Meditation on Om is one of the most widespread and religiously neutral practices. The sound of “Om” is not tied to any particular deity or religion, it is respected in many traditions, according to one interpretation in common religions, echoes of the “Om” mantra have passed on as “amen”, “amen”, “amin”.
The mantra “Om” is described in virtually all ancient Vedic and yogic scriptures: the Puranas, Mahabharata, Upanishads, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, etc.
The word ‘mantra’ translates as ‘purification of the mind’, that is, concentrating on the sound of the mantra and saying it by itself purifies the mind of impurities accumulated in one’s busy life.
The meanings of the sound OM
“Om” is described as the primal sound by which the universe was created and is present throughout the cycle of emergence, extinction, and new cyclical development.
Chanting this sound and concentrating on it, we are engaged in son-tuning, balancing our rhythm with the primary rhythm of the Universe, entering into harmony, unison with it.
The sound “Om” has no single meaning in the manifested world, we can generalize different interpretations by saying that “Om” means “Everything”, everything that is manifested and not manifested, cause and effect simultaneously, that which goes beyond reality, is both inside and outside. It is not possible to fully describe the meaning of the sound “Om” in words, only with regular practice of the mantra “Om” one can gradually come closer to understanding.
The effect of the mantra AUM
The life of a person of the XXI century is full of information, most Internet users over the years developed a clip mentality: short memory, the desire for constant change of images, impressions.
Mantra-meditation on the sound “Om” smoothly changes the thinking for the better with several components:
- Changing the flow of energies in the body by holding a still pose with crossed legs and saying the high vibration “Om” sound.
- “Connecting” to the energy field of the “Om” sound itself and the energy of those currently practicing it, wherever they are.
- Concentrating on the “Om” sound further deepens “penetration” and “merging” with the eternal vibration.
Om-meditation: the benefits
We and our consciousness become closer to the Basis of all things, which means our lives become more benign. How much time we need to meditate on the sound “Om” for a positive effect, everyone can find out for themselves, different people and on different days will have a different amount.
Sometimes 20 minutes is enough to fully immerse and change your consciousness, on other days you may have to practice for an hour or more for the effect to be the same, but regularity and quality are still more important than the duration of the practice.
It is much more effective in the long run to practice 15 minutes daily with concentration on the Om mantra, without distractions, than it is to practice for an hour or more on occasion, with constant distractions.
Rules for chanting the “Om” mantra
Sit with a straight back and legs crossed, ideally sitting in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) or Ardha Padmasana (Semi-Lotus), but if this is not possible, sitting cross-legged or stooped will suffice. Find out what meditation poses are available and choose the pose that suits you best.
A rosary is used to count the number of mantras chanted, and it is better to count them from yourself, not towards yourself. It may be uncomfortable at first, but later it will be unclear how one can pull the beads towards oneself.
Such a method allows one to develop self-giving and altruism at the body and subconscious level, which is also part of the practice of any self-development.
In the beginning, you can find an audio recording of the chanting of the collective Om mantra and chant to it, it will give faster progress than practicing it on your own.
The Om mantra can be chanted with the 4 sounds “A-O-U-M,” where “A” and “O” are about 70% of the whole mantra, “U” and “M” about 30%. The longer the mantra, the more effective it is, it is desirable to sing the mantra in one breath. There are other variants of meditation on the “Om” sound: long “Aaaoooumm”, stretching the three sounds “AUM”.
If “Aaum” didn’t suit you, you can try different variants and choose the most responsive one. The first tangible cleansing and blissful effect comes in the first weeks or months of practice, and then it becomes clearer how to practice further.
The results of the practice
The effect of the mantra practice is quite subtle, it can be compared with the butterfly effect: at first it may not be clear how the mantra reading affects the events, but after practicing for a longer time, you will realize that the mantra works, and you will understand how events are changed by the practice.
Before and after you practice, your consciousness can be very different. It is especially noticeable during difficult moments in life, when there is anger, resentment, and negative emotions. On such days it is very difficult to sit down and practice, but in a crisis it is necessary. After chanting the Om mantra, you may find with interest that resentment has dissolved without a trace and there is no reason to be offended, or that anger, which seemed to be the center of everything, no longer exists and even seems silly.
Micro-awareness comes as the energy in our body changes, as if the person “rises above” the situation and the emotions that have overwhelmed us, and looks at the events from the outside. Without any practice it is practically impossible to do this, the ego will always take over the mind and make us act in favor of momentary emotions and desires.
The consequence of living with the ego is dissatisfaction, for desires and ambitions cannot be fully satisfied.
Unsatisfaction breeds anger or other negative emotions, which leads to an accumulation of negative karma, which, in turn, leads to suffering. But it is in your hands to change this vicious circle, for example, by meditating on “AUM.
