Before I started to meditate, I was one of those people who couldn’t relax. A million thoughts of what I needed to do were coming at me all the time. I recall one time I was at the doctor’s office. He walks in the door, and without even talking to me, he told me I was stressed.
You just met me and have no idea what’s going on in my life. How could you possibly diagnose me as being stressed?
He responded that I was the first and only patient he’d ever walked into a room that was pacing the floor instead of sitting on the exam table.
Accurate. I was stressed. At the time, I was married to an alcoholic, had two little children to care for, worked nights, and got little sleep during the day. My mentality was that I had to be the perfect mother, wife, and employee. I thought it was my job to take care of everyone, and to make it seem like everything was perfect. Wrong. All it got me was stressed and sick.
Does this sound familiar to you?
Meditating is what relieved me of the need to have everything be perfect. I realized; I can’t take care of anyone if I don’t take care of myself first.
My meditation practice has gone on for so long that I don’t recall how I even started. Lately, I’ve had several people ask me to help them begin meditating. My first instruction was to sit in silence. That was it. I didn’t offer anything else. However, It wasn’t working for them, and they let me know.
They described to me that sitting in silence felt more like torture than peace. What I didn’t consider was these individuals like hearing the noise all the time. That is not me. I love peace and quiet, so I never thought anything else.
Many people are more comfortable when they hear a noise in the background. You know who you are, the ones that have the fans running while you sleep or the television on, even when you aren’t watching it.
It’s those people that I now suggest using a mantra meditation too. Focusing on a mantra is more natural for those who are new to meditating that need noise in the background. While the goal is ultimately to sit in peace and silence, this is a excellent alternate meditation to start you on that path. It teaches you to focus while you are using your thoughts. Do you know what thoughts are? Noise in your head.
So how do you do a Mantra Meditation?
Find a quiet place and sit. Preferable sit on the ground. However, if that causes you pain or discomfort, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet on the ground. While I have a meditation room, I prefer to sit out in the garden with my bare feet touching the Earth. Since this is your meditation, you get to choose what you like best.
Pick a word (love, happiness, joy, gratitude, Om, etc.) or a mantra. You will repeat this word or phrase over and over during the duration of your mediation. You can say them out loud or in your head. Whatever works best for you. Again, there is no right or wrong.
Here are some easy mantras to get you started that cover several different topics or you can come up with one of your own:
One of my favorites and it covers most topics “I am happy, healthy, beautiful and wealthy.”
If success is what you want more of in your life, try “I am getting more successful every day.”
Perhaps wealth is what you want to attract, try “I am a magnet for money.”
Working on your health? Try “I eat things that make my body healthy.”
Maybe love is what you are after, try “I choose to love, and love chooses me.”
Set your timer. I suggest starting small and working your way up. Try five minutes tops.
And go!
That’s it.
You can do this daily for 21 days to create a habit of mantra meditation. When you feel like it increase your time, remember, there is no wrong way. You get to choose what works for you. It’s called meditation practice because that’s what you are doing, practicing.
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Happy Mantra Meditation!
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