Some believe the word ‘mantra’ comes from two Sanskrit terms, ‘man’, meaning mind and ‘tra’, meaning to liberate. Hence, a mantra is a repeated word or sound which aims to liberate the mind. Another interpretation of the definition is that ‘man’ comes from ‘manas’, meaning ‘mind’ and ‘tra’ comes from ‘trana’, meaning to protect, so mantra could be defined as something which protects the mind.
This is based on the premise that most people have some internal chatter or thoughts in their minds which are causing them distress. If you take some time to examine your thought processes for a few minutes, you may notice a tendency to either replay past events (with the hope of processing or resolving them) or plan/dream about future events (with the desire to attain). Remembering unpleasant events in the past and feeling the frustration of an unfulfilled desire creates psychological and physical stress.
In its simplest form, a mantra, when repeated, offers a helpful diversion from these thought patterns and encourages the mind’s ability to focus on the present moment, where there is usually less to be worried about.
SOURCE: Yoga Wirral
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