OM

OM

Many of you new to yoga might be a little apprehensive about chanting Om, hopefully the following information will demystify Om and entice you to try it and reap the benefits. Essentially Om is a vibration that reverberates through the body, loosening tension.

Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves—the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.

The phonetics of the sound Aum starts in the bottom of the vocal cavity, then to the glottis, then to the mouth cavity and ultimately disappear into the silent void. This process symbolizes the creation, the maintainence, the destruction of all things and the return to where they came.

Once you feel the vibration in the lips and throat, move it to the back of the neck and gradually down your spine. Sit quietly and feel the resonance of the vibration in your body.