OM chanting My experience and my learning

I have been chanting Om for years now,first as a child because the parents said so, then as an adult because the priest said so! By the time I was old enough to know better I chanted Aum because it had become more of an unconscious practice.But wait no one ever answered my question why? Why do I need to Chant AUM.
Chant AUM  it will bring you closer to God. Oh but then who is God or where is he/she? And that would start a whole another discussion and the original query would be lost.
Chant AUM and you will get what you want.Oh but wait who will give me what I want?God!Oh but wait who is he/she?And the original query would again be lost.

                              
Why do you need to know all this? Just chant like everyone else does. It's just one of the many words in a the Mantra after all! Really, is it? Most of us know about the origin, meaning and benefits of AUM chanting. But that is it.We" know" a lot but have we experienced it? And let me tell you it's a beautiful experience!Like I was recently reminded by someone very close to me, the one who knows is an intellectual but the one who experiences it is a mystic. And I couldn't agree more. We have more of intellectual conversations happening around.Rarely will you come across people who have experienced it and those who have are not inclined to talk about it. After all who wants to face sceptics all the time. It just brings your energy down!Today I know better and have been chanting mindfully for few years now.And this is my account of it.
I read a lot. Spoke to my parents who are spiritually minded. Discussed at length with my Uncle who is also my Guru. Gathered a whole lot of knowledge.And I was ready to start chanting mindfully.
1st day I sat down in Lotus pose/sukhasana, closed my eyes and took a deep breath and started chanting AUUUUOOOOOOMMMMMMMM while breathing out. I managed to sit still and do this practise for 10-15 minutes. I repeated this over a period of days. But this did not bring me closer to God! I realised I was unknowingly doing a mental checklist of things I had done that / previous day and also of work to be done.More of a to do list. Then I thought maybe this is the route taken to God realisation, after all "work is God"! I continued like this for some time till I said to myself I am missing something and one day it just popped into my dream that what I was missing was the whole idea of quieting the mind rather than listening to it.
So then, next day onwards I started concentrating on the vibrations that were produced while chanting. We are all made of energy. Vibrating energy.The whole universe is nothing but energy vibrating at different frequencies. You, me, all species of life forms, living non living, everything is energy. All of our internal organs vibrate to certain frequencies. And falling sick means our frequency needs to be reset. Even Medical Science today recognises the importance of musical( which again is vibrational energy) healing.
After a few days of practice I really got a hang of it. Just concentrate on the sound the chanting produces.My whole body vibrates with it.Right from the abdominal muscles to my skull.While  "AU" produces vibrations in th abdominal region giving a gentle massage to internal organs, the"OO" sound  vibrates in our chest and throat.By the time I reach"MMMMM" which produces vibrations in the head, my whole body is one light weight mass! Let me caution you here the phrase"few days could also mean months at certain places:-)"
In the beginning it was little unnerving.The sudden burst of energy, body heating up.You are not able to hear anything else. But slowly I got used to it. Absolute silence within. You might be in the midst of a war but no outside sound reaches inside. All I could hear was the humming sound. And at the end of the chanting I feel the vibrations every where in my body. I think now I know how the mystics could elevate themselves!
I made it a daily ritual to chant for half an hour in the morning and evening. Slowly  breath in and breath out become became"inhale and exhale". I became more aware and conscious of my every thought and word. I have a 10 years old daughter who is also full of questions and I try my best to answer them. I hope she learns from me. This is the best way that I know of to not only de stress but also rejuvenate ourselves. The positive energy it creates is amazing. I hope the younger generation is smart enough to realize this and get into the practice without arguing about the religious leanings. The benefits are tremendous and more so with this generation which is always on the go, never having time for themselves.  
Weird it may sound but ever since then whenever i am confused or worried about something I always dream, if not the whole answer then atleast a pointer to the solution, during sleep. I have  a habit of looking at the watch whenever i wake up from  dream. These dreams always come to me between 3a.m. to 5a.m. Initially everyone would laugh it of.Family friends even I did not take it seriously. But as the accuracy of my dreams increased, now they all discuss with me whenever they are at a crossroad!
Today I am an extremely happy person. I rediscovered myself with mindfull chanting.As my daughter likes to put it I have fallen in love with myself and it shows." Mom these days you glow!" what a wonderful feeling!!

