What are mantras and what are mantras that can be used at work
(Hope Zvara offers sound advice when it comes to mantras and exactly why we should use them.)
Being stressed appears to be the new norm. Tasks just keep piling up and finding time to de-stress seems to never fit into the day’s schedule. And when it comes to work, it may not be realistic to drop everything and hit up a yoga class or take a day at the beach.
My name is Hope Zvara, and as a yoga and mindfulness expert of more than seventeen years, I firmly believe in making small little changes to our lives. And at the end of the day, those small little changes all add up to big results.
And that is why incorporating the use of mantras into your life and workday can be a very effective way to curb stress, help you become more productive and keep a “zen” like state even in the most stressful of times.
The use of mantras can benefit anyone who incorporates them into their lives like brushing their teeth. Benefits include: reduced stress and anxiety, soothes stresses from technology hangover, assists in a shedding of neurotic habits, boosts immunity and not to mention they are free.
What is a mantra?
A mantra is a word or syllable repeated to help curb the mind, keep focus and act as a form of meditation. One would often use a mantra in yoga and meditation to help keep “the mind on the mat”, but they are often also use in everyday life and given from teacher to student to help overcome obstacles, challenges, and aid in transitions.
Incorporating mantras into ones’ workday can be a wonderful way to combat stress, keep better focus, improve confidence, and even keep those negative self-sabotaging thoughts at bay.
How to use a mantra?
If you are a yogi working with a teacher one would often recommend you recite your given mantra for 108 times, X amount of times per day for so many days as a prescription so to speak.
But anyone can begin to use mantras and instantly begin to benefit. And that means you can start today.
You may already have used a mantra and don’t even know it.
Affirmations are forms of mantras in the English form. Mantras can be more powerful as the vibrational tone and sound of a mantra when spoken correctly aids the brain and our inner state more deeply than its English sister.
But no matter where you start, a refocusing on the mind will surely follow, with commitment and regular repetition.
Where do I start?
One of my favorite mantras that I was given during my stay at an ashram during one of my yoga teacher trainings is a mantra to Ganesha.
Ganesha is seen as the remover of obstacles and when chanted to can help you overcome, move through or see more clearly that which is in front of you and needs to be dealt with.
Mantra for the workplace: “Om Vakratundaaya Hum” (Ohm Vah-krah-TOON-die-yah Hoom)
And when chanting this you would either chant using a mala or even just chant this frequently during the day to help keep the mind focused and aid in working through difficulties.
If you would rather not use a Sanskrit mantra then using affirmations (which many of us do already) is a great place to start.
I think of mantras as a way to change the internal voice we have, that for many is negative and downgrading.
Affirmation for the workplace: “Peace is within my reach” or “I am calm and focused”, or “Obstacles are opportunities”.
No what mantra or affirmation you use, the most important thing to remember is that they don’t work and cannot help you if you don’t use them.
Namaste.
Author: Hope Zvara, mindfulness and lifestyle expert, best selling author, and motivational speaker empowers individuals nationwide by sharing her personal success story, delivering her message, guidance, and applicable tools. Breath, Body, and Belief are the pillars of Hope’s mission to Help Others Purposefully Excel. Zvara offers direction based on how the mind operates, how the body works, and how beliefs affect mental health and wellness overall. Zvara has changed thousands of lives over the past 17 years by sharing her journey of loss and recovery.
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