Do you have a mantra that keep you focused during your meditation? Sometimes my mind wanders and I seem to waste a lot of time focusing again. Thanks for your time!

I use not a mantra, but a sacred word only when my mind wanders in Thomas Keating’s Centering Prayer. Google it. Contact Maggie of Ignatious House for more info. Similar to Mindfulness & builds relationship with Jesus too!

My mind still wonders a lot but I try and recognise that I've wondered and tell myself I've wondered now time to focus back. I now only wonder maybe 3 times in a session.

I've never gotten comfortable with mantras. What I find effective is to allow the wandering then gradually refocus on my breathing. I keep doing that while making sure I don't beat myself up for the wandering and I don't try hard to focus. It's natural and takes practice.

In my opinion mantras can be tricky. They too can develop into distractions and thought. When I find myself drefting away from my breath I just notice it and give the thought a name. Example – "oh… Hi guilt"/"hi memory. After that I come back to my breath.
Everytime I dreft I remind myself that Im thinking and I will like to connect to the "here and now"

When I noticed my mind has wandered I try two different things. I either count in, in, in to the breath followed by out, out, out. Or I count 123 to the in breath followed by 123 to the out breath. I then find my mind will return to the home base easily and I soon no longer need to count. It just happens

Three things I tell people when they have trouble calming their mind are… One a mantra- you can say soo (in breath) humm (exhale) or sat (inhale) nam (exhale) or you can literally make up your own. Whatever works for you. Second do a focus point mediation. Like focus on your heart center or your third eye with eyes closed. Or you can keep them open and stare at something like a candle flame. That's my personal fav. Third focus on your breath. Pick one try it out. I personally will do all three sometimes. Good luck!

Try "in" with each breath in and then "out" for each out breath. I imagine my lungs filling up and picture blood coursing through my body.

Different sources would give varied advice. I started using “oh” because by the time I take my breaths and release completely my mouth 👄 forms just that one expression and it takes me further with each repetition

It's not neccesarily a mantra, but Ive found that imagining a flat, unchanging tone helps keep my focus. Nothing complex, just one note that keeps going. I hope that helps

it's completely normal to have your mind wander and it happens a lot. A lot of the meditation practice is just bringing back your focus! as for me the good old classic om works great for me, but I've actually used the word mantra before and it worked great! just try some things out and see what works for you.

Sorry, I do not have a mantra. To me, the value of meditation is whenever I noticed my mind wander away, I return to focus on breathing. The momentum to switch back once I notice I am not focusing is the key. That keeps me away from unconscious wandering all day.
Wandering around dying meditation is not a wasting of time. Compare to the time I spend every day letting the thoughts wandering unconsciously like a hallow puppet, this wander around is really nothing.
The thought wanders automatically. To control it is unfocused, and another unconscious thought. Also when I tell myself I was wandering around, this very thought is itself not concentrating.
Hope this works.

I generally come back to the breath and count up tp 4 when i breath in, then I pause and count up to 4 and then a breath out (still counting up to 4). I also pause at the end of the breath out (up to 4). In this way i clear my mind.

I like to meditate on something specific, so I usually end up boiling down my intent into a mantra. Its really ok to get distracted! Just gently push yourself back in the right direction, and a mantra is great for that. It'll work better if it means something specific to you.