 
Settled in  Gurgaon for the last 3 years, Sumita is a yoga enthusiast. She firmly believes that each child is a born yogi.Has been practising yoga for the last 5-6 years in Bangalore and Gurgaon . she quit working once her daughter was born. Now she enjoys motherhood along with pursuing hobbies like light music,reading and cooking and of course doing  yoga.

Comments

  1. Everything is vibration , an energy that always rounds us every time, every second.
    An infinite energy, we can reach to it only by realizing the vibration , an internal sound, this sound is always there, but popped up when we our mind is still and quite .
    when we feel or listen to this vibration, mind always go in silence in just few seconds.
    and then we can feel the energy building withing us, a small energy we are and as the mind become more and more conscious of these vibrations our brain also works so faster and so smoothly ,
    slowly slowly we can realize that we are surrounding with the great energy and we are mixed with that, after that, we can not bring this experience in word, it is just beyond .
    Thanks
    Kuldeep Sharma

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do you chant aloud or silently in mind without moving your lips?

    ReplyDelete
  3. If Om is pronounced as ओम
    then how is Aum pronounced?
    Is Aum pronounced as औम?

    ReplyDelete
  4. THE PURE SOUL OF BRAHMACHARI SWAMI VIVEKANANDANovember 13, 2022 at 6:15 AM

    There are three sorts of repetitions
    of these Mantrams. One is called the verbal, another
    semi-verbal, and the third mental. The verbal or
    audible is the lowest, and the inaudible is the highest of all. The repetition which is so loud that anybody
    can hear it is the verbal.
    The next one is where only
    the organs begin to vibrate, but no sound is heard;
    another man sitting near cannot hear what is being
    said. That in which there is no sound, only mental
    repetition of the Mantram, at the same time thinking
    of its meaning, is called the mental muttering, and
    is the highest.

    ReplyDelete
  5. THE PURE SOUL OF BRAHMACHARI SWAMI VIVEKANANDANovember 13, 2022 at 6:48 AM

    Taken from Swami Vivekananda's book RAJA YOGA

    The Yogi alone has the Sutumnd open. When this
    Sufumnd current opens, and thought begins to rise
    through it, we get beyond the senses, our minds
    become supersensuous, superconscious, we get beyond
    even the intellect, and where reasoning cannot reach.
    To open that Suhtmnd is the prime object of the Yogi.
    According to him, along this Suumnd are ranged these
    centres of distribution, or, in more figurative language,
    these lotuses, as they are called. The lowest one is at
    the lowest end of the spinal cord, and is called Mdld-
    dhdra, the next one is called Svddhisthdna, the next
    ManipAra, the next Andhata, the next ViSuddha, the
    next Ajna, and the last, which is in the brain, is the
    SahaSrdra, or "the thousand petalled." Of these we
    have to take cognition just now of only two centres,
    the lowest, the M&lddhdra, and the highest, the Sahat-
    rdra. The lowest one is where all energy becomes
    stored up, and that energy has to be taken up from
    there and brought to the last one, the brain. The
    Yogis claim that of all the energies that the human
    body comprises the highest is what they call "Ojas"
    Now this Ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more the Ojas is in a man s head, the more powerful he is,

