The Power of Mantra

The Sanskrit term mantra means a spiritual tool for the mind, a formula for reaching higher states of consciousness... Mantra practice liberates the mind from the confining structure of thought form. It frees the mind from the constraint of concepts and allows it to be a vehicle or conduit for higher understanding and insight. 
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian   From her book The Jewel of Abundance

We can use a mantra from a sacred language such as the So Ham mantra in Sanskrit (So - That / Ham - I am, meaning I am that which I seek) or an English word like 'peace' or a phrase such as 'I am peace.' Silent repetition of the mantra at the beginning of our practice can captivate the mind and make it easier to reach a single point of focus. The normal chatter of random thoughts can fall away and leave us in that state of deep peacefulness which is our true nature and which we call meditation. Try using mantra at the beginning of your practice and you may find it a very valuable tool.