What’s with the chanting of Om at Balanced Planet Yoga?

Om is a mystic syllable, considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit prayers, and texts. Om is all about threes. With its roots in Hinduism, the Om symbol is said to represent the oneness of all creation, including the heavens, earth and underworld. Others say it is the representation of the three Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Some say the actual shape of the symbol represents the syllables of the word: the ‘three’ being the Sanskrit letter for ‘aahh’, the small ‘s’ is the ‘oooh’ and the half moon at the top is the ‘mmm’ sound.

 

In the Yoga Sutras written by Patanjali, OM is regarded as a direct path to enlightenment: Remembering the sound vibration of Om (or Aum), along with a deep feeling for the meaning of what Om signifies (1.28), brings both the realization of the individual Self and the removal of obstacles that normally block our realization (1.29). In a sense, this practice is like a yoga life hack, in that it circumvents all others means and goes to the heart of the process of self-realization.  Yogis are encouraged to focus on remember the meaning for this practice to have all of its effect.  The sound must be remember with deepness cultivated toward its meaning and representation.

So, why do we chant Om at BPY?

Science tells us that everything in the universe is pulsating and vibrating.  From Humans to trees, we are all moving at a very subtle level.  The sound Om, when chanted, vibrates at the frequency of 432 Hz, which is the same vibrational frequency found throughout everything in nature.

This is the reason that Om is believed to be the basic sound of the universe.  When we engage in chanting it we are symbolically and physically tuning in to that sound and acknowledging our connection to all other living beings, nature and the universe.

The chanting of Om is also understood to have a In addition the a physical affect on the body by slowing down the nervous system and calming the mind similar to what is done in meditation practice.   When the mind is relaxed, your blood pressure decreases and ultimately the health of your heart improves.  Chanting Om makes us feel better.

Very importantly at the studio, we chant Om to clearly define our time for practice.  We honor the tradition of the yogis who have come before us.  We remind ourselves that now is the time to be mindful, present, and compassionate with ourselves and those who come to practice with us.