The best mantras for beginners

If you are new to mantra practice, start simple. Choose one mantra and stay with it for at least a few weeks before deciding whether to continue or move on. The relationship deepens with time. Five gentle doorways: 1. So Hum. The natural mantra of the breath. 'So' on the in-breath, 'hum' on the out. Meaning: 'I am that.' 2. Om Namah Shivaya. A five-syllable bow to Shiva as pure awareness. Widely chanted, deeply loved. 3. Om Mani Padme Hum. The compassion mantra of Avalokiteshvara. The most chanted mantra on earth. 4. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. 'May all beings everywhere be happy and free.' A universal blessing. 5. The Gayatri Mantra. A prayer to the sun as the source of consciousness. Longer, but transformative. Any one of these is a lifetime's practice.