Don’t be afraid of the OM

Suddenly the yoga teacher appeared ill at ease

            ‘Do you mind if we do a bit of chanting?’

Through the following seconds of silence, I felt suspicion rising in the class.

            ‘If that’s ok with you, we’ll chant “OM” three times’

Does she want us to sing praise to Shiva, Krishna or some kind of a blue elephant?

In case you wondered, here is what OM is not: a tribute to a pagan god.

In Asian traditions, such as the yogic, Buddhist and Hindu traditions, OM represents simply the frequency, the fundamental energy of Nature, our world, the universe. By chanting OM you try to connect to this energy, to fuse with it. ‘Yoga’ means ‘union’. The yoga practice, of which postural pretzel-bending is just a part (one of the eight ‘limbs’), has the aim of calming the constant chatter of the mind, so that we can feel that we are One. Chanting OM is one of the means to calm and focus the mind, and reconnect with your self.

Although this concept may not make immediate sense to our Western minds, the benefits of chanting OM are instantaneous. Probably nothing huge, at least not in the beginning, but focus and good vibrations. Try it out. Don’t be afraid of the OM (*).

* But if you still are, just chant A(O)MEN, or A(O)MIN