It's the end of class, and somewhere from the depths of savasana you think you hear the teacher's voice rousing you. So, all warm and loose, you roll to your side and then up to seated. If your eyes were opened, things would still be murky. But your eyes are closed, and everything is dark.
And from this hazy state, your teacher asks you to join the class in chanting three OMs. You freeze.
At least that's what I did the first time. Confused thoughts ran through my mind. . .the same thoughts that you may have experienced when I or another teacher sprang an OM on you after class.
I forget who it was, but someone asked me after class Wednesday what OM meant. It's a good question--one with many answers.
Although OM has highly significant meaning in Eastern cultures and religions, it is possible to chant it without belonging to those religions and without affirming them. They all draw from the same ideas that make "Amen" sacred to Protestants.
My teacher described it once as the universal sound, or a vibration that cleanses and unifies the whole being--body, mind and soul. It makes sense to chant it after a yoga class in which the purpose is just that.
The following is a definition I'm borrowing from Om Village:
"Om, according to the ancient scripts of the Vedic civilization, is the sound of life. It is the infinite vibration that shimmers through the Universe, providing life and sustenance to everything. Om is the beginning and will continue till the end; the one constant that unites all of creation at its deepest level.
The chanting of Om revitalizes the body, soothes the mind and nourishes the soul. Hence, Om is considered the most powerful of all Indian mantras (chants), and is the prefix to or the beginning sound of all other mantras.
The Upanishads (Indian Vedic texts), describe Om (or Aum) as the complete sound that encapsulates the entire range of sounds the human voice can make. It starts with A at the base of the throat, moves on to U with the tongue and the palette, and ends with M where the lips are closed and no more sound emanates.
If Divinity were to be represented in sound codes, it would be Om. Om is the purifier, the all powerful tool that awakens in us the deepest reflection of Spirit, or God, or the Universal energy. This is because Om is the representation of this energy and flows through our breath in our waking and sleeping state. Om is the essence that unites all of us at our most intuitive level."
So, if you ascribe to a certain religion, you can chant OM to unite with your God. If not, it still has deep meaning. If the word is still frightening, you can always substitute "Amen."
OM to you.
And from this hazy state, your teacher asks you to join the class in chanting three OMs. You freeze.
At least that's what I did the first time. Confused thoughts ran through my mind. . .the same thoughts that you may have experienced when I or another teacher sprang an OM on you after class.
I forget who it was, but someone asked me after class Wednesday what OM meant. It's a good question--one with many answers.
Although OM has highly significant meaning in Eastern cultures and religions, it is possible to chant it without belonging to those religions and without affirming them. They all draw from the same ideas that make "Amen" sacred to Protestants.
My teacher described it once as the universal sound, or a vibration that cleanses and unifies the whole being--body, mind and soul. It makes sense to chant it after a yoga class in which the purpose is just that.
The following is a definition I'm borrowing from Om Village:
"Om, according to the ancient scripts of the Vedic civilization, is the sound of life. It is the infinite vibration that shimmers through the Universe, providing life and sustenance to everything. Om is the beginning and will continue till the end; the one constant that unites all of creation at its deepest level.
The chanting of Om revitalizes the body, soothes the mind and nourishes the soul. Hence, Om is considered the most powerful of all Indian mantras (chants), and is the prefix to or the beginning sound of all other mantras.
The Upanishads (Indian Vedic texts), describe Om (or Aum) as the complete sound that encapsulates the entire range of sounds the human voice can make. It starts with A at the base of the throat, moves on to U with the tongue and the palette, and ends with M where the lips are closed and no more sound emanates.
If Divinity were to be represented in sound codes, it would be Om. Om is the purifier, the all powerful tool that awakens in us the deepest reflection of Spirit, or God, or the Universal energy. This is because Om is the representation of this energy and flows through our breath in our waking and sleeping state. Om is the essence that unites all of us at our most intuitive level."
So, if you ascribe to a certain religion, you can chant OM to unite with your God. If not, it still has deep meaning. If the word is still frightening, you can always substitute "Amen."
OM to you.
[questions or comments? want to know how to OM boldly? comment here]
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