Japa meditation involves the repetition of a mantra during the course of your meditation. The mantra us usually spoken quite softly, so that only the person actually chanting the mantra can hear it. Sometimes it may simply be repeated in the meditator's mind, but this is quite rare.

Japa meditation is often practiced whilst sitting in a yogic meditation position but it is perfectly OK to sit or lie down comfortably and recite a mantra in the normal course of your meditation.

Some popular Japa mantras are:

· Om

· Hare Krishna

· Ram Nam

· Gayatri

· Om namo Narayana

· Pancha Tattva mantra

· Om namah Shivaya

· Om mani padme hum

In Buddhist and Hindu traditions, your mantra will be given to you by your personal guru. The goal of the mantra is varied but is often a simple personal communication with God in a similar way to prayer.