How to Use the Powerful Maha Mantra

Have you heard of the Maha Mantra before?  It goes like this:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare 

Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare  

The Maha Mantra is an old Hindu mantra that was found in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad, which arose around 1500 CE.  The Maha Mantra is a powerful mantra that can help you summon your inner 'God conciousness.'  It takes time and effort to gain this power from the Maha Mantra, but if you learn to master these few steps, then you too can feel its effects.  (I would also recommend going on Youtube and listening to how the mantra is pronounces before attempting to use it.)

1. Sit with your eyes closed in meditation.  Meditating while chanting is extremely important and it helps you focus on the mantra.  Get in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and begin to focus on your breath.  Instantly, you will begin to feel more calm and relaxed.  Do not worry about anything else except for focusing on your breath.  You should sit like this for about five minutes before moving on to the next step.
2. Repeat the mantra out loud.  This is the point where you can begin saying the words of the mantra out loud, slowly and calmly.  Remember to keep your eyes closed and stay seated in your meditation position.  I tend to not count how many times I repeat the manta out loud, but I would say that it usually lasts for about five to ten minutes.  You can stay repeating it for as long as you feel necessary.
3. Repeat the mantra in your head.  After repeating the mantra out loud, you can then begin repeating it in your head with the corresponding in and out breaths.  I tend to use the first Hare Krishna as the in breathe and then Hare Krishna again for the out breath.  Then, Krishna Krishna for in breath and Hare Hare for out and I repeat the same thing for the second verse.  I would suggest staying with this and repeating it in your head with your breaths for as long as you can, but at least for five to ten minutes.  This will most likely be the most powerful part of the mediation.
4. Take a few more slow breaths and come back to your body.  When you are finished meditating, just remember to take your time coming out of it and slowly open your eyes.  At this point, I usually feel like I've just awoken from a dream and I need a few minutes to assess my surroundings and get back to 'reality.' 
5. REPEAT.  To feel the full effects of the Maha Mantra, then I would suggest repeating this routine a few times a week or, if you don't have time, even once a week would be beneficial. 

I hope this helps those of you who are interested in the Maha Mantra or meditating with mantras.  If you're interested in using other mantras, these steps will still work perfectly.  I don't claim to know everything about meditation or mantras, but this is a technique that works for me every time. 

Hope you enjoy!

Peace and Love!

-S.U.