Mantras: Yay or nay

I have a love / hate, on again off again relationship with mantras.  When I was first introduced to them I was skeptical. 

How is saying these words, that I really don’t even believe to be true, going to help me?

Looking in the mirror and saying “I am thin,” when I weigh more than I ever have in my life, not only feels untrue, but delusional.

But so many teachers and people I respect swear by them and tell me that I just need to be patient and stick with them every day.  Fake it till you make it.

I used to be a huge proponent of fake it till you make it.  But I eventually decided that faking it was starting to feel like a sort of denial of reality.  Just like the mantras.

So I eventually gave up on these methods and moved on to other techniques with varying results.  One of which was the Law of Attraction.

One of the main components of the Law of Attraction is to put yourself in the emotional space of whatever it is you are trying to manifest.  Want more money?  Pretend to spend money as if you already had it to experience the feelings of being someone with money.  Want your new dream home?  Go look at homes for sale and try to picture yourself living in them.  Sit on the couch and feel like its your home.

What is the common thread that flows through these exercises? 

It is the denial of reality.  In a good way. 

Instead of denying reality by saying you’re something you’re not, like in the I am thin example, now you are saying, It may not be true in this moment, but I know what it will feel like and it is totally within the realm of possibility. 

You have now changed the energy of the untrue statement of “I am thin” to “I can be thin.”

It’s a subtle difference.  But words have energy.  You are speaking your desires into existence.  And now you are infusing them with the energy of possibility instead of the energy of faking it.

Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that how we experienced things in the past will always be how we experience them.  Like when someone breaks your heart and you think that everyone will now eventually break your heart. 

Or that just because you are living paycheck to paycheck now, that it will always be like that.

This is where denying reality becomes a good thing.  The reality you are denying is that things will continue as they always have.  Now you can dwell in the realm of possibility.     

So how does this tie into mantras?    

Use possibility as your gauge when choosing your mantras. 

The mantra “I am brave” may not feel true in the moment.  But can you acknowledge the possibility that you could be brave?

This is the key to getting the right mantra for you.  Belief.  Believing that you can be different tomorrow than you are today. 

So when you are choosing a mantra for your practice remember to deny (ignore) reality and ask yourself, “Is this possible?”  Can this be true tomorrow or the next day or the day after that? 

If you still feel like it’s a false statement this is not quite the right mantra for you.  Move on to another.  And if you can’t find one that you resonate with, create your own. 

I find this to be the method that works best for me.  Although I will sometimes come across one that resonates with me and I will adopt it.

Mantras can be anything.  They don’t have to be spiritual or in Sanskrit.  It can be a line in a book you are reading, or a song you hear.  A quote you love or something from a social media post.  It can even be as simple as I am… or I have… statements.

Some of the ones I am using currently are:

I Am the Solution

Flawlessly Trust Yourself

1% Better IS Better

Consistency.  Consistency.   Consistency.

Once you have decided on a few you have to implement them.  How do you do that?

Say them to yourself in the mirror every day (mirror work.)

Use them as a password for your computer. 

Put them on sticky notes around the space you spend the most time in.  But be careful not to take them for granted,  They tend to fall into the background of your awareness after awhile so pause when you see it and intentionally absorb it in the moment.

The yogic tradition teaches to say them 108 times during meditation.  In yoga, 108 is the number of spiritual completion, so you are signaling your unconscious mind that this is a done deal.  But don’t fixate too much on the number of times.  If this doesn’t resonate with you just repeat it as many times as you feel comfortable with.  This can be out loud or just in your mind.  The benefit to this is that you can immerse yourself in the energy of the mantra.  It is the only thing you are focused on.  Say it slowly and deliberately.  Feel the energy of it as you speak it.  It has the added benefit of keeping your mind from wandering while you are meditating. 

So to sum up:

Deny Reality

Dwell in the Realm of Possibilities

Only Pick Matras That Resonate With You

Or Create Your Own

Use Them Daily

Replace When Needed

I hope this has been helpful.  Give it a try.  And, as always, tweak it so it works for you.  And most importantly have fun with it!