How you spend your morning sets the tone for your entire day. Beginning your day with a morning mantra can help you remain centered and focused, empowering you to maintain your desired mindset as the day’s events unfold.
In one study recently published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, researchers from Linköping University, in Sweden, measured activity in a region of the brain called the default mode network—the area that’s active during self-reflection and mind wandering—to determine how practicing mantra meditation affects the brain. The study’s results showed that subjects’ default mode networks were suppressed during mantra meditation,1 which could argue that mantra meditation has the power to calm the mind and help it remain focused. Research also suggests that it doesn’t matter whether you recite an ancient Sanskirt mantra such as Sat nam, or the Lord’s Prayer, or any sound, word, or phrase—as long as you repeat it with focused attention, you’ll get results.
Mellara, a Bay Area yoga and meditation teacher, provides morning invocations and prayers that are aimed to help you remain present and find the beauty in your everyday activities:
To find out more about Mellara, check out her story and more on her website here. You can also find her podcasts as well as a special feature in OM Yoga and Lifestyle Magazine here.
Practicing mantras like these daily can help set the tone for your day so you can feel appreciation and gratitude in every moment. Creating a morning routine around your mantras is a great way to get the most out of this practice. We encourage you to find time for yourself to diffuse your favorite essential oils, sit quietly, and think about your intention for the day each morning. Starting the day with our Citrus Glow™ blend is a great way to amplify this practice as it is known to boost mood, promote mental clarity and provide natural energy.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and if there’s one thing you hear more than anything it’s how important self-care is to overall wellbeing. What does that mean? Just as every person is an individual, what feeds our soul and nourishes our spirit—and what we need at this moment in our life—looks very different for each person and may change throughout our lives. The challenge is finding and creating habits that fit best with your lifestyle. The great news is that establishing one good habit feeds another. For example, if you exercise more, you are more likely to get better sleep, which will in turn help to clear your mind and regain your focus.
