Mantra Meditation, in my opinion, is one of the most effective forms of meditation. Let us engage in a quick refresher: What is Meditation? Meditation is any of a family of techniques we actively do wherein our intentions and our actions align. What is a Mantra? A Mantra is a word or phrase repeated for an effect. Therefore, Mantra Meditation is repeating a word or phrase to align your actions and intentions. The most popular Mantra Meditation is the ‘Om’ chant. People debate the meaning of the word, but really, it’s just a pleasant word to say. The ‘O’ half starts in the back of your throat, and the ‘M’ half ends vibrating your lips, so the chant moves in your mouth as you do it.
Why do I believe in Mantra Meditation so strongly? It has to do with what I call “The Flow State Control Switch.” All of us have moments when we are ‘in the zone.’ We are flowing with the action in which we are engaged; we generally do not feel the passing of time and are more successful in our practice of presence. Another quick refresher: What is presence? Being present is engaging with life here and now non-analytically. I discussed in my previous piece that a more advanced grasp of being present is the understanding our environment and ourselves are one and the same. Being in the flow state is that principle in action.
Here in the ‘States, the expected lifestyle imposed on us by the wealthy takes control of the switch away. By flooding every possible space with distractions, they pull you away from the present and away from the switch. These distractions vary widely – sexually based advertisements, fear and anger-based tribalistic ‘culture war’ nonsense to keep you engaged against a nebulous enemy that operates somewhere else, and other manufactured outrage pieces that place the blame on you rather than where it belongs.
All of the distractions want you to judge things and want you to feel a certain negative way about the future. As we know, if we’re judging, that means we’re in our heads about something instead of being present. So, what’s the solution? We need to do two things: Judge and Worry Less. That’s the mantra, a four-word phrase packed with wisdom and intention. When we feel we’re getting worked up or at a crossroads wondering which path to travel – Judge and Worry less. It will help you avoid paths that don’t need to be traveled.
Obviously, there are times we do need to exercise proper judgment, and there will be times we have to worry about something important. The mantra isn’t ‘Judge and Worry Never,’ that’s not realistic. Reminding ourselves to Judge and Worry LESS is giving ourselves permission to keep walking instead of engaging, to let go instead of holding on. The mantra of Judge and Worry Less helps us further refine what is truly important and what is a distraction, and we don’t need more distractions – other people throw enough of them at us already. Be Present; Let Go; You are Worth It.