A mantra can be highly beneficial for someone suffering anxiety. It helps calm the mind and move the focus to something other than the anxiety. My personal experience with a mantra was a rather funny one.
Many moons ago, the arrogant me did not like or believe in mantras.
As many of us are well aware life has a way of giving lessons. I have recalled and recounted this life lesson to others many times.
Many years ago I went to Rishikesh in India on the Ganges River to do a 10-day silent retreat at Swami Rama's Ashram. I went with a close friend, who was a yoga teacher; she had done this silent meditation retreat many times before. On the first day, the head swami told me that I may not be able to do this silent meditation retreat. My mind was too busy he said, and he would give me a mantra to help calm my mind. This did not sit well with me. First of all, amongst 30 participants, I was the only one told that I would not be able to stay for the length of the retreat and secondly I did not like mantras.
Two days into the retreat, my mind was so super busy with random thoughts, and it felt crazy with all the silence surrounding me. The silence seemed to amplify the noise inside me. I was begging to see the now elusive Swami Veda.
On the 4th day, I was graced with our swami's presence and given a very long mantra as a ceremonial gesture. It was whispered into my left ear. Slowly I began to discover the power of a mantra.
This mantra resonated through the whole of my being, every sound mimicked the mantra. My mind went very quiet and the mantra was in everything whether I repeated it or not. It was in the sound of the tap water, the wind, the rain, the birds, the laughter, and even my breath. From that day onwards I never doubted the power of a mantra ever again.
Needless to say, I concluded my silent meditation in pure bliss and with much greater respect for the unknown. That was 17 years ago.
These days you receive a mantra when you do a TM course (transcendental meditation), but it is an expensive exercise. A personal mantra is an affirmation to motivate, deepen your practice and inspire you to be your best self. Mantras have been utilised around the world for thousands of years.
A mantra helps enormously alongside the discipline of regular meditation practice. There is also great evidence to support the effectiveness of meditation for patients suffering from anxiety or panic attacks. Therefore, it is no surprise that this ancient practise has made a resurgence in recent years as a practical tool for coping with life and nurturing personal growth.
Combining your meditation with a mantra can make it all the more powerful. If you would like help exploring this concept further then book in for a consultation, or take advantage of my free 30-minute discovery call.
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