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Using a mantra – a word, phrase, or sound that you repeat either silently or aloud – is one way to help focus the mind when you’re starting meditation. But how do you choose the right one? And how do you use it in a way that actually helps? Our guide can help.
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What Is a Mantra?
The word mantra comes from Sanskrit and is often translated as “mind tool,” – and the job that tool does is to focus your mind.
Traditionally, mantras are sacred sounds, words, or phrases repeated during meditation or prayer to help focus the mind and connect with a deeper spiritual energy. But while many mantras have roots in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, you don’t need to use religious words to get their mind-calming effect.
So, while you could use a traditional mantra like the Sanskrit phrase Om Mani Padme Hum, you could also use a calming word, phrase or affirmation like peace, let go, or I am enough. The key point is finding something that works for you.
Why Use a Mantra to Still the Mind?
As we explained in our guide to meditation tools, the human mind is naturally active, and it’s hard for us to switch that off. Particularly when you first start meditating. Try to sit quietly and, chances are, you’ll be distracted by to-do lists, worries, or random thoughts. A mantra gives the mind something simple, steady and unemotional to think about instead.
Used properly, a mantra will…
- Calm mental chatter and replace it with one thing for you to focus upon
- Slow the breath and heart rate, helping the body enter a relaxed state
- Increase mindfulness, helping you stay in the present
- Creates a sense of rhythm or ritual, which can be soothing in itself
How to Use a Mantra
You can use a mantra in several ways, depending on your personal preference and the style of meditation you’re doing. Here are some common approaches:
1. During Seated Meditation
Find a quiet place to sit comfortably. Close your eyes and begin to repeat your chosen mantra silently or softly aloud. Let the sound or words become your focus until your mind stills. If your mind wanders again, which it will, gently return to focusing on the mantra. If you still find it hard to switch off, try changing your hand position. Find out why that matters here.
2. Time it to Your Breathing
Match your mantra to your breath. You might say one part as you inhale and the second part as you exhale. For example: “Inhale calm, exhale stress.”
3. Throughout the Day
A mantra doesn’t have to be reserved for meditation. You can repeat it silently in your mind during moments of stress, distraction, or overwhelm, like while waiting in line, commuting, or trying to fall asleep.
How to Decide What to Say
A true mantra has some spiritual resonance, and it’s believed that this can tap into the body’s vibrations if you repeat it enough times (some say 125,000 times). However, when you’re first starting meditation, you might not feel the need to go that deep yet. You may also feel self-conscious or inauthentic, repeating a phrase associated with a religion or spiritual practice that you don’t fully understand.
In this piece, therefore, we’re more using mantras as their literal meaning – a tool to distract the mind. To this end, you could even repeat something meaningless and mundane like ‘peas and carrots, peas and carrots’ if that worked for you – but most people like to choose a mantra that has a more calming or spiritual meaning to reinforce the goals of their meditation.
Related Read: How Long Should You Meditate For
Examples of Popular Spiritual Mantras
If you feel drawn to traditional spiritual practices, you might explore mantras that come from established traditions. Here are two well-known examples:
Om Mani Padme Hum (Buddhist)
This is one of the most famous mantras in Tibetan Buddhism. Though it’s difficult to translate exactly, it’s often interpreted to mean “the jewel is in the lotus” and represents compassion, wisdom, and the path to enlightenment.
So Hum (Hindu/Yogic)
This Sanskrit mantra translates to “I am that”, reflecting a sense of unity between the self and the universe. It’s short, easy to remember, and simple to use with the breath as it’s only two words, so you can repeat ‘so’ on the inhale and ‘hum’ on the exhale.
Choosing Your Own Mantra
While spiritual mantras can be deeply meaningful and powerful, your mantra doesn’t have to be ancient or religious to be effective in stilling your mind. Many people benefit from creating or choosing a personal mantra that feels intuitive and relevant to their own lives, especially when starting meditation.
Here are some tips to help you choose:
1. Pick Something That Feels Calming
Your mantra should evoke a sense of peace or support. Words like calm, breathe, trust, ease, or let go are simple and effective. Obviously, if the latter then starts you singing, it’s not the best choice.
2. Choose Words That Resonate with You
Think about what you need most in your life right now. Do you need more strength? Reassurance? Forgiveness? Your mantra can reflect that need. Examples:
- “I am safe.”
- “Let it be.”
- “This too shall pass.”
- “I choose peace.”
3. Keep It Short
A good mantra is easy to remember and repeat. One to five words is usually ideal. If it’s too long, it can become distracting rather than calming.
4. Try a Few and See What Feels Right
Don’t be afraid to experiment. You might try a different mantra each day for a week and see which one feels most natural and stills your mind most effectively.
If you’re still struggling to find something that feels right for you, consider checking a mantra book. This one has 150 different phrases you might want to try, including mantras to start your day, mantras for self-love, mantras for success and abundance, and ones to use to calm your body before sleep.
What’s the Difference Between a Mantra and an Affirmation?
True spiritual mantras have a vibrational energy that makes them distinct from affirmations, but if you’re creating your own mantra to use during your practice, you might be wondering what the difference is between this and an affirmation.
The key difference is the intention of use. Mantras are designed to still the mind, while affirmations aim to change the way it thinks.
Mantras are neutral statements that you use as a point of focus; affirmations are positive statements, written in the first person and the present tense as if you’re already acting on them. So, for example, a stress-reducing mantra might involve repeating the word ‘calm’, whereas an affirmation would be something like ‘I do not let pressure overwhelm me.’
When to Change Your Mantra
Just like music or favorite affirmations, your mantra can evolve. What worked for you six months ago might not feel quite right now. That’s okay.
You might find that:
- A word or phrase stops resonating
- You feel drawn to a spiritual practice and want to explore traditional mantras
- You want to set a new intention, and your old mantra doesn’t reflect those goals.
Listen to yourself. Your mantra is for you, and its purpose is to support your peace and presence, not to follow a rigid formula.
Related Read: How to Create a Meditation Space at Home
You don’t have to get it perfect. All you need is a word or phrase that feels grounding, kind, and easy to return to and that switches off the chatter in your head. It’s not something you have to tell other people; you don’t even need to utter it out loud if you don’t want to, so choose whatever works for you. The benefits of meditation come from stilling the mind, not the words you speak to help you do that.