An Uncomplicated Life Blog: Meditation Tips and Easy Mantras

Monday, June 26, 2017

Meditation Tips and Easy Mantras

Meditation is essential for busy lives. Here's how to do it.


In early June, I had the privilege of flying out to Snowshoe, West Virginia, to go to Wanderlust with a few of my friends. I had never been to West Virginia before so that got crossed off the "visit all the states before I die" bucket list (only two left! Oregon and Arizona) and I got to practice yoga and take interesting classes on top of a mountain. Literally, we were on top of a mountain - the road to get there was a 11% grade and it was questionable if the car was even going to make it up the road for a bit! But we made it and it was beautiful and I ended up learning a bunch of things about yoga generally and myself personally. One of those things is the absolute necessity that meditation plays in busy (or even non busy) lives. So I've crafted some tips using some super easy mantras. Read on and get enlightened! Just kidding.

Great read on how to meditate and how it changes your life

First, I think people get turned off by the word mantra. It's simply the Hindu word for "word." It's not some spell you're trying to cast, it's not something you're trying to conjure or manifest. It's simply something you repeat to help quiet the clutter in your mind. Without a mantra, its really easy to sit in silence and think about what you're making for supper or that deadline you're on. Maybe there's a bird chirping outside or you start to focus on how you're uncomfortable sitting cross-legged on the floor. 

But with a mantra, for have a word (or very short phrase) that you repeat in your mind to keep that clutter out. You repeat it over and over in a rhythmic fashion. Think about a heart beating or drums drumming and how rhythmic that is - that's what you're going for with a mantra. Long story long, there's nothing to be scared of with mantras!

Before I dish out some of my favorites, lets start with meditation 101. First, you want a quiet space. Remember that bird I mentioned? Yeah, that's a distraction that causes mental clutter. So try to find a nice quiet space where you can be alone for a few minutes. Start with 5 and build up from there. Trust me, your first time meditating for 5 minutes will feel like forever! But then you'll get in the habit of it and it will feel like just a few seconds. I like to set a timer on my phone so I don't have to keep checking the time - I can enter a meditation and be fully in it for whatever length of time I have set.

Once in a quiet space, sit upright. It doesn't have to be on the floor, although I like the floor. You can sit in a chair. Just make sure your shoulders are over your hips and your spine is straight. Why? Because you'll get so relaxed, it's very easy to fall asleep! This ensures that you'll stay with the meditation practice and not check out or drift off into slumber.

Use these mediation mantras to stay focused

Your hands can be in your lap. They can face up or down. Whatever is most comfortable for you is what's best! Get situated, take a few deep breaths, and then start repeating one of these mantras that either resonates with you, or perhaps pick one that you feel like you even need most that day. Here are my favorites:

Love
Happy
Om
I am love
Radiate love

See how simple those are?! Mantas and meditating isn't scary and it isn't complicated. The word Om is what the Hindu's believed to be the sound the world made as it was created - it's a vibrating sound of creation, beginning and being. So nothing to be scared about there, either. Some days you might want a new beginning, other days you might need a reminder that you are love. Some people pick one and stick with it, but I like to change mine to reflect what I need in that moment that day.

That's it! Having a regular meditation practice, even if it's just twice a week, helps you focus, relax and quiet over-scheduled and too-busy minds. It creates time and space for you to just be present, to be in the moment. Not thinking about what you should be doing, or have yet to do on the day's to-do list. Just a few moments for you to be with yourself in peace and breathe calmly. It's truly amazing what a meditation practice and positive mantra will do in  and for your life.

10 comments:

  1. My brother is into meditating and has been talking to me about it. There is this app I tried that really helped break it down, but you're right - it's not scary! I need to get back to this and could really use 5 minutes of quiet focus.

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  2. Love this! Love the suggested phrases and words, too. I haven't tried meditation yet but you've inspired me to start by how easy you've made it seem. Also, totally impressed you only have two more states to go on your bucket list!

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  3. Love this. So simple. I was meditating quite a bit earlier in the year, but I really need to get back in the habit. Thanks for the motivation!

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  4. Thanks for the tips! I just posted a post about how I've been using mantras and affirmations to help me through some rough times so I definitely appreciate this!

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  5. Kellen started meditating a few months ago and loves it! I have yet to try, but having quiet time to just be is amazing.

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  6. My grandfather meditates, but he's a boss. Like built a meditation sanctuary and goes to camps haha. He tried to get me into it when I was 4... did not go well. My brother, however, practices it in a more "modern" standard compared to my grandfather who does it spiritually/religiously. They tell me it will help with my stress, but there's SO much noise pollution where I live and I just want to take a nap. BUT will try to give it a try for you <3

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  7. I need to get on the meditation train. I do think it would help a lot. I listened to a podcast (science vs.) about meditation and it was really interesting. So nuts that there's actual scientific evidence that supports this hippie bullshit. ;)

    Btw... I generally like hippie bullshit.

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  8. Thanks so much for sharing this! I used to try to meditate, but for some reason I stopped. I try every now and then to practice some mindfulness and reflection when I can, but I really need to try to incorporate it more into my daily life.

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