Ajit Karn
5 Benefits of Chanting OM
Everything in the universe consists solely of vibrating energy. At their most fundamental level, your body, vegetation, trees, celestial objects, and light are all composed of energy.
You are creating vibrating sound energy when you chant Om, which allows you to connect with your inner Self. Om is the sound that represents you and the universe around you.
Om is believed to be the sound of universal creation.
Here we’ll take a look at what Om means and why it’s so often chanted in yoga.
What Is OM?
The meaning of Om is difficult to comprehend and convey. It is a mantra with such profound symbolism and potency that you must devote sufficient time to contemplating its meaning.
However, how do you accomplish this? Beginning by chanting Om mindfully and repeatedly will bring appreciation. Through repeated chanting of Om, one enters a meditative state and engages with Om on a level beyond the intellect. Only after experiencing Om in this manner can its sacred potency be understood.
As Swami Vivekananda explains:
“Om represents the entire phenomenon of sound production. Therefore, it must be the inherent emblem, the matrix of all sounds. It signifies the entire spectrum and possibility of all possible terms.”
A-U-MMM
When you chant Om, you are chanting the sounds that are the foundation of all human verbal communication. Om consists of three Sanskrit letters, aa-au-ma or A-U-M, which when chanted sound like awe-oo-mmm.
All speech and language sounds are created between the back of the pharynx and the lips. The A sound is produced at the back of the larynx, the U at the front of the upper mandible, and the M with the lips when chanting A-U-M.
The three sounds are also said to represent the three states of consciousness:
- A is the waking state
- U is the dream state
- M is the state of deep sleep
Chanting Aum, or Om, awakens all possible states of consciousness. Some academics believe that the Sanskrit symbol for Om represents these three states symbolically.
The largest, lower curve represents the A of wakefulness, the middle curve represents the U of visions, and the upper, smaller curve represents profound sleep.
The Benefits of Chanting Om
1. OM helps you to connect with your true essence.
When you chant Om, you invoke everything you are at the most fundamental level. Yoga, which means “to yoke,” is the discipline of becoming one with oneself.
You can practice asanas of any complexity, but by uttering Om, you are verbally, physically, and symbolically establishing a connection with your inner self and the universe.
2. OM calms the mind.
Chanting has a beneficial and tranquil effect on the brain and central nervous system, regardless of any spiritual or philosophical connotations. Om chanting draws you into the present moment and provides an anchor for maintaining mindfulness.
This is especially beneficial when you suffer from “monkey mind syndrome,” as the majority of us do on a daily basis. Your mind runs amok, obsessively fretting, plotting, and becoming entangled in negative thought patterns. Adding insult to injury, you are daily exposed to a horrifying array of negative stimuli.
Om dissipates the chatter and purges the negativity, replacing them with a gorgeous sense of clarity and oneness. It almost serves as a mental cleanse.
3. OM brings you into your body.
When the A-U-M sound is chanted, the vibrations travel through the thorax, throat, and cranium. This provides a direct sensory connection to the body’s energy and can help you feel more in tune with yourself and your physiology.
In terms of the chakras, this corresponds to the heart, throat, and crown chakras, which are associated with elevated states of consciousness — precisely the states you expect to achieve through yoga.
4. OM connects you with others.
When Om is chanted in a classroom, the shared sound can give people a strong feeling of togetherness and community. You are actually combining your energy with that of everyone else in the class.
When all the separate Oms come together to make one big Om, you find your place in the world and can start to see how much difference between people is an illusion.
Not only that, but you are also linking with the old yogic tradition of chanting Om, making a bridge between your practice and the practices of people who have been chanting it for thousands of years.
Also read: Chanting Om creates vibrations throughout the body. Here are its secret benefits
5. OM marks the beginning and end of practice.
Our lives are typically hectic, frantic, and stressful. Yoga and meditation can provide valuable opportunities to step away from distractions and commotion and cultivate mindfulness, concentration, and awareness.
However, it can be challenging to immediately transition from the dynamism of daily life to the concentration required for yoga or meditation. Om chanting can be a powerful method to distinguish between existence and practice. It allows the mind and body to catch up and arrive in the present moment.
Similarly, at the conclusion of the practice, Om can provide an opportunity to pause and reflect, allowing for a moment to consider what has transpired.
Hope Above defining 5 Benefits of Chanting OM will be helpfull to you
