Mantra Meditation

A Personal Mantra is a positive phase you repeat to yourself to improve motivation, self-belief and encouragement.  You can use this phase whenever needed by saying it out loud, in your thoughts or writing it down so you can see it. Whatever mantra you choose it should be important to you in that moment.  The befits of this mediation include bringing in positive energy within and around you. This can help with depression, anxiety, stress, self-belief, confidence and more. 

Begin by sitting in a comfortable position, relax, take a few moments to notice the breath. How do you feel?  Take a deep inhale and as you exhale let go of any tension or negativity and allow yourself to be in the moment. Take as long as you like before letting your breath flow naturally. Take a moment to think about what you need for example “I need to make more time for me” or “I need to be more confident”.   Once you have decided on your Mantra write down that you will do this, for example, “I will make time for me” or “I am confident”.  Write it as many times as you feel you need taking your time with each letter. Now repeat out-loud your mantra 3 times. With your eyes closed, picture the letters in-front of you and organise them into the words. With each inhale, breath in those words and feel them becoming part of you. Then in your mind again, say your mantra again, 3 times. How do you feel?

If you wish to add movement, Inhale reaching the arms up and visualise taking hold of your mantra, exhale as you place it somewhere symbolic, for example placing the hands on your heart or your mind.

Keep your written mantra. You can carry it around with you, if you want to keep it close or place it somewhere you feel is relevant. For example, if your mantra was “I will make time for me” place it in your own space like a bedroom to remind you. It’s okay if your mind starts to wonder when meditating, just acknowledge your thoughts and perhaps why the thoughts have come to you and then bring your focus back to your mantra.

If you’re unsure what mantra to use here are a few examples…

  • Don’t say maybe if you want to say no
  • I send myself love
  • I can pass my test
  • I am good enough
  • I am beautiful
  • I will make time for me
  • Don’t let yesterday take over today
  • I won’t give up
  • Negativity will never lead to positivity
  • I will live for the moment
  • I am strong
  • I will let go and not stress
  • Sadness is not in control
  • I am grateful and blessed
  • I won’t dwell on “what if’s”
  • I am real, not perfect
  • I will live in the present moment

Candle lit Meditation

Candle lit Meditation will help to focus and calm the mind bringing a sense of inner peace. It can help improve patience, willpower and your eyesight. It may help overcome mental blockages. A candle can be lit in memory of a loved one or to celebrate a new beginning. This meditation will help to bring warmth and light into the body. All you need is a candle, my favourite is an Aromatherapy candle which is scented naturally with Essential oils. I have listed a few scents and their benefits;

  • Lavender- will calm the mind, reducing stress and anxiety
  • Eucalyptus- good for relaxation can help you with sleep and clear sinuses
  • Jasmine- brings romantic and positive feelings, increasing energy levels
  • Rosemary- will improve mental activity, encourage clarity and relieve fatigue 
  • Sandalwood- can encourage openness, compassion and enhance benefits of meditation
  • Vanilla- brings a comforting feeling reducing nervous tension

Once you have picked the right candle for you. Sit comfortable at a table, try not to lean back into a chair but to lift and lengthen the spine relaxing the shoulders down. Place the candle in-front of you and light the candle. Take a moment to tune into your breath. If your candle has a scent take a moment to enjoy it. Look at the candles flame and soften your gaze. With each inhale imagine the light flowing into your body and slowly filling the body. The body begins to feel warmth. Notice which areas feel the warmest this could be physically, or it may be your heart. Close your eyes and visualise  the flame at your third eye (space between your eyebrows). In your mind see the colours of the candlelight and how it dances with your breath. Again, feel the warmth from the candle and draw the light into you so you become one with the light.  Visualise your body glowing and the light shining within you. How do you feel? Once you feel relaxed let everything settle. slowly open your eyes again to see the candle. Stay as long as you need allowing your breath to flow naturally. When you are ready to finish your meditation notice any unhappy thoughts or feelings that come up, acknowledge these thoughts as they have come for a reason. Now blow out the candle visualise any unhappy energy disappear with the smoke.

Using a candle can help you practice balance. You can do this practice before and after the meditation, noticing any change. Focus on the candlelight as you do the balance. I like to do a balance I call the Candle Balance. Start with feet parallel about hip width apart, focus on the light and bring your weight forwards on to your toes, possibly lifting your heels, bring your hands to prey at your heart and notice how balanced you feel. To go deeper raise the hands in prey above the head creating the flame, pull shoulders down, make the body as long as possible and if you can close your eyes picturing a candlelight in-front of you. You may only do this for a second or 2 depending on how you feel, this can change from day to day.

Chocolate Meditation

This is one of my favourite meditations! I think you can guess why. Chocolate meditation helps to bring a focus and includes the use of all your senses. Chocolate will release happy endorphins into the brain meaning it will de-stress and leave you feeling happy. All you need is a bar of chocolate, but choose carefully and note why you have picked it.

Start by getting into a comfortable seated position, this could be on a chair or on the floor. Place your chosen chocolate in-front of you. Take a moment first to lift and lengthen through the spine and roll the shoulders back and down. Take a few deeper breaths to relax breathing in through the nose and out through the nose.

Now look at the chocolate bar, notice the packaging, the colours and the writing. Does this make you think of anything?

Pick up the packet and look closer. Does the packet make a sound? Is there anything you see you haven’t seen before? Notice how you feel, are you excited to open the chocolate?

Open it and listen to the sound the packet makes. How does the chocolate feel? Is it smooth? Smell the chocolate and imagine what its going to taste like in your mouth. Brake off a square and again listen. Do you like that sound?

Place a square in your mouth and just let it dissolve, try not to bite it. How does the chocolate feel in your mouth? Is it what you expected? Does it taste how you imagined it? Are there any flavours you didn’t expect?

Once the square has melted in your mouth notice if you want or need any more? Was that one square enough? If you do want more, again take your time, notice all of the flavours in your mouth. Do you still like this chocolate? Has the reason you picked it changed? Will you pick the same bar again?

We so often open a chocolate bar and chuck the wrapper away taking no notice of the work and thought behind it. The packaging is important, it needs attract the target audience. We then eat the chocolate quickly not noticing the flavours with detail, therefore overeat. I previously had a client take a chocolate infused with ginger as they had it before and enjoyed it, but by the end of the meditation realised they had never tasted the bar properly.