Can Mantras Help Moms With Mental Health?
By: J.L. Rose
Can mantras help moms with mental health?
Roma Kudre explained in an article for WebMD that “mantra” means sacred sound and that many religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, “attribute spiritual powers to mantras.” However, the use of mantras does not need to be as part of a religion.
Mantras can simply be used as part of mindfulness - when the mind’s focus is placed on the present moment - to reduce stress, anxiety and more.
Mantra-based meditation can help with mental health, according to 2022 research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Mantra-based meditation is essentially the repetition of a word, phrase or set of syllables - either silently or aloud, according to researchers.
Researchers found that mantra-based meditation leads to lower levels of anxiety and stress and also improvements to depression, burnout, insomnia and more.
“Meditation techniques aim to improve attentional and emotional self-regulation by means of cognitive training and other practices (e.g., promotion of love, kindness, and compassion; sensorial stimuli; body movement), thus achieving a state of relaxation in the person,” researchers wrote. “They could be a promising resource to improve the mental health... In the case of (mantra-based meditation), it is easy to learn and practice, and does not require theoretical knowledge or the sharing of specific religious or spiritual beliefs.”
Storytime for Moms incorporates the concepts of mindfulness and mantras into its offerings of support and empowerment for moms seeking ways to overcome the challenges of motherhood and more.
To get started with a mindful mantra practice, it may be best to ease into things by checking out Storytime for Moms’ “Mantras for Moms” playlist on YouTube. Repeat the mantra out loud or in your mind for about 30 seconds. Overtime, extend that repetition to as long as 5 minutes or more, staying focused on the uplifting phrase. See how it makes you feel.
J.L. Rose, MA is a mom, communications expert and storyteller with more than 20 years of experience in journalism, strategic communications and education. She has been published by Scary Mommy, StepMom Magazine and more. She earned two Honorable Mentions in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Comeptition. She is creator of Storytime for Moms on YouTube, a grown-up storytelling channel for women who want to laugh, feel seen or escape for 10 minutes. The channel is dedicated to giving moms a well-deserved break for themselves in a space where moms support moms and it’s all about self-care.