aim if you want to choose the mantra that you want to use during your meditations. Mantra meditations belong to the most popular and most frequently used meditation techniques of the moment. Perhaps because a mantra is a particularly strong focus point or because groups like TM (Maharishi Yogi's Transcendental meditation) have been very successful in reaching a wide public.
Also as a result of all the attention that the Beatles got when they became pupils of the Maharishi at the end of the sixties and as a result of the large quantity of relevant scientific research the TM movements have become a gigantic organisation. We are very grateful to the TM organisation for having made meditation so well-known and for having made the age old meditation techniques from the East popular and well-known in the West. Notwithstanding all this the TM organisation is not entirely undisputed. The courses are considered rather expensive, the methods and the organisation are considered rather secretive. Every one that attends their courses (the only way to study TM meditation) is given a special, unique, secret and completely personal mantra by the TM organisation.
Spending ten minutes on the internet shows that the mantras are selected by means of a simple formula on the basis of gender and age. When you are looking for a mantra then we advise you to start with a word of one or two syllables. After some time you can choose a longer mantra: a couple of words or even a sentence. If you want to choose a positive affirmation, it is important to put your affirmation in the present. "I am healthy" is better than "I want to be healthy" because the universe or our subconscious takes everything literally and if we use the word want we run the risk of wanting to be healthy all our lives instead of just being healthy.
There are thousands of mantras and just to give you some suggestions we have listed down a few for you. Some mantras have no meaning, others refer to gods or Buddhist figures. Be aware of the fact that in certain schools certain effects are connected with certain mantras and if you feel insecure about a certain mantra or if you really want to use an Eastern mantra it is advisable to find out first what the mantra means and what it does to you.
Various Mantras
| Mantras |
| Yoga |
OM, HUM, AH, AUM, Om Nahma Sivaya, HAR, SAAT, Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, Sat Naam |
| TM |
Ram (Men), Shiriram (Women) |
| Christian |
AMEN, AVA MARIA |
| Buddism |
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti, AING NAMAH, Sabbe satta sukhi hontu, Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha, Avalokitesvara, Manjughosa, Vajrapani, Green Tara, Amitabha, White Tara, Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava |
| Other |
ONE, Love, Happiness, Health, Quiet, Peace, Harmony |
| Affirmations |
- I am healthy, fit and energetic.
- I live in peace and Harmony.
- I accept myself the way I am.
- I forgive myself/ I forgive someone who hurt me.
- Everything is fine.
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Experiment with the mantras mentioned or other mantras and choose the word or the sound that for you has a positive ring to it.
In general AUM is seen as the mother of all mantras and therefore we have used this sound as an example. AUM is the sound through which the universe was created and it symbolizes all mantras, all vibrations and all sounds put together. Mantra meditations belong to the category of meditations for beginners that you can practise throughout your life.
In general they are a little more difficult than simple breathing meditations in which we only count our breaths instead of concentrating on a physical observation. Besides: mantra meditations are a bit harder to do during ordinary daily activities like brushing your teeth, travelling, waiting or walking. But the fact remains that mantra meditations are exceptionally popular and useful and we advise everybody who is looking for the ideal meditation to give mantra meditations a try and a chance.
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