What is Om?

"“Om is pure unitary consciousness, wherein awareness of the world and of multiplicity is completely obliterated. It is ineffable peace. It is the supreme good. It is One without a second. It is the Self. Know it alone! This Self, beyond all words, is the syllable Aum.” ~ The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal by Swami Prabhavananda (translator) and Frederick Manchester (Translator).

In translation, chanting Aum reminds us that we are all Divine, as is everything around us – that everything which exists is connected through this divinity. But there’s more – Aum also represents the four states of human consciousness, as seen by the yogis.

Vaishvanara is the first state of consciousness. It is our normal waking state, which is perceived through our five senses and naturally focused outward to material objects and the material world.

The second state of consciousness, Taijasa, is dreaming sleep or the mental nature, which is focused inward to only the thoughts in the mind. This isn’t just when we’re asleep and dreaming, but can also refer to day dreaming states of being.

The third state of consciousness, Prajna, is dreamless sleep or deep meditation.

The fourth state of consciousness is Turiya, and is the hardest to describe – so difficult that even the Mandukya calls it ‘indescribable’. But that hasn’t stopped other people from attempting to describe the indescribable.

Turiya is a state of transcendence – actually THE state of transcendence or liberation, where the Self is united with Source and there is no longer any separation between Self and Source. This is liberation or self-realisation – the whole point of Yoga.

These states of consciousness become more apparent when you break Aum down into its component sounds – A – U – M.

First you sound Ahhhh…. like you’re opening your mouth wide for the doctor, then Uuu… like you without the yuh and finally MMMMMM…. like you’ve just eaten the yummiest icecream ever.

Those three sounds roll into each other Ahhhh…Oh….Mmmmmm and create the sound of Aum.

Those are the three states of consciousness – Vaishvanara, outward focus on the material, Taijasa, dreaming sleep or inward mind focus, and Prajna, dreamless sleep or deep meditation. The fourth state, Turiya is found in the silence after the Aum – where there is no sound, but there is an indescribable ‘something’.

Each of the components also relates to a different chakra or energy centre in the body. A is the root chakra, U is the Heart Chakra and M is the Third Eye. The silence at the end is the Crown Chakra, which connects us to Universal Consciousness.

So as one sounds each part of the Aum, your awareness and attention moves through the four states of consciousness and up through the body.

First, full awareness is brought to the root chakra and you feel the sound of Ahhhh reverberating through the lower pelvis and groin. This is the world of the material. Then the sound travels up the spine and you move in the heart chakra where Uuu reverberates in the upper chest area. Now you’re entering the dream states or inward focus of the mind.

From here you move up the back of the neck and through the top palate of the mouth as you Mmmmm and the energy rises up to the Third Eye. This is the state of dreamless sleep or deep meditation.

Finally, as you sit in the silence afterward, you’re in the Crown Chakra and the illusions that separate you from the Universe dissolve.

That’s a real Aum. Not just a sound made with the mouth, but an energetic experience in the body that opens and balances the chakras and moves you through the four states of consciousness.

Now this I have experienced and it’s an incredible experience – especially if you’re in a room with twenty or so other yogis also bringing full awareness to the energetics of their bodies and moving up through their chakras. Everything starts to tingle and it feels like the body gets lighter and the room gets lighter and a new dimension opens up. But don’t take my word for it and most definitely do not believe me. Instead, open up to Aum and give it a go yourself.

Aum is one of those things that’s really easy to do at home even if you’ve never gone to a yoga class in your life – all you have to do is get over yourself and how silly you might feel. It’s important to remember too that you’re not singing the sound Aum, but allowing the sound Aum to move through you.

For those who are more scientifically-minded, sound vibration is a powerful force. Think of an opera singer hitting those high notes and breaking wine glasses. Vibration has an effect on matter – and we’re all made of matter. Making sounds – specific sounds like Aum – affects us in a profound manner.