The sound of OM

Reading from Tuesday, July 14, 2015 yoga class

From the book, "The Secret Power of Yoga" by Nischala Joy Devi

The ancient prayers and sacred sound from each tradition are calls, encouraging us to embark on our journey to the Divine.  "Om," Amen," Shalom,"  Love is a wonderful vibration to choose.  How adored you feel when someone says the words "I love you!"

The repetition of a sacred sound, word, or prayer is called japa.  With each repetition, we become more in alignment with our true nature.

Om is the sacred mantra of divinity.  It is chanted and revered as the sound from which all other sounds resonate, awakening universal consciousness.

The meaning of Om... four sounds and stages.  A, U, M and the sound that is beyond all verbal pronunciation.  A is the beginning of all sounds.  This is usually a baby's first sound, made simply by opening the mouth and saying "Ah."  The sound comes from the back of the tongue.  Next the U sound, like OO, is formed, moving forward in the mouth.  And then with the lips and teeth closed, the M is hummed.

A-U-M forms a trinity similar to other trinities: body-mind-spirit, creator-preserver-destroyer, past-present-future, the three gunas, or Mother, Father, God, the Holy Trinity and on and on.  It brings all three prongs together in a simple sound.

Going beyond the trinity, the last bit of breath after the "Om" continues to be released without an audible sound to accompany it.  This fourth part of "Om" is the unspoken sound, anahata (the sound made without two things striking), unstruck.

After a time of constant repetition, japa, the mantra will begin to repeat seemingly by itself.  At that time we enjoy listening.  This listening is called ajapa.

With japa, the cells in our body and mind vibrate with that chosen sound as we assume the qualities.