What is Om yoga?

Om Yoga, in the simplest terms, refers to the practice of chanting the sound OM. Before we get into the details of Om Yoga and how to practice it, let us try and understand the meaning of Om.

What is OM?

Until a few years back, it was only the sages who used to take interest in chanting Om. However, now there is a worldwide community that is interested in practicing Om Yoga and learning more about it. 

Om is a sound. It has a word associated to it which is “Pranava”. Pranava translates to “cosmic sound” in Sanskrit.

A little breakdown of Om or Aum

Chanting Om prepares a yoga practitioner to get into a deep meditative state. With each chant, the person enters a state of emotional and physical awareness. Each of the syllables of AUM produce different vibrations which can be felt throughout the body.

These syllables along with their meanings are mentioned below:

• A (aahhh) –  Believed to be the origin of all sounds, this syllable connects us with our true selves. 
• U (oooh) – This syllable is a representation of the mind and the universe. 
• M (mmmm) – This syllable signifies the oneness of your body with the universe.

Contrary to popular belief, Om is not just confined to yoga and Hinduism. It has as much importance to people following Jainism and Buddhism.

Historical significance of Om

Om yoga or Pranava yoga has been mentioned in Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. It has also been mentioned in the Yoga Sutras by Sage Patanjali. As explained in these holy scriptures, the essence of Pranava is to free ourselves from the worldly illusions and get united with the Divine and Supreme power.

What is Om Yoga?

Om Yoga is a form of meditation where the practitioner chants the om mantra and focuses deeply on the sound. It is also known by other names such as Aum yoga or Aum yoga meditation. You can perform this practice with other asanas or do it as a solo practice. It is believed that the practice of chanting this mantra helps you become united with Brahma who is known as the Absolute being in Hinduism.

Benefits of Om Yoga

There are profound benefits of practicing Om yoga. Some of these benefits can be really surprising. Here they are:

• It helps you gain peace and tranquility.
• It makes you more aware of your life and your self.
• It helps you shape your consciousness.
• It keeps your stress levels low.
• It helps in reducing hypertension.
• It helps in boosting your ability to focus.
• It helps you get relief from sinus infection.
• It gives you self-healing power.
• It helps you get into a deep meditative state.
• It helps you relax instantly.
• It brings a glow to your face and body.
• It strengthens your spinal cord.
• It strengthens your vocal cords and gives you a good voice.
• It gives you control over your emotions.
• It brings happiness and positivity into your life.

Note: Practicing Om yoga is not an overnight fix to your problems. To reap the benefits of this meditative practice, you have to do it every day.

How to practice?

Practicing Om yoga is simple. You can either do it solo or you can chant with a group. Either way, you can get immense physical, mental and spiritual benefits from this meditation. The ideal time to do it is early morning. But, you can also do it in the evening.

Here is how you should do it:

• Find a calm and comfortable place.
• Remove any source of distraction such as mobile phones.
• Sit on the ground with your legs crossed. You can sit on the bed too if you feel comfortable.
• Shut your eyes.
• Take deep breaths and make yourself comfortable.
• Start chanting and take pauses in between to catch your breath.
• Try and feel the vibration in your body as you keep chanting.

This is the perfect way to start Om meditation. However, this is not the only way. You can use other ways to do it and you will eventually learn more about it as you begin doing it.