If you look in the mirror right now – what would you say to yourself?
Are they words that build you up, or tear you down? Are they expressions of encouragement, or discouragement?
You see, a lot of our anxiety and stress have a significant correlation with how we speak to ourselves. For hundreds of years, the Buddhists and Hindu practitioners have used mantras, a phrase you rhythmically repeat, while in deep meditation to quiet the mind and help focus on absorbing the mantra truth. It is one of the most globally practiced and established mental conditioning and if you’ve never done one before, performing mantras can be a surprisingly effective way to counter stress.
Reciting mantras help our brain networks in the cerebral cortex, responsible for our wandering and often anxious thoughts, to slow down and focus on a single positive thought. This slight reduction of activity gives the mind a break from nerve-wracking thought processes and allows you to enjoy a period of overall relaxation.
Put simply, whenever you are stressed, your body reacts to this as a ‘perceived threat’ and by speaking to yourself in a gentle, positive way you tell your body that the threat has passed and allow the process of relaxation to begin.
To get you started, here are eight powerful and life-changing mantras you can start practicing to zap stress:
- I have complete control over my responses to stress. I consciously choose not to let it overwhelm me.
- Stressed or not, I love and respect myself.
- Inhale, exhale, take it slow.
- Not everything has to be perfect. My mistakes do not define me. I have done my best.
- I am thankful for _____________.
- I will face all situations with love and peace.
- Tranquility in the midst of confusion is within reach.
- Every experience is a learning opportunity.
These are just some of the positive messaging you can start speaking to yourself every time stress threatens to overwhelm you.
If you want to learn how to create your own mantras, head over to this article from Foodmatters.com to get some ideas.
Have you ever tried mantra meditation before? What mantras do you personally love coming back to whenever stress kicks in? Let us know in the comments below!
Related Posts:
