Power of A-U-M
First written on FB https://www.facebook.com/notes/349965672910509/ on 17th Nov 2017. FB has since 2021 deprecated FB Notes so moving the Note here. Enjoy reading it :).
My journey with Yoga goes back to when I was about 2.5 years old when my dad started teaching me yoga. At that age I’d just be imitating my dad as best as I could and, yet it helped the excess cough and cold I had as a child.
By the time I was at University doing Engineering studies I was teaching Yoga as a qualified Yoga teacher to thousands in India. Was a blessing to touch so many lives in such an impactful way, am immensely grateful!
Back to the present, though I don’t formally teach yoga any more (corporate life happened to me ;-) hehehehe), I do it every day as part of my morning rituals and share specific quick wins with my inner circle. This post is for YOU dear reader and it brings you the many blessings, power and benefits A-U-M delivers.
If your body is pleasant you are healthy and pleasurable. If your mind is pleasant you are happy. If your emotions are pleasant you are loving and compassionate. If your energy is pleasant you are blissful. Note pleasantness is the result not the source. So, what is the source? Is it #L0V3?
In our world today ‘L0V3’ is glorified as it is the only thing known by masses to be the highest state of being. Everyone wants to love and be loved. Most mortals have not experienced anything better. Am positive we have all heard and said, “Love amplifies everything it touches”. That is because love is the most pleasant thing most humans have experienced. Love in its basic form is #Longing to become one with somebody. And does the longing go away with #Togetherness?
Longing for #Oneness emotionally expressed is love; mentally expressed is status, greed, conquest, success, power, et al and consciously expressed is #Yoga.
Wherever one is in one’s life we want more than what we have right now. The desire is to expand, be limitless. This longing is always there. With love, conquest, greed, success, wealth, power whatever the desire - the longing never finds fulfilment. If longing intensifies it creates intense suffering. Moments of separation lead to great pain; moments of oneness create great pleasure. And we humans keep going through life as though riding a roller coaster.
We are through this longing wanting to arrive at ‘#Bliss’. Bliss is what we feel when we are one with our beloved, we are one with our definition of success, conquest, power et al. We are then all seekers of blissfulness.
If you still believe your marriage, a new relationship, a new house, a new job, your to be born child will make very thing ok, think again!
It is conscious expression of longing i.e. Yoga, that helps you arrive at bliss in the most pleasurable and efficient way which is also the only sustainable way. And when you operate from this place your love life, your worldly accomplishments, your social impact all amplify positively and that too effortlessly.
One of the many gifts of Yoga is A-U-M. And my initiation in Shambhavi Mahamudra by Sadhguru ji last weekend here in Melbourne Australia saw me revisiting A-U-M. Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya is a powerful and purifying energy technique which incorporates the breath. This practice aligns your entire system so that your body, mind and emotions function in harmony, establishing a chemistry of blissfulness within you. It is a Kriya /rite of passage that has the power to give you access to this world and the other world. I was elated, ecstatic, blessed to have experienced it. The initiation is a rite of passage to be done only under able guidance and hence I do not share the actual Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya with you here as I don’t yet have the ability to guide you through the rite of passage. And do pray that you do get a chance to experience it first hand for it is a very powerful technique to attain and be blissful. Having said that though A-U-M and its benefits I am qualified to share given that I have taught it in the past. 😊
Understanding A-U-M:
Try making any kind of sound without using the tongue. Experiment for yourself – go on … you can utter ‘Aaaa’, ‘Uuuu’, ‘Mmmm’. When you position the tongue to mix these 3 basic sounds all other sounds are formed. These 3 form the 3 basic sounds or Universal sounds. And when you put these 3 together ‘A-U-M’ is formed (note it is NOT ‘OM’).
There is evidence that these 3 sounds are part of all civilizations. Wherever there is a realised being sound AUM is there. The ‘OM’ chanted and referenced in Hinduism is well known. Christianity which was first introduced to the world in Aramaic language and today in the Vatican uses Aaamen remove the n and say it out loud without using your tongue ‘AME’. ‘Aaamen’ moved to USA and became ‘Amen’ and in the Islamic regions of our world it is ‘Ameen’.
All are the same sounds. When you are silent by your own nature and guided inwards sound AUM will revibrate in your system. It happens by itself to generate bliss within you.
The vibrations start below your naval, and end at the tip of your nose. The movement of ‘A-U-M’ should start below your navel for the ‘aaaa’. Navel is where all the nadis within the body unify. When you start in this area, the vibration will travel all through your body all the way towards your lower limbic areas. The naval area is where all ‘Knowledge’ resides. That is why modern science also preserves umbilical cord post child birth.
Next move into your diaphragm area for the ‘uuuu’. The vibration moves in a circular direction first away downwards from the diaphragm and then upwards towards the chest. This area is said to house ‘Money’.
And finally ends in the throat area for the ‘mmmmmm’ where you’ll feel vibrations in the throat, facial and nose areas. This area is said to house ‘Power’.
Listen to the video as I demonstrate A-U-M for you.
Here are benefits of chanting ‘A-U-M’:
Cures depression, excessive fear, bad dreams, wavering mind, unstable body, tendency to fall sick too often, attention disorders, lack of resolve to do anything you want.
The repetition of ‘A-U-M’ leads to excellent mental and physical health.
It has positive effect for cardiac vascular health lowering blood pressure and increasing efficiency of all the cells and organs in the body.
The chant improves the production of endorphins thus making you feel relaxed.
In turn it rejuvenates the mind increasing concentration, memory, and the ability to learn.
Cleanses the mind and helps control emotions.
Relives stress levels.
It is used to combat depression and anxiety.
It leads to a greater understanding of oneself.
It helps to get rid of negativity.
Leads to a greater quality of sleep.
How to do it:
All you need is ten minutes and an area on the floor to sit on.
Seat yourself in a comfortable position: Sukhasana, Padmasana, or Siddhasana.
Place your hands on your thighs with your palms facing upwards.
Touch the top of your index finger to the top of your thumb on both hands (Yoga Mudra).
Close your eyes.
Slowly, take a long, deep breath in through your nose.
Once your lungs are full exhale through your mouth while saying ‘A-U-M’ until your entire breath is gone from your body. The movement of ‘aum’ should start below your navel for the ‘aaaa’, move into your diaphragm area for the ‘uuuu’, and end in the throat area for the ‘mmmmmm’ where you’ll feel vibrations of the word moving through your body with your breath. Concentrate on the vibrations and see the magnificence and miracle your body is from within.
Repeat. Start with 21 times and work your way to 108 times at one sitting.
Siddhasana with Yoga Mudra
If you enjoyed this post leave me a comment on what your key take away was and don’t forget to like and share this post with your tribe :-)
Love & Blessings,
Afrros M Hudli