Any Om's a Good Om

A good ceremony has a beginning, a middle and an end. It tells a story with intention, direction and meaning. But the human brain is not like this! The mind is erratic and capricious and prefers to follow a constant stream of thoughts. By the time we are adults most of us struggle to bring ourselves into a natural, genuine focus. Needless to say that when I first started facilitating women’s circles I found that we would all enter the circle with such a deluge of racing thoughts. It took us a while for our minds to settle and forget about the commotion of the day. Then we began to use this simple yet powerful word: Om. I was very grateful to discover the concentrating and clearing effects of sounding out just three Oms at the beginning of holding a circle. 

 Om is the most powerful sound I know. Right now across the globe thousands of people are sounding out this ancient mantra, in preparation for prayer or as part of their meditation. I find this alone a very calming thought. It is said that Om is the sound that the Earth makes as it vibrates with all its life and physicality. It is said that Om was the first sound ever to come into the universe. It is said to be the sound of God. A pretty big reputation!  

Any Om is a good Om because, like singing, it creates a point of focus and lowers the activity in the brain. Further than that, the vibrations are so good for your body! You will feel the ‘ooo’ (pronounced more like ‘ah’) sound in your chest and throat, and when you change to ‘mmm’ the vibrations move up to your head.  If you feel self-conscious trying it for the first time, find a time and place to practice uninhibited. The more relaxed and open your throat is the deeper your tone will be, and you may even meet your inner Buddhist monk! Go loud and long if you can. Try a minimum of three, or go for 108! (Believed to be the optimal number for sinking into a deep state of relaxation). You’ll love it. You will notice your mind is clearer and your concentration improved.