The First Time
You've finally decided to sign up for your first yoga class. You even bought a great mat to go with your good intentions. The class begins. You sit down, like everyone else, cross-legged, with your eyes closed and... The people next to you start emitting something between a howl and a lament:
"OOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM"
You wonder, and you'd like to ask "why?", but you're too embarrassed to formulate the question. So, for subsequent times, you simply decide that you'll howl too, or you'll pretend to fall into a deep trance and ignore that part.
A Primordial Sound
AUM or pranava is considered the primordial mantra, the sacred sound from which, according to yogic and Hindu philosophy, the entire universe was born. It is the sound of cosmic vibration.
Firstly, chanting AUM symbolizes the desire to connect with supreme consciousness (Brahman) and with the universal consciousness of which we are a part.
A-U-M
There is also a profound symbolic meaning in the letters that make up the AUM invocation (plus the final silence). These sounds (and non-sounds) represent the states of consciousness through which the practice aims to guide us, as well as the three central deities (trimurti) of yoga and Hinduism and the creative force Brahman.
A (Ah): Represents Creation (or the waking state - Jagrat). Of the trimurti, it represents Brahma.
U (Uu): Represents Preservation (or the dream state - Swapna). It represents the deity Vishnu.
M (Mmm): Represents Dissolution/Transformation (or the deep sleep state - Sushupti). It represents Shiva, the destroyer.
The Final Silence: Represents the fourth state (Turiya), the transcendental state, pure consciousness that is beyond duality. It represents Brahman, the original creative force.
Physical Benefits
And if you practice yoga just because you like leaving class a little straighter and more toned, well, know that pranava also has physical benefits.
The vibrations produced by chanting help to calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety. This activity actually strengthens the spinal cord and digestion through vagus nerve stimulation.
The Om sound creates vibrations that propagate throughout the body, stimulating breathing, relaxing muscles, and improving the nervous system.
All of this prepares both mind and body for a deeper, more conscious yoga practice.
You Never Forget Your Second OM
...but it can also be the third, the fourth, or the thousandth. Practicing after chanting the pranava can be a new experience. Because that sound reminds us of the profound reason we are on the mat, and then everything that comes after also has a different meaning and energy.
Further Reading
The Vedas, Mantramanjari by Raimon Panikkar
The Essence of the Yoga Sutras, B.K.S. Iyengar
Publication by the U.S. National Institute of Health on the benefits of pranava
