Hindu prayer & meditation for an anxious mind

About three in four Hindus in India do puja at home every week, and about half do so in a temple each week.

The steps of puja give your hands and senses something to do. For an anxious mind, that rhythm can be calming in itself.

Japa can be done anywhere: on a bus, in a waiting room, in bed at night. Many people use a mala. Others count on their fingers or simply follow the breath.

Research on mantra meditation suggests it can ease anxiety and stress for many people, though more high-quality studies are needed.

More than half of Hindus in India say they sing devotional songs.

Singing slows the breath, because long notes need long out-breaths. Cleveland Clinic lists humming, chanting and singing among simple ways to calm the nervous system.

The Gita’s sixth chapter describes a quiet place, a steady seat, and a mind that comes back again and again. A gentle version is in “A gentle dhyana practice for a worried mind” below.

Prayer does not need Sanskrit, perfect pronunciation or a priest. Many people simply talk to the form of the Divine they feel closest to, in their own language, like talking to a trusted friend or parent.

Hindus feel close to many forms of the Divine. In India, Shiva, Hanuman and Ganesha are the most commonly named, and many people feel close to more than one.

Cleveland Clinic suggests breathing in for about four seconds and out for about six. You can say a short Name or mantra silently on the out-breath.

Try it now

1. Sit or stand, and let your shoulders drop
2. Breathe in through your nose for about four counts
3. Breathe out slowly for about six counts, silently saying your mantra
4. Repeat five to ten times

A long “Ommm” stretches the out-breath without counting. Humming is one of the simple calming tools Cleveland Clinic describes.

A 2022 review of 51 studies found mantra meditation brought small to moderate drops in anxiety, stress and depression. Many studies had limits, and few included people with mental health conditions.

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises not to use meditation to replace conventional care, or as a reason to put off seeing a health care provider.

1. Notice the worry: “My mind is racing about tomorrow.”
2. Name it kindly: “This is worry. It is not a prediction.”
3. Take one slow breath
4. Begin your mantra or Divine Name, one bead or one breath at a time
5. When the worry pulls you away, notice, and come back to the Name
6. After a few minutes, ask: “Is there one small thing I can do now?”

Night-time worry is very common. Lying in bed, you can repeat a Name silently with each slow out-breath. If you are still awake after a while, it can help to get up, sit somewhere dim and quiet, and do japa there until you feel sleepy.

You can do japa silently while walking, waiting or travelling. Some people keep a small mala in a pocket. Others press each fingertip to the thumb, one Name per finger.

Hindu faith & mental health has more on doing your best and letting go of results before a big moment.

If you feel you must restart every time you lose count, or that a mistake will bring harm, that is a sign the practice has become pressure. See “When prayer starts to feel like pressure” below.

Some people, especially those who have been through trauma, feel more anxious with eyes closed. Resting your gaze on a lamp flame or a flower is a traditional and safe alternative.

A review of 83 studies estimated that about 8% of people had a negative effect from meditation, most often more anxiety or low mood. That is similar to rates seen with talk therapies.

If meditation brings up upsetting memories, panic or a sense of unreality, stop, open your eyes and ground yourself: feel your feet, name things you can see. Try shorter practices, or talk with a therapist about what came up.

“Yoga killeth out all pain for him who is regulated in eating and amusement, regulated in performing actions, regulated in sleeping and waking” (Gita 6:17).

Hindu practices for hard times has more on balance in eating, sleep, work and rest.

On calmer days, you may be able to sit with your deity, a verse or a mantra and simply rest there.

If your mind won’t settle, try a small, repeated practice: eleven Names on the mala, three slow breaths at the shrine, one verse read slowly.

When anxiety makes sitting still hard, move. Cook for someone, water the tulsi, tidy the shrine, help a neighbour, and offer the action. Moving gently can also help anxious energy settle.

On the hardest days, the only prayer may be: “I have done what I can. The rest I offer to You.” That is enough.

The IOCDF notes that OCD can push people to pray, research, confess or seek reassurance over and over. It warns that no amount of rumination, prayer or reassurance brings lasting relief.

It also notes that compulsive rituals can imitate religious practice, such as excessive prayer, and can take up so much time that they get in the way of real worship and daily life.

The IOCDF describes exposure and response prevention (ERP), a kind of talk therapy, as the gold-standard treatment for OCD. It says treatment can help people practise their faith in a more value-driven way.

• Do I feel I must repeat a prayer until it feels “just right”?
• Do I feel calmer after worship, or only relieved for a moment?
• Do I keep asking others if I did it correctly?
• Is my practice taking time away from family, work, rest or sleep?

These are questions to notice, not a test. If several feel familiar, it is worth talking with a mental health professional and a trusted pujari or teacher.

Evening arati with family can become a calm, steady point in the day. Children often love ringing the bell or waving the lamp. Shared rituals can also open the door to talking about how everyone is doing.

Many temples and community groups hold weekly satsang, bhajan or kirtan evenings. Being with others who share your practice can make you feel less alone with your worries.

Busy festivals can feel overwhelming. You could visit the temple at a quieter time, sit near the back, or join an online satsang first. Bringing a trusted friend can help too.

• Ask how they are, and listen without rushing to advice
• Avoid “just pray more” or “have more faith”
• Gently encourage professional help if worry is taking over their life
• Invite them to pray or sing with you, without pressure
• Offer practical help, like a lift to the temple or an appointment

You can tell a therapist which practices help you, which feel heavy, and what you hope for. A good therapist will respect your faith even if they do not share it.

• Panic that comes out of the blue
• Trouble sleeping most nights because of worry
• Avoiding places or people because of fear
• Worry most days for weeks, that is hard to set aside

Having some of these does not mean you have an anxiety condition. Only a qualified professional can assess that. They are signs it is worth reaching out.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
• Emergency: call 911 if a life is in danger

When you call 988, you can ask for an interpreter. Phone interpreters are available in more than 240 languages.

Tele-MANAS is India’s national mental health helpline, run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Call 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, free, any time. You can choose your language.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of checked crisis lines in many countries. You can search by country and by what you need.