What exactly is Mantra Meditation?

Mantra Meditation, or sometimes called Transcendental Meditation, is a form of meditation where the subject slowly repeats a Mantra to themselves, either aloud or mentally. The definition of a Mantra is actually a religious syllable or hymn. Mantras are believed to have originated in India, and were later adopted by Buddhist. The word Mantra is of the Sanskrit language, and can be broken down in to “man” meaning mind and “tra” meaning tool.

Today’s Mantra Meditation does not require you to learn any ancient religious hymns or languages. The majority of people who practice Mantra Meditation today use a word or phrase that relaxes them. Some people like to use the traditional Mantra syllables, or they will use their own sound, feeling that actual words with meaning will not allow them to fully relax.

Some of the common traditional Mantra syllables are:

Om, Aum, Gayatri, Hum, Lum, Cah, Summ, Beh, Ra, Mu

Just to name a few.

Why Mantra Meditation?

Relatively simple to do, Mantra Meditation has been the center of quite a bit of medical research. The many health benefits of Mantra Meditation, coupled with the scientific research backing these claims, may surprise you.

Mantra Meditation has been seen in studies to lower the risk of hypertension in African American adults when practiced as teenagers. A study published in the April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Hypertension followed the progress of 156 African American teenagers who practiced Mantra Meditation twice a day for fifteen minutes per session. The results were a drop in blood pressure and a reduction in daytime heart rate.

A study published in 1998 by Psychosomatic Medicine showed that people who practiced Mantra Meditation had a reduced level of lipid peroxide in comparison to those who did not practice any form of meditation. Lipid peroxide can contribute to atherosclerosis, which is the name of the process in which deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, and other plaque cling to artery walls.

Mantra Meditation has also been found to cause physical changes in the brain. Researchers at Harvard Medical School used MRI technology to monitor brain activity on patients as they practiced Mantra Meditation. What they found is that the section of the brain that handles our automatic nervous system, controlling blood pressure, digestion, and other such unconscious behavior, is made active during Mantra Meditation.

The Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, Iowa looked at patients who practiced meditated for four months and found a decrease in patient’s levels of cortisol, more commonly known as the “stress hormone”. With Mantra Meditation these patients actually produced less cortisol. With less cortisol in their systems the patients found that they had an easier time dealing with the everyday stresses of life.

Because Mantra Meditation is very easy to get started with, and the effects are almost immediate, many physicians and psychologist are recommending Mantra Meditation to their patients instead of or in addition to traditional medications.