Om Yoga at a Glance

By Light of the Spirit Monastery

O m was first perceived by the ancient

yogis of prehistory and is not the exclusive property of any religion or philosophy. It is
not a sectarian mantra; it belongs to all without distinction or exclusion. Nor was it
invented by those primal sages. Rather, it is swayambhuself-begotten, self-existent and
self-sufficient. It arises spontaneously within, from the Self. It does not have to be
artificially implanted or empowered in us by any kind of initiation. This mantra is going
on in every one of us, but as long as we are outward-turned we do not become aware of
it. It is only during meditation, when we enter into our own depths, that we become aware
of Om, which has always been active within us.

The japa (repetition) and meditation of Om are not exclusively Hindu practices, but are
also part of the Jain and Buddhist traditions. They are also indicated in the Bible. This
should be no surprise since Moses was an initiate of the Egyptian religion which was
rooted in Indian philosophy, as was proved by Apollonius of Tyana at the time of Jesus.
Like Apollonius, Jesus himself lived and studied in India, and the Christian scriptures
reflect this. The Nath Yogis, one of the oldest and most respected of monastic orders,
claim that Jesus (Isha Natha) was a great adept of their order.

The Goal and the Way

What world does he who meditates on Om until the end of his life, win by That? If he
meditates on the Supreme Being with the Syllable Om, he becomes one with the Light,
he is led to the world of Brahman Who is higher than the highest life, That which is
tranquil, unaging, immortal, fearless, and supreme (Prashna Upanishad 5:1,5,7).

Its history

This sacred Word was the heart of the primeval esoteric wisdom of the sages of ancient
India. An essential part of that wisdom is the knowledge of words of power or mantrasa
series of verbal sounds whose effect lies not in an assigned intellectual meaning, as is the
character of common language, but which possesses an inherent sound-power that can
produce a sublime spiritual effect.

This sacred Syllable is spelled out as Om, but it is usually written in the ideogrammatic
forms:

or

It is most important in repeating Om to pronounce the O correctly. It should be

pronounced like the long o in the Italian or common American manneras in home and
lone. (In England, Canada, and parts of the American South, the long o is sometimes
pronounced as a diphthong, like two vowels jammed together: either like ay-oh or eh-
oh. This is not the correct manner of pronouncing the O, which should be a single, pure
vowel sound.)

Om is most effective if it is mentally intonedthat is, mentally sung on a single note

(the pitch does not matterwhatever is spontaneous and natural). This makes the
repetition stronger and of deeper effect, because intoning Om unifies the mind and
naturally concentrates it.

Om should be intoned giving full value to both the O and the M. That is, Om should be
intoned with equal time on both letters: Oooommmm. Not Oommmmmm or Oooooomm.
You need not be overexacting about this, but approximately so.

The way to receive the benefit of a mantra is japa, the continual repetition-intonation of
the mantra. In this way the invoker is constantly imbued with the power and
consciousness inherent in the mantra. It is best to intone Om mentally, silently, and to
intone it throughout all your waking hoursnot just during meditation.

Whenever we intone Om we align and link our consciousness to our spirit-soul with its
innate potential, and with its Source the Divine Spirit and its powers.
 Om Yoga Meditation Practice
Breath and sound are the two major spiritual powers possessed by us, and here is how
they are combined for Om Yoga meditation.

1. Sit upright, comfortable and relaxed, with your hands on your knees or thighs or
resting, one on the other, in your lap.

2. Turn your eyes slightly downward. Then close your eyes gently,. This removes visual
distractions and reduces your brain-wave activity by about seventy-five percent, thus
helping to calm the mind.

3. Breathe naturally. Your mouth should be closed so that all breathing is done through
the nose. This, too aids in quieting the mind. Though your mouth is closed, the jaw
muscles should be relaxed so the upper and lower teeth are not clenched or touching one
another, but parted.

Be aware of your breath naturally (automatically) flowing in and out as you breathe
through your nose. Your breathing should always be easeful and natural, not deliberate or
artificial.

4. Now in a very quiet and gentle manner begin mentally intoning (singing on a single
note) Om once throughout each inhalation and once throughout each exhalation. Fit the
intonations to the breathnot the breath to the intonations. If the breath is short, then the
intonation should be short. If the breath is long, then the intonation should be long.

Make sure the O and the M get approximately equal timeOooommmm,

not Oommmmmm or Oooooomm. Dont torture yourself about thisapproximately equal
is good enough, and in time your intonations will automatically occur in this right
manner. Also, your intonation of Om should begin when your inhalation/exhalation
begins and end when it ends. In this way your intonations should be virtually continuous,
not with long breaks between them. That is: OommOommOommOomm, or Oomm-
Oomm-Oomm-Oomm, rather than OommOommOommOomm. Here, too,
approximately continuous is sufficient.

5. For the rest of your meditation time keep on intoning Om in this mannerin time with
the breathlistening to your inner intonations of Om. Let your awareness become fully
absorbed in the mentally intoned sound of Om. No need to pull or push the mindit will
naturally come to rest in the sound. Just let the mind relax and sink or melt into it.

6. In time your inner, mental intonations of Om may change to an even more mellow or
soft, subtle form, even to an inner whispering that is almost silent, but Om is always fully
present and effective, and you will still be intoning Om in your intention. Your
intonations may even become silent, like a soundless mouthing of Om, yet you will still
be intoning Om in your intention. You may find that your intonations of Om move back
and forth from more objective to more subtle and back to more objective. Just intone in
the manner that is natural at the moment.

7. In the same way you will find that your breath will also become more subtle and
refined, and slow down. Sometimes your breath can become so light that it almost seems
as though you are not breathing at all, just thinking the breath.

8. In Om Yoga we do not deliberately concentrate on any particular point of the body

such as the third eye, as we want the subtle energies of Om to be free to manifest
themselves as is best at the moment. However, as you meditate, you may become aware
of one or more areas of your brain or body at different times. This is all right when they
come and go spontaneously, but keep centered in your intonations of Om.

9. Thoughts, impressions, memories, inner sensations, and suchlike may also arise during
meditation. Be calmly aware of all these things in a detached and objective manner, but
keep your attention centered in your intonations of Om in time with your breath. Do not
let your attention become centered on or caught up in any inner or outer phenomena. Be
calmly aware of all these things in a detached and objective mannerthey are part of the
transforming work of Om, and are perfectly all rightbut keep your attention centered in
your intonations of Om in time with your breath. Even though something feels very right
or good when it occurs, it should not be forced or hung on to. The sum and substance of it
all is this: It is not the experience we are after, but the effect. Also, since we are all
differentunique, actuallyno one can say exactly what a persons experiences in
meditation are going to be like.

10. If you find yourself getting restless, distracted, fuzzy, anxious or tense in any
degree, just take a deep breath and let it out fully, feeling that you are releasing and
breathing out all tensions, and continue as before in a relaxed and easeful manner,
without strain.

11. Remember: Om Yoga meditation basically consists of three things: a) sitting with the
downturned eyes closed; b) being aware of our breath as it moves in and out, and c)
mentally intoning Om in time with the breath and listening to those mental intonations
all in a relaxed and easeful manner, without strain.

12. At the end of your meditation get up and go about your usual daily routine while
continuing to intone Om in time with your breath. If sometimes you cannot intone in time
with your breath, then intone Om over and over like the tolling of a bell until you can
resume intoning with the breath.
For more information on Om Yoga practice, including some methods to enhance the
practice, please read the book Om Yoga, Its Theory and Practice posted on ocoy.org.