The sacred mantra AUM is a very powerful mantra. It consists of three Syllables Aaaa.., Uuuuu… and Mmmm. These three syllables are considered the primary syllables (just like the three primary colors red, blue, and green; you can create unlimited colors by adding only different quantities of these three colors). To speak we need different parts of the body, of which the tongue is the most important and the vocal cords as well, but we also need other muscles or body parts to create different sounds like lungs, Diaphragm, core, etc. These three letters are considered primary because if you chant these three letters individually then there is no movement in the tongue; the rest all the sounds are created by some kind of movement in the tongue and the vocal cords. You might have heard a dumb person creating sounds, he/she only creates these three-syllable sounds.
The chanting of om has got many benefits
- Removes unwanted thoughts
- Brings a sense of grounding
- Removes anxiety and fear
- Stimulates deep breathing and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Relaxes the diaphragm (it holds a lot of negative energy and emotions)
- Opens up the throat chakra which will help you to express yourself better.
- Improves the singing
Om Meditation (Download the guided Audio version of AUM meditation)
Aum can be chanted in several ways, one of the ways is first working on the individual syllables followed by chanting Aaaa…Uuuu…Mmmm. If you chant it properly it can work on your whole body creating vibrations everywhere. The number of repetitions can vary depending on the amount of time you have (here we will practice 7 times)
Technique
- Sit in a comfortable meditative position (Sukhasana- cross-legged position, Siddhasana, siddha yoni asana, vajrasana, padmasana, etc). The spine is erect and both the sitting bones are aligned. The hands are on the knee and the palms are facing up. The chin is a little down. Close your eyes and observe your body through your internal eyes, see how you feel, become aware of what kind of energies you have, and become aware of what kind of thoughts you have. Start removing your attention from the thoughts and start bringing your awareness to the breath, see how are you breathing naturally. Now take five deep breaths.
- Take a deep breath and start creating the sound Aaaaa…., remember to keep the chin a little down and try to create the sound from the abdomen, the core, a loud and deep sound. Keep chanting it as long as you can go without straining yourself. If chanted properly you might feel the vibrations in the lower part of your body, around the abdomen and the legs (It might take a while to feel this, keep trying). Repeat the chanting 7 times.
- Take a deep breath and start creating the sound Uuuuuu…, remembering to keep the chin a little down, sounds are deep and loud. Keep chanting however long you can go in one breath without straining yourself. If chanted properly you might feel the vibrations in the mid-section around the heart (this is relatively easier to feel). Repeat the chanting 7 times.
- Take a deep breath and start creating the Sound Mmmm… which is more like a humming sound, keep your chin slightly down. Go for as long without straining. The vibrations will be felt on your throat and the head (this is relatively easier to feel as well). Repeat the chanting 7 times.
- After this chant Aaaa, Uuuu, Mmmm all together in one breath, giving almost equal time to all three syllables. As you chant the mantra keep moving your awareness to the areas the mantra vibrates. So from the base to the spine to the third eye. Repeat this 7 times
- Sit quietly for a few minutes and observe the body, let the body do the things that it would do naturally. Do not force any breathing, only observation.
Download the guided audio version of AUM meditation.
Practice this every day. Mornings are recommended but you can do these at any time. Doing this before sleep might help you to get a better quality of sleep. You can do this practice, especially during times when the mind is getting very active and you want it to relax. It can be very helpful to remove fear, anxiety, stress, and tension.