The Calming Power of Mantra

I’d heard of mantra before starting my yoga practice in 2011 but I didn’t really understand the power of intentional, simple words until the last few years. Now I incorporate mantra into my life every day and it is calming and transformative.

First, an explanation of what mantra is. Mantra comes out of Hinduism and Buddhism and is simply a word or sound that’s repeated to aid concentration, often used when meditating. I’ve found many ways to use mantra – not just while meditating – to help me manifest things that I want to attract to my life. I’ve been amazed at how powerfully the words I come up with actually do help me set and pursue an intention. But perhaps a few examples might make it clearer.

Example 1: In a yoga class, the instructor will typically invite participants to set an intention at the beginning of class – which is a mantra. The purpose of mantra in a yoga class, from my perspective, is three-fold.

• To help you push away the distracting thoughts that inevitably will disturb your ability to clear your mind enough to get the maximum benefits from your practice. These thoughts keep you from sufficiently moving through the eight limbs of the path of yoga (click here for a resource guide on yoga’s eight-limbed path – it’s not merely an exercise class).
• To give you something to repeat over and over when you’re struggling with a pose that you find difficult or challenging, so you don’t focus on the struggle.
• To give you an intention to work towards both on and off your mat.

I tend to use the same mantra whenever I take yoga class. This mantra is “Serenity and Strength.” This is what I strive for through my yoga practice and it has been delivered to me many times over. These three simple words have kept me balanced, strong, and calm for years. 

Example 2: I’ve also incorporated mantra to help me in other aspects of my life. After losing significant weight a few years ago, I still struggle with the urge to snack too much. My weight loss is a big part of my goals of being a role model as a health coach, living a vibrant and healthy long life, being able to take care of myself indefinitely, and being able to care for loved ones. So, gaining the weight back is not an option, but it is a struggle. I’ve developed a simple mantra that is written on sticky notes and plastered on my refrigerator and pantry door that says, “All my goals.” When I am tempted to reach for something to snack on and I’m not really hungry, or I’m tempted to eat too much of a snack, this simple mantra, which I’ll repeat over and over, has helped remind me of my intention to stay at a healthy weight so I can achieve what I’ve set out to do. Simple and powerful.

Here are a few guidelines I’ve developed for mantra, plus a few I’ve researched. I hope they help you find a way to incorporate this amazing tool into your life.

• Mantra is a personal expression, and each person should decide which words will resonate best. But if you’re stuck for an idea, you’re welcome to use my mantras to get you started.
• Ask yourself what you need in your life to help uncover your personal mantra. If you want assistance in determining your mantra, contact me at [email protected] and we can talk it through.
• Keep your mantra short – too long and it becomes more like reading a book than having a clarifying and transformative thought.
• Keep it positive. My “all my goals” mantra could just as easily have been, “don’t be a pig” but that is such negative self-talk and will not help me remember my “why.”
• Change it up as needed. Once you select a mantra, you’re not wedded to it for life. If you decide it’s lost its helpful power or just doesn’t fit your needs anymore, change it to something new. Or have multiple mantras for various situations.

Mantra is even deeper than I’ve depicted in this short article, but hopefully this will give you a good start towards purposely focusing yourself and your intentions with mantra. Namaste.