I think the easiest way to think of it is having a single word mantra that you repeat while you meditate to keep your focus on meditation and not let your mind

I think the easiest way to think of it is having a single word mantra that you repeat while you meditate to keep your focus on meditation and not let your mind wander in different directions. If you try the single word mantra thing you’ll probably find that it’s not exactly enough to keep your focus. But it’s an easy way to explain that it’s less like “praying” than about the recitation of the prayer because focusing your mind on the recitation will help you focus.