150 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life
of a word, sound, or nonsense syllable that you will repeat in syn-
chrony with your breath. A very popular choice is “Om,” but if that
seems too clichéd or feels uncomfortable, feel free to use a differ-
ent word, sound, or nonsense syllable. We will give you two ways to
practice mantra meditation.
The Inhale- Exhale Practice
Try to find a quiet place without distractions, and start the non-
judgmental breath meditation you learned in chapter 4. This time,
you will be adding your mantra on top of your breath when you
inhale and exhale. Let us say that you decided upon “Om” as your
mantra. You would slowly say “Om” when you take a deep breath in
and when you exhale. So, it would look like this:
Breathe in: “Ommmmmmmm.”
Breathe out: “Ommmmmmmm.”Breathe in: “Ommmmmmmm.”
Breathe out: “Ommmmmmmm.”Your main goal is to focus all of your attention on your mantra,
whatever it may be. As with other mindfulness practices you have
learned in this book, your observation and focus as you meditate
should be of a nonjudgmental and nonreactive nature. A ny time a
distressing thought intrudes upon your mind, you need not respond
with threatening interpretations. Instead, merely note the thought
and then redirect your attention, which is the healthy opposite of
having a cognitive bias. Remember how cognitive biases force your
attention to the most negative aspects of a situation or thought?
This encourages worrying and rumination. Practicing nonjudg-
mental meditation will train your mind to let go of cognitive biases
and replace them with a less reactive form of attention.