Om (or should I say Aum?)

I love to chant. In particular, I love to chant Om at the beginning and end of practice. This, however, was not always the case. When I first started practicing yoga it just wasn't something we did. So, when I started at studio where it was commonplace, I wasn't quite sure what was going on or how I felt about it.

Initially, I felt strange chanting Om - not really knowing what or why I was chanting. And yet, though it wasn't until recently I learned the meaning of each of the syllables, I stuck with it and eventually my practice didn't feel complete if it didn't include three Oms at the beginning and one at the end. I began to cherish the vibrations left in the body after an OM and I also found my mind was more relaxed, focused, and peaceful.

Knowing what I know now, it's no surprise I started to notice the effects I did. But first, how in the heck do you spell Om? I've always known it as Om. It wasn't until I started my teacher training program that I was introduced to Aum, which actually makes more sense, considering it is a mantra with three separate audible parts - A, U, M.

It is said that the three parts of Aum include the totality of the 16 vowels of Sanskrit. The 'A' represents birth/creation, the 'U' life/preservation, and the 'M' represents death/dissolution. In essence, chanting Aum represents the process of existence.

So what does Aum sound like if it's actually three distinct sounds? The first syllable is A, pronounced like "aaaaah". The chant begins by forming the "ah" sound in the back of your throat. You will feel the chest vibrating.

The second syllable is U, as in "row" but prolonged to "oooo." Here, you feel the throat vibrate. The third syllable is M, pronounced "mmmm." In this final, audible syllable, the lips come together to form the sound.

In addition to the three parts mentioned above, there is a fourth part - the vibration in the body and mind following the chant. It's more subtle than the other parts but it's actually probably the most important part.

So, that's how to chant Aum, but why do we chant it? First and foremost, as I mentioned before, it represents the cycle of life. It is also said to be the sound of the universe. As explained by Jasmine Jolley, "everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell. 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." Chanting Aum allows us to see a greater connection between our physical and mental bodies and the universe; it symbolizes the path towards unity.

Chanting Aum also cleanses the mind, helps us control our emotions, improves concentration, memory, and our capacity to understand. It helps us relax physically, mentally and emotionally and has a positive effect on the surrounding atmosphere. And as the Mundaka Upanishad says, "Meditate on the AUM as your inner self [and] may you cross over the darkness to the other side."