History of Mantra and Meditation

The original practice of yoga.

The earliest use of mantras dates back to Vedic culture in ancient India, over 3000 years ago.

 

A mantra is a Sanskrit word that translates to "instrument of thinking." Mantras serve as a point of focus for meditation and are also used in devotional practices of bhakti yoga. Encompassing many forms of sacred sound vibration, mantras can be chanting silently or aloud. 

The earliest documentation of the use of mantras is in the ancient Vedic scriptures of yoga. Sacred sound was a core component of the ancient rituals to invoke the power of the elements and deities. Mantras posses two important elements– meaning and vibration. The meaning of meditation mantras is hard to translate into English. For the mantra to be effective it must be pronounced correctly and the mind must be focused on the vibration.

Historians consider the practice of mantra meditation to be older than 1000 BCE.

Popular Mantras

Om Namah Shivaya

Om Mani Padme Hum

Sat, Chit, Ananda

Ham-Sah

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Om Kalikayai Namah

Om Namo Narayanaya

How to use a mantra

1. Choose a mantra that best suits your personality, goal or intentions.

2. Find a comfortable seated position where you can sit tall and be relaxed.

3. Close your eyes or have them half open.

4. Repeat your mantra. You can chant it aloud, silently in your head, or softly as a whisper.

5. When you lose your focus come back to the sound of the mantra.

6. Try using some mala prayer beads to keep your focus and count the mantras.