Take firm action to cement your commitment of changing the old limited self to your new, more expansive Self by using the mind-stilling practice from the East called japa, or mantra repetition.

The benefits of this practice are enormous! I strongly suggest you train your mind’s tendency of wanting-to-keep-busy by giving it something worthwhile to think about. In this way a confused, fearful, anxious mind transforms into a peaceful, tranquil, constructive mind using this yogic technique. It has worked miracles for me and countless others. I started practicing japa (continuously, all day, everyday) years ago and today it still works its magic for me with each new present moment of the NOW.

Mantra repetition works like this: the human brain wants to be busy. So by feeding the mind something to focus on, we can train our minds to be still, yet let the mind keep busy thinking about, repeating something, as it naturally wants to do. By using a short, concise phrase or sacred word(s)—with the emphasis on sacred—as a continual background engagement for my mind to focus on, I have succeeded in creating peace in my formerly scattered thinking, without the need to think about all of life’s many distractions and pitfalls. Japa—silent and continuous mantra repetition—replaces the disturbing chatter of the mind, or what’s called monkey mind by Buddhists, and freight-train-brain by 12-Steppers.

One of the most fruitful benefits of mantra repetition, is protection and preparedness.

Life is filled with heart-quakes. Repeating a sacred mantra keeps our mind steady, always busy, which is what it likes to do (when not in the state of thought-less meditation, which takes practice). Save yourSelf a lot of grief, and start a japa practice today. Give your mind a “healthy, nutritious bone” to chew on so when it does erupt in anger, anxiety, fear, sadness, depression or any other uncomfortable feeling—your mind won’t be rocked off its center of steadiness and turn on you, biting you like a bad dog who goes berserk (yes, the mind can do this!). By giving your busy-mind this bone (a mantra) to chew on, starting NOW, it stays anchored in grace. With a japa practice, the mind stays steady even when winds of adversity start to thunderously blow all around you.

By giving your mind this steady sound to anchor to, it remains in equipoise, steadiness. Nothing is more predictable in life than change. So armor your mind-heart-spirit for future troubles, by repeating your mantra all the time, starting right here. Don’t wait for an emergency, or a crisis. One day those things will arrive, you can bet on it. And you’ll be prepared if you begin your japa practice today.

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Teach yourself right here, right now, to repeat a mantra—silently. This is how to practice japa: coordinate each repetition of the sound with an in-breath, and with the out-breath. In whatever fashion you choose, repeat rhythmically, using breath as a vehicle, a short phrase that appeals to the divine within you. Say in your own simple words, something like—“I honor my Higher Self.”

Experiment with what works for your beliefs and temperament.

My husband invokes the name of Jesus Christ in his japa practice. I’ve heard some experts say that any word, name or phrase that contains the “Ah” sound assists the meditative practice of non-thinking, by giving the mind something to focus on. For this reason, you could experiment with the following for your mantra japa. Using only one suggestion at a time, try repeating for a minute or so:

The ancient sound of Amen (true, truly) pronounced Ah’-men.

Yahweh, the ancient (Hebrew) name of God, enunciated yAh’-way.

Al-lAh’, the Islamic name (Allah) for God.

Ah’-lelu-yAh’, alleluia is same as hallelujah’: Praise ye Jehov-Ah’ also called J-Ah’.

Namaste, stated nAh’mAhs-tay is “I honor the sacred spark within” in Sanskrit.

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For three decades I’ve been comfortable using a sacred and ancient mantra that yogis have repeated for eons, for the purpose of higher mind-attunement. Before I share it with you, I want to emphasize that I suggest you spend time to discover what works for you. Sharing my mantra here is only part of my story. I am not offering it as a recommendation unless you choose to use it.

This sacred mantra I repeat constantly, throughout the day. It allows me to be filled with the Light of consciousness. Its grace-filled words are that powerful. I silently repeat the mantra while falling asleep each night, and upon awakening I’ve trained my mind to silently repeat it the very first thing. This revered mantra has been used since pre-recorded times by people in the East for the purpose of attaining peace in life. Throughout the world today countless thousands of us who repeat it prayerfully, have trained our minds to focus on IT, the mantra.

Yoga’s sacred tradition tells us that this mantra is One with the Supreme. Its very sound and meaning carries a mysterious force, a transformative power called the Kundalini Shakti that helps any person who repeats it to focus on the Higher Self. What better way to fill our minds instead of worrying, useless daydreaming, being riddled with anxiety, or other unwanted negative thought patterns?

As a centering-technique, continuing in the tradition of bestowing boons to any who desire knowledge—I’m pleased to give you this most sacred of mantras as a gift:

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Aum (Om) Namah Shivaya

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These words (phonetically: Ah’om nAh-mAh’ Shi-vAh’-yAh) are also Sanskrit, an archaic language, spoken today only by scholars though studied by many. More than three thousand years have passed since ancient sages set down in Sanskrit these sacred words and many others, in four inspired books of inspiring phrases. These aphorisms are collectively called the Vedas, the world’s oldest scriptures, or holy books. They are the written source of the world’s earliest sacred mantras.

The three words in Aum Namah Shivaya loosely translate as: Aum (the single sound-source, often spelled Om, called the seed mantra of all in creation), Namah (I honor), Shivaya (my Higher Self, that is one with, and the same as—pure consciousness).

Sometimes I paint a loose, abstract picture in my mind’s eye of the mantra’s meaning while repeating it, letting its sound ride gently on my steady, flowing breath. The image I create is more a feeling than an actual representation, like a photo of something would be. This feeling I invoke goes something like, “I wish to align my mind’s consciousness with the highest that humanness allows me to experience.”

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What a person chooses to dwell on, the images and words we fill our mind with, determines how one’s life goes. I suggest this ancient mantra because it works, because people have been using it for eons. So why not try it?

Or, if you have a favorite short phrase or favorite words, you can use that if it makes you instantly feel at One with the sacredness of Life. Explore and come up with your own mantra, find the key words that bring you happiness, contentment, and bliss. Please write about this exploration, and your experiments with varying words and phrases in your  journal, until you settle on a short mantra that creates instant peace in your mind-heart-body.

Determine what works best for you and repeat your specially designed affirmation.

Now we’ve begun re-training the busy, self-destructive mind into a more peace-inducing, helpful tool. We’ve accomplished a major step in spiritualizing the Self, agreeing that the mind is a psychic instrument that can reach a higher note, a more expanded perspective—because we chose to make it so.

Once you’ve chosen your mantra, you begin to transform your consciousness, the workings of the mind. A well-disciplined mind is the spiritual vehicle that can lead each individual to the Great Heart of the Universe.

Use this mantra to keep your mind occupied, peaceful, and empowered for its real purpose—being open to unlimited possibilities. You’re prepared now, with this fortification of mantra-repetition, for more imaginative exploration, creativity, and Self-discovery. Now, by taking action, you’re truly changing from a powerless, help-less negative slave to old habits into a true believer of the unbounded power, the spiritual power of the human mind.

This power—contained within each of our individual minds—can transform our own Self. Once you agree to be transformed, then you can help others, like your family members, be the best they can also.

Yes, transformation is a mind-blowing event (pun intended).

This simple Truth, the power of the human mind, is the most important thing any of us will ever discover.

The above is an excerpt from soon-to-be-published “Global Bliss NOW” — stay tuned for more information of its availability through Amazon, both eBook and treeBook versions.