Mantras: Little reminders with big impact
I’ve been using and teaching mantras for years. But reading The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer shifted how I relate to them. They became even more powerful in my view.
Mantras are little reminders we carry in our back pockets. Regular use helps rewire our brains. Our neural pathways are like ruts. We think the same thoughts over and over again unless we actively work to change them. That’s where mantras come in.
With practice, these helpful, short, simple statements like “I’m okay,” “I’m safe,” or “I belong” can begin to pop into our awareness in moments of upset and remind us to pause.
That moment of remembering is everything. A mantra helps us stop in our tracks, come back to ourselves, and choose our next move with intention instead of reacting on autopilot.
As the queen of autopilot, I love how mantras have helped me.
“You are not your thoughts; you are aware of your thoughts.”
— Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul
Working with mantras
Singer teaches that mantras can help us shift our consciousness. When we use a mantra to redirect our attention away from negative thoughts, we become the observer of our experience instead of the reactor. And when we’re in that space of awareness, we have access to something powerful: choice.
Once we have our own attention, we can consciously decide what comes next. That, to me, is the magic of mantra.
Mantra in action
I use mantras every day. I don’t announce it. My friends and family probably don’t even know, but I regularly say to myself, “I’m okay,” or my newest favorite, “I belong.”
The other day in the car, the kids were bickering, and I could feel annoyance rising. I started thinking, “Oh my gosh, will they ever get along. Can’t we have peace for five seconds?” But instead of snapping, I repeated “I’m okay” a few times silently to myself and focused on the moment. I briefly blocked them out, repeated my mantra, and then a funny one-liner just rose up and out of me, and suddenly we were laughing.
Maybe I’m playing with energy. I credit the mantra.
It hasn’t always been like this
I know I’m not alone in admitting this, but I used to dread bedtime with my kids. My kids had long, drawn-out routines. I’m sure a parenting expert wouldn’t have approved, and, sure, I dug myself into that hole, but still, it was aggravating.
There were nights my body would shake in frustration as my daughter demanded yet another thing before I could leave her room. When I first learned about mantras, I would stand there and repeat in my head: “I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m loved.”
It’s not like the skies opened up and angels or unicorns arrived, and all was well. But, I was okay. It gave me space. It reminded me I was here, in my body. It helped me respond instead of react. And that allowed me to move things along and leave her room in a better state.
Try it on for size
Here are a few of my favorite mantras:
I’m okay
I’m safe
I belong
I’m loved
I am
I’m unique
Choose one and write it down somewhere you’ll see it often, like your nightstand, fridge, bathroom mirror, or computer screen. You can even record yourself saying it and play it back on your phone.
Then play with it. Say it to yourself or out loud whenever you remember. You might pick an object that reminds you of it, like a favorite mug, a crystal, or a certain plant. Say it when you notice the object. Try placing your hand on your heart when you say it. That simple gesture helps you feel the truth of the words in your body.
Practice saying it in calm, neutral moments. And then notice: in the heat of the moment, does your mantra come to mind? Even once is proof that it’s working.
When it does, take that opportunity to pause. Recognize that you are okay or safe, or loved, and then choose your next thought or action. That’s where the power of mantra lives.
You are not your thoughts
Singer reminds us that we are not our thoughts. We are the ones noticing them. Mantras help us remember. They shift us out of reactivity and back into presence. They give us a foothold when life gets loud and our patterns take over.
They’re not complicated. They’re not magical. They’re just little tools that help you stay grounded and remember who you are.
Try one. See how it feels. You just might find it becomes a quiet anchor you can return to, again and again.
Rebecca Fellenbaum is a certified somatic life coach, intuitive guide, blogger (yep, you’re reading it right now), and mom of two. She helps women who have “made it” on the outside feel great about themselves on the inside so they can find joy in their lives, kids, and families. Get her free guide: Slowing Down: 9 Steps to Live With Intention to start meaning it when you say you’re doing fine.
