Mantra

A mantra, in common parlance, refers to something that is said frequently and is deliberately repeated over and over, and thus possibly becoming boring by dent of too much repetition.

The word mantra occurred in Sanskrit and Pali and refers, in yoga, Hinduism and Buddhism, to various syllables and verses which are intended to be chanted, spoken aloud, or sounded internally in one’s thoughts, and to be repeated multiple times with the primary goal of subduing the difficult-to-control mental thought stream by replacing it with concentration on the sound. Thus, mantras can lead to a relaxed state of internal warmth and thus can promote good health and happiness. The appropriate inclusion of mantras in a yoga practice sets up a pleasant vibration inside the body and can have a profound, tranquilizing effect.

In yoga, special one-syllable mantras, called biij ("seed") mantras, are believed to activate or create energy in certain parts of the body (special nexuses of internal energy called chakras). The biij mantras include the most famous and ubiquitous mantra "Om", also written as "Aum" and considered to consist of four sounds (ah, oh, mmmm, and silence).