Confessions of a Yoga Instructor: Join us in chanting: Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....
By Erica Harris
I remember the first time I was in a yoga class and the class chanted om. The sound took me by surprise as it echoed in the tiny studio. The thought wasn't too unfamiliar. I think as a kid I saw a cartoon character, like Donald or Daffy Duck, sit in a lotus position and sing out "oooooommm" has he looked like he was about to go into a deep trance (or hover off the ground). But other than this, I had no idea what it meant or what it was for.
It wasn't until I really started getting serious about my practice that the meaning of om came up again. "Om" most accurately means "to sound loudly". It can be found in many different cultures and languages: in Chinese as 唵 and of course, in the ancient Sanskrit writings known as praṇava प्रणव. The act of chanting om can be of spiritual nature, such as before reading sacred texts, used in personal mantras, or even a symbol of one's spirituality (or God).
As you can see, there is no clear answer of what om means--since it can mean many different things to different people. Sometimes I have students that ask me if yoga is a religion or "Do you have to be Hindu" to properly practice yoga. I heard another instructor answer this question perfectly, "Yoga can be a spiritual practice, but its not a religion, because it does not dictate the nature of a God to be worshipped".
You'll find that instructors will chant om at the end of our practice. This is a nice way to bring an end to class and to focus on the harmonic vibrations that this powerful sounds makes. So, on the next inhalation, chant om once, if you choose, or just sit and listen to the beautiful sound it makes, noticing how you feel.
Shanti & Om,
Erica