    the more intellectual, the more spiritually strong will
    that man be. This is the action of Ojas. One man
    may speak beautiful language and beautiful thoughts,
    but they do not impress people; another man speaks
    neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet
    his words charm. That is the power of Ojas coming
    out. Every movement coming from him will be
    powerful.
    Now in all mankind there is more or less of this Ojas
    stored up. And all the forces that are working in the
    body, in their highest form, become Ojas. You must
    remember that it is only a question of transformation.
    The same force which is working outside, as electricity
    or magnetism, will become changed into inner force;
    the same forces that are working as muscular energy
    will be changed into Ojas. The Yogis say that that
    part of the human energy which is expressed as sex
    energy, in sexual functions, sexual thought, and so on,
    when checked and controlled, easily becomes changed
    into Ojas, and as this lowest centre is the one which
    guides all these functions, therefore the Yogi pays par
    ticular attention to that centre. He tries to take up
    all this sexual energy and convert it into Ojas. It is
    only the chaste man or woman who can make the Ojas
    rise and become stored in the brain, and that is why
    chastity has always been considered the highest virtue,
    because man feels that if he is unchaste, spirituality
    goes away, he loses mental vigour, and strong moral
    stamina. That is why in all of the religious orders in the world that have produced spiritual giants you will
    always find this intense chastity insisted upon. That
    is why the monks came into existence, giving up mar
    riage. There must be perfect chastity,
    in thought,
    word and deed. Without it the practice of R&ja Yoga
    is dangerous, and may lead to insanity.
    If people
    practise Rdja Yoga and at the same time lead an impure
    life, how can they expect to become Yogis?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THE PURE SOUL OF SWAMI VIVEKANADANovember 13, 2022 at 7:03 AM

      There were lots of spelling mistakes in my above post.Therefore I'am rewriting it with correct spellings.

      Taken from Swami Vivekanda's book on RAJA YOGA

      The Yogi alone has the Susumna open. When this
      Susumna current opens, and thought begins to rise
      through it, we get beyond the senses, our minds
      become supersensuous, superconscious, we get beyond
      even the intellect, and where reasoning cannot reach.
      To open that Susumna is the prime object of the Yogi.
      According to him, along this Susumna are ranged these
      centres of distribution, or, in more figurative language,
      these lotuses, as they are called. The lowest one is at
      the lowest end of the spinal cord, and is called Muladhara
      , the next one is called Svadhisthana, the next
      Manipura, the next Anahata next Visuddha, the
      next Ajna, and the last, which is in the brain, is the
      Sahasrara, or the thousand petalled.Of these we
      have to take cognition just now of only two centres,
      the lowest, the Muladhara, and the highest, the Sahasrara. The lowest one is where all energy becomes
      stored up, and that energy has to be taken up from
      there and brought to the last one, the brain. The
      Yogis claim that of all the energies that the human
      body comprises the highest is what they call Ojas.
      Now this Ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more the Ojas is in a man's head, the more powerful he is,
      the more intellectual, the more spiritually strong will
      that man be. This is the action of Ojas. One man
      may speak beautiful language and beautiful thoughts,
      but they do not impress people; another man speaks
      neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet
      his words charm. That is the power of Ojas coming
      out. Every movement coming from him will be
      powerful.
      Now in all mankind there is more or less of this Ojas
      stored up. And all the forces that are working in the
      body, in their highest form, become Ojas. You must
      remember that it is only a question of transformation.
      The same force which is working outside, as electricity
      or magnetism, will become changed into inner force;
      the same forces that are working as muscular energy
      will be changed into Ojas. The Yogis say that that
      part of the human energy which is expressed as sex
      energy, in sexual functions, sexual thought, and so on,
      when checked and controlled, easily becomes changed
      into Ojas, and as this lowest centre is the one which
      guides all these functions, therefore the Yogi pays par
      ticular attention to that centre. He tries to take up
      all this sexual energy and convert it into Ojas. It is
      only the chaste man or woman who can make the Ojas
      rise and become stored in the brain, and that is why
      chastity has always been considered the highest virtue,
      because man feels that if he is unchaste, spirituality
      goes away, he loses mental vigour, and strong moral
      stamina. That is why in all of the religious orders in the world that have produced spiritual giants you will
      always find this intense chastity insisted upon. That
      is why the monks came into existence, giving up mar
      riage. There must be perfect chastity,
      in thought,
      word and deed. Without it the practice of Raja Yoga
      is dangerous, and may lead to insanity.
      If people
      practise Raja Yoga and at the same time lead an impure
      life, how can they expect to become Yogis?

      Delete
  6. Which is the correct pronounciation?
    ओम,औम,आम,आ ऊ म?
    Which is the correct pronounciation among these?

    ReplyDelete

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