How to Practise Mantra
A complete practical guide to beginning and deepening mantra practice — from choosing a mantra and establishing a posture to working with distraction and understanding what the practice is building.
Choosing a Mantra
The tradition strongly recommends receiving a mantra from a qualified teacher, and where this is possible it remains the preferred approach — the teacher-student transmission carries something that choosing from a book cannot replicate. But sincere independent practice with a traditional mantra is genuine and valid. The most universal Sanskrit mantra is Om — the sound traditionally associated with the ground of being itself. So Ham (I am That) is widely used for breath-synchronised practice. Aham Brahmasmi (I am the Absolute) is a Vedantic mantra for more advanced inquiry-oriented practice.
Posture and Setting
Sit comfortably with the spine reasonably upright. The physical location should be quiet if possible, and if a dedicated space for practice can be established — used only for practice — the accumulated energy of sincere practice in that space becomes supportive over time. This is not superstition; it is the recognition that habit and association shape the quality of attention.
The Method
Begin each session by settling for a few breaths before starting the mantra. Then repeat the mantra — internally in most traditions, softly spoken in some — at a natural, unhurried pace. A mala (prayer beads, traditionally 108 beads) can be used to count repetitions, giving the hands a task that supports the concentration of the mind. When distraction occurs, return to the mantra — exactly as in breath meditation, gently and without commentary.
What Builds Over Time
Consistent mantra practice builds, over weeks and months, a deepening quality of interiorisation. The mantra gradually becomes less an external activity and more an inner resonance. The attention, trained by consistent return, becomes more naturally settled. And the silence between repetitions — and at the end of a session — becomes deeper and more palpable.
This deepening silence is the fruit of the practice. The mantra itself is a doorway into it. When the mantra has served its purpose — when the attention is gathered and the silence is present — the mantra can be released, and simple resting in awareness can continue.
Practice
Begin simply: Choose a single mantra — 'Om', 'So Ham' (I am That), or 'Aham Brahmasmi' (I am Brahman). Sit comfortably. Breathe naturally. Begin repeating the mantra — internally or softly spoken — at a comfortable, unhurried pace. When the mind wanders, return to the mantra without criticism. Practise for fifteen minutes daily for thirty days before adding complexity. Simplicity, consistency, and sincerity are the entire practice.
Reflect
- ·Has my mantra practice deepened my quality of inner stillness over time?
- ·Do I practise mantra as a routine or as a genuine act of attention?
- ·What happens in the silence that follows a mantra session?