One of the most popular ways to meditate is by using a mantra. For those who don’t know what a mantra is, essentially it is a word which you repeat over and over, usually in your head. This helps focus the mind and remove distractions such as thoughts that will naturally pop into your head. It’s an effective way of encouraging the mind and body to let go and relax.

Sometimes meditation mantras are based on spiritual figures such as Buddhist, or even God. In Hebrew tradition there are 72 names for God, each representing an aspect of God. In Islamic tradition there are 99 names of God, which again represent various aspects of God.

Let’s go through some of the more widely used meditation mantras and try to understand their meaning, background and use for meditation…

Om
Probably the most popular mantra for meditation worldwide is Om. According to Hinduism, Om is the primordial sound from which all creation arose. The sound of Om has four distinct aspects to the creation of the sound: ah sound – a long ‘o’ sound – mmmm sound and silence. It is worth trying to feel where in your body you can feel the sound vibrating. OM resonates the vibrational tone of a non-dualistic universe as a whole. Buddhists relate OM to the crown chakra. This mantra centers the mind on the thought “I am manifestation of divine consciousness”.

Om Namaha Shivai is the feminine form and Om Namaha Shivaiya the masculine. These are also the name of God and they are popular in India and used as an invocation and prayer to the Hindu God Shiva. Repeating it will bring your state of consciousness in closer alignment with the state of that sound vibration, the state of Brahman. Consequently, many people use the sound of Om as a focus for their meditation.

Om Mani Padme Hum
Following on from Om is the meditation mantra Om mani padme hum, the six syllable mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara. This mantra is particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara and is also known as the jewel in the lotus. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, and so the mantra is especially revered by his devotees. It is a meditation mantra for healing the heart.

Rama
Rama, another Sanskrit name for God, is one of the most popular mantras used in India. It was used by Gandhi for over sixty years and is powerful at removing negative energies. You can simply repeat Rama on its own.

Hare Krishna mantra
Krishna is another name for God. The Hare Krishna mantra, also known as the Maha Mantra (“Great Mantra”), is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra which first appeared in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad.
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hu
Hu, a Sanskrit mantra, is also an ancient name for God. Ani-Hu is a variation of the Hu chant. Pronounced “ahn-eye-hu,” it is also an invocation to God with an added dimension that brings in the quality of empathy and oneness with others.

Here are examples of other spiritual meditation mantras:
Ek Ong Gar – one creator, God is one
Shante – supreme peace
Om Namah Shivaya – I honor the God within
Soham or Hamsa – I am That
El Shaddai – a Hebrew name for God, translated as “God Almighty”
Elohim – another Hebrew name for God, translated as “to whom one has recourse in distress or when one is in need of guidance”
Allah – the Islamic name for God
Govinda – one of the Hindu names for God, which refers to God’s power as he pervades everything

There are many, many more. The idea to keep in mind is that each name represents a particular quality or aspect. By focusing on that aspect, you come to know it in a deeper way. There are also longer mantras that consist of one or more sentences. Mantras like the powerful Kundalini Yoga Mantras and the Gayatri Mantra are more like prayers in the way they are set up.

Meditation mantras build up a powerful field of spiritual energy that can change your consciousness. The key is in your intention – bringing an attitude of reverence and love to whatever you are chanting. From ancient times, people have believed in the power of sacred words. The non-Buddhist approach to spirituality, known as Tantra, made extensive use of mantras as a method of contacting and influencing the gods. Buddhism adopted this method as a way of encouraging enlightenment.

Some meditators like to repeat their mantra in alignment with their breathing, perhaps repeating the mantra on every out-breath. Others teach not to tie the mantra to any set pattern but just to go with how it comes out and not to focus on the breath.

So what happens after repeating your meditation mantra for a while? Usually it will bring you to a deep, beautifully quiet place in your mind, where external noise is dimmed and everything seems tranquil. This is when you are actually meditating. The breathing is subtle, your muscles are relaxed, your head is relaxed. The mind is at peace. You could liken it to normal life being the choppy waves on the sea, then as you go down the water is less noisy, until you reach the bottom of the sea and all is still, quiet and peaceful. This is where you are in a deep meditation.

So a mantra is essentially a way to focus the mind and filter out thoughts, thus bringing the mind and body into a deep state of relaxation. I once asked my meditation teacher does it matter what word I use? Could I just repeat ‘banana’ over and over? In principle this should still work, but by using a sacred word for your mantra you have further benefits. Meditation mantras have a sacred meaning and their sounds have healing energetic vibrations that are beneficial to your mind, body, heart and soul. This is true even when used silently – your thoughts of these words have similar vibrations as when verbally sounded. By using such sacred words, you take the meditation to a deeper level of consciousness and therefore the energetic vibration also becomes stronger.

If you are just starting out with meditation, try some of these mantras and see if you find one that works best for you. I will be writing some meditation tips and guided meditations in the future to aid meditation.