You may be familiar with mantras as special words of power from India that are used to guide the mind into a state of meditation, to heal and protect, and to attract abundance of every kind. The use of mantras dates back to ancient Sanskrit texts that are believed to have evolved out of elemental sounds known as “seed syllables”—subtle sound vibrations that have the power to affect the energetic or “pranic” level of reality. Just speaking these sounds, reciting them mentally—even listening to them without understanding them at all—is thought to create the desired effect.

You can use mantras for literally anything you could think of, from blessing your food, to avoiding accidents, to finding a mate or a good job. Negative karmic effects, too, can be relieved through mantra practice. Just as medicine enhances health for any human being, mantras are universal and can be beneficial to anyone.