In your yoga practice does OM (or AUM) hold a place for you? What does OM mean to you?
A sacred spiritual symbol and sound (mantra) in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, Om represents everything. It represents the soul, the world, the universe, all that was, all that is and all that ever will be.
Om is often chanted at the beginning and end a of yoga practice, which for some is their first introduction to Om. The experience of OM is different things to different people, and their connection to Om and what it means for them evolves just as their yoga practice evolves.
Chanting Om, feeling the vibration, can bring us grounding, peace and calm. It can feel soothing and helps us come home to ourselves as we turn inwards.
In a Yoga class Om is a beautiful way to open and close your practice. By chanting together at the beginning and end of class, it can connect us with each other as well as our past teachers and those who practiced before us. At the beginning it can be a message you give to yourself that you are entering into a dedicated time and space for your yoga experience. At the end of practice it can be a moment of attention and gratitude for the practice you have experienced.
Om for some is an affirmation of something bigger than themselves. It can be a deeply spiritual way for them to connect to their God, Source, the Divine, Nature, the Universe.
Om can be a humble acknowledgement that we are an integral part of something bigger than ourselves.
Om can be our desire to be in harmony with this life, mindful and present as we move through the world.
Om can be a call that we are open to learn, open to the mysterious and the infinite.
Om can be a commitment to live in a way that respects our place in and contribution to the world around us.
Your journey with Om is an unfolding, from the first time you hear it to the deepening feelings you may have with it. I invite you to explore and reflect often on what Om represents to you. Chant it in class and on your own. Dive into the experience and enjoy.
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