Did you know that over 40 million people in the US suffer from anxiety disorders? With that number climbing every year, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic’s seemingly never-ending presence, we should all do our best to relieve stress and anxiety before it blows up into a long-term problem.
Practicing yoga is an excellent way to increase awareness—not to mention relieve stress and anxiety—but achieving peace of mind through this ancient practice is no mean feat. One helpful way to reduce anxiety through yoga is by choosing a mantra for anxiety.
What Is a Yoga Mantra?
To put it simply, a mantra is a word or phrase—traditionally in Sanskrit—that allegedly assists the yoga practitioner in transforming their body, mind, and spirit. You chant the sacred syllables aloud in a loud whisper or silently in your mind while meditating to increase your awareness of your intent.
Can a Yoga Mantra Really Relieve Anxiety?
Before we move on, it’s important to note that yoga mantras are not a foolproof way of curing anxiety, and their effects may vary from person to person. The purpose of the mantra is to establish a healthy foundation for helping yoga practitioners cope, process, and move forward with their lives with a clearer mind, better self-awareness, and reduced negative energies weighing them down.
If you’re not a total believer of the benefits of chanting the same word over and over again, we don’t blame you. However, the proof doesn’t lie. One study has discovered a direct correlation between repeating a chant for extended periods of time and significant changes in brain activity.
8 Powerful Mantras to Help You Quiet Anxiety
Below, we’ll go over eight powerful mantras that many people say have worked for them to reduce anxiety. Take whatever from this least speaks loudest to you. If done properly and with an open mind, you might even notice feelings of instant stress relief, especially when you repeat them consistently and frequently.
1 | Om
You’ve undoubtedly heard this chant everywhere you see someone meditating on TV or in movies. It’s a simple yet powerful mantra that has a grounding effect like no other. It’s also the oldest mantra that can help us into ourselves and slowly chip away at stress, anxiety, and even depression.
2 | This Will Pass
Like many other things in this world, including certain health and mind conditions, anxiety, too, will pass. Use this chant to remind yourself over and over again that anxiety doesn’t last forever and that with sheer willpower, sooner or later, this plague of the mind has an end.
3 | Sat Nam
The Sat Nam mantra is a simple yet effective chant that can mean “I am truth,” “Truth is my essence,” or “My name is truth.” Whichever way you take it to mean, chanting Sat and Nam with each inhale and exhale repeatedly can reduce negative emotions in your mind that stem from “coiled” negative energy found at the stem of your spine.
4 | All Is Well
Sometimes, we all need a friendly reminder, even if it comes from within, that all is well. Slowly chanting this phrase while working on your breathing patterns has helped some practitioners not only reduce stress but also strengthen self-awareness and intent.
5 | Calm Down
Telling someone else to calm down is rarely effective, but you can command yourself to do it simply by chanting this phrase over and over again. You can either say the words “calm” and “down” with each inhale and exhale, or you can slowly spell the words out.
6 | It’s Not About You
When people become frustrated with you at the workplace, just know that it’s not personal. Some yoga practitioners rely on this simple chant to remind them that everything that happens at work is professional and not to be taken personally.
7 | Soham
Soham, which simply means “I am that” or “I am the universe,” can help broaden your sense of self. This chant helps to remind you that you’re not just a particle in the expanding universe; you have a role in something greater, even if you don’t realize it yet. This two-syllable word can be said with an entire breath (one inhale and exhale).
8 | Om Shanti Om
Om Shanti Om is the go-to mantra to invoke inner peace. In English, it’s understood to mean “peace in body,” and it can even be used as a form of greeting among practitioners. Om Shanti Om has helped countless people achieve a state of peace and tranquility with almost immediate effects.
Try These Mantras Out or Come Up with Your Own
Once again, anxiety-relieving mantras are not 100% foolproof, and it takes an open mind and constant repetition to achieve a state of tranquility and mindfulness. Have you tried any of these mantras without beneficial results? Please feel free to come up with your own mantra. Find whatever helps find a positive affirmation for anxiety, whether it’s in English or another language.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
