The Healing Vibration & Connection to All
There is something profoundly beautiful about being in a room with a group of people all sharing the sound of Om together. This ancient practice of chanting a vibrational sound with others is a way of feeling a deeper connection with one another and the world around us.
The syllable Om (or Aum) is an ancient Sanskrit letter first found in the Vedas, originating between 1500 – 1200 BC. The vibration of chanting this sound has been shown to have healing properties. A study done in 2011 specifically evaluated the effects of using Om as a mantra by using MRI scans of the brains of participants as they chanted. Researchers observed that the brain activity during Om periods was similar to the stimulation of the vagus nerve, which is often used to treat depression and epilepsy. Other research is being done which also refers to the positive experience and healing benefits of chanting this sacred vibrational sound.
Although Om (Aum) sounds like one sound, it can actually be broken down into three (or even four) parts:
- A – Ahhhh – represents the beginning of existence; the start of the universe, creation, and birth. The vibration can be felt in the back of the throat and all the way into the abdomen. You may experience a deeper sense of connection to your very existence. The sound represents that which brings you back to unity.
- U – ooooh – represents life force and connects us to the deeper sensation that there is more beyond what can be seen or heard. The vibration of this sound lets in lightness, clarity, balance and goodness. When you chant this letter the sound moves forward between the tongue and the palate up to the lips. It vibrates in the solar plexus. The sound represents an illumination of knowing, pure wisdom.
- M – Mmmm – represents the transformative energy of the universe and the thoughts and beliefs of your being. This sound unites you to the awareness of oneness. It allows you to slow down in order to feel the connectedness of all that is. The sound “mmmm” is produced by closing the lips which creates a vibration in the crown of the head. The sound symbolizes being at one with all things.
- Silence– Often considered the fourth sound in “Om”, it represents the energy that resonates after the room finishes the chant. Indeed, it is the greater connection to the vibration of the universe around us.
The energy we create is powerful. At the very core of existence is sound vibration. Just hold your chest when you chant, sing, talk, laugh, or hum and you will feel something happening within the body and mind. Quantum physicists have been studying the role of vibration as the very root of matter itself. Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” Yes, it seems that the very foundations of our Universe, of matter and thought, appear to lie in the vibration of sound.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti~Om Peace Peace Peace
