Ajit Karn
Benefits of Chanting OM: Everything in the universe is energy that vibrates. At their most fundamental level, your body, vegetation, trees, celestial objects, and light are all composed of energy.
When you chant Om, you create vibrating sound energy, allowing 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? And What is the Benefits of Chanting 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.
A-U-MMM
When you chant Om, you are chanting the syllables 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.
Between the rear of the pharynx and the lips, all articulated speech and language sounds are produced. 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
Aum, or Om, when chanted, evokes all conceivable states of consciousness. Some scholars believe that the Sanskrit insignia for Om visually represents these three phases.
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 practise 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 positive and tranquil effect on the brain and central nervous system, regardless of any spiritual or philosophical implications. Chanting Om draws you into the present moment and serves as a mindfulness anchor.
This is especially useful when you suffer from “monkey mind syndrome,” as the majority of us do most of the time. Your mind runs amok, fretting, planning, and becoming entangled in negative thought patterns. In addition, you are daily exposed to a horrifying array of negative stimuli.
Om dispels the chatter and purges the negativity, replacing them with a gorgeous sense of clarity and oneness. It functions almost 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.
Also read: Health Benefits of Om Chanting
4. OM connects you with others.
When Om is chanted in a classroom, the resulting sense of solidarity and community can be extraordinarily potent. You literally combine your energy with that of the other students in the classroom.
When all the individual Oms unite to form a unified Om, you find your place in the universe and can begin to recognise how much separation between individuals is an illusion.
In addition, you are connecting with the ancient yogic tradition of chanting Om, creating a bridge between your practise and the rituals of those who have chanted it for millennia.
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 means 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 practise, Om can provide an opportunity to pause and reflect, allowing for a moment to consider what has transpired.
