What's this OMing about?

 

OM Symbol

I know that people not into the yoga spiritual thing get a little weirded/intimidated by the whole OMing thing. But its just a connection point before and after yoga - almost like an integration from and to the craziness of life. 

The OM is like slapping the mind into the present - like "yo ok we get there are lists of do, things I want, what i shouldve did, will do, and blah blah blah. but for this next hour I am just going to stop thinking and take control back from the little voice. Focus on my body and me!"  Its me time.

More about da OM:
OM or AUM - the sound or vibration of creation. A universal sound, "no word can be uttered without the symbolic sound of thes three letters a, u, and m."

A is the opening of the mouth, U is the crux of the sound and M is the closing of the mouth.

HOW:
Take a deep breath in and on the exhale start the OM or AUM -  the A is short, U is longest, the M (mouth closed) is short with the 4th element at the end of the breath is the silence. Doesn't really matter what it sounded like but the lower the frequency the closer to the the actual sound.

WHERE:
Through the OM we are connecting to the sound of creation. It has physiological impacts on the mind - brings stillness and peace of mind.  The vibration of the sounds can be felt in the body - A in the legs, U in the chest and M in the head - the energy can be felt through the body, try focusing on this. If you dont feel it, its a sign you have blockages in the body - physically, emotional and energetically. I can feel it in my chest and head but my legs are all kinds of blocked (which I was told by a Reiki master without him knowing that I couldn't feel the A vibration).
If anything its just nice to listen to and be in the room with. You will get the benefits even if you dont feel comfortable joining in. Which you don't have to. I tend to use it in everyday, like in a crazy heated situation just "hey guys lets just OM it out" - coined it.
Worked well in hectic unpredictable india...ie: the road is blocked due to an elephant stampede, about to miss a train, police want money so the bike tuk tuk can proceed, etcetc "just OM it out, OM it out...inhale deeply exhale completely"...ahhhhh. Lived to tell the tale.


WHAT: it means in India
As the symbol of the Hinduism religion it is the center piece of the country. Religion is infused in the fabric of this very big country.  Below is a picture that breaks down the symbol even more.


"The symbol of AUM consists of three curves (curves 1, 2, and 3), one semicircle (curve 4), and a dot.
The large lower curve 1 symbolizes the waking state (jagrat), in this state the consciousness is turned outwards through the gates of the senses. The larger size signifies that this is the most common ('majority') state of the human consciousness.
The upper curve 2 denotes the state of deep sleep (sushupti) or the unconscious state. This is a state where the sleeper desires nothing nor beholds any dream.
The middle curve 3 (which lies between deep sleep and the waking state) signifies the dream state (swapna). In this state the consciousness of the individual is turned inwards, and the dreaming self beholds an enthralling view of the world behind the lids of the eyes.

These are the three states of an individuals consciousness, and since Indian mystic thought believes the entire manifested reality to spring from this consciousness, these three curves therefore represent the entire physical phenomenon."


Other means respective to A U M (relatively):
I like thinking of OM as the creation, preservation and destruction (born, live, die), of ourselves and eventually our earth. The circle of life. The semi-circle is our body which is interpreting the physical experience and also is the connection to the inner-self, or the soul (the dot).

• Deity : Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva.
• Action : Creation, Preservation, and Destruction.
• Seasons : Spring, Summer, and Winter.
• Periods : Morning, Midday, and Evening.
• Manifestation of Speech : Voice (vak), Mind (manas), Breath (prana).
• Power : of Action (kriya), of Knowledge (jnana), and of Will (iccha).
• Man : Body, Soul, and Spirit.
• Time : Past, Present, and Future.
• Stages of Existence : Birth, Life, and Death.
• Phases of the Moon : Waxing, Full, and Waning.
• Elements: rajas (action), tamas (stillness), sattva (peace)

Lots of deets:
http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/symbols/aum.htm

In India they always say the AUM has hundreds of meaning, one of which is God.

Not in the traditional western "man in a white beard" judging and being worship but rather God is everything, including us. We are one. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti