NOTICE

While you wait and try
To become worthy of
Becoming what you already know
You already are
You may notice that
You learned to use a pen,
Not by understanding the infinite potential
Of pointed and curving ink lines,
But by taking risks
Again and again
On countless sheets of
Blank, indifferent paper

-Weston

What is Aum?

After attending a few classes early on in my yogic experience, I began to wonder why they would end class with the recitation of 'Aum'. Oftentimes, when yoga is brought up in satire, it involves a person sitting in the lotus position chanting Aum. It is easy to see how amusing this may look, and I wanted to know what the intention behind the practice was. My teachers never gave a very thorough explanation of why we chant this single word. I thought there may be others with the same questions, so I wanted to share some things I have found out.
The definition I have heard most often of Aum, and the definition given in the Upanishads is that it is the derivitive of all speech and thought. It expresses ultimate reality. It is often compared to the passage in the Bible that says 'In the beginning there was the word...'
Aum is often described as the vibration that created the universe. In sanskrit the word translates as eternal or immortal. The Aum symbol encircled by the lotus flower is the symbol of the seventh chakra, the chakra of enlightenment.
So why do we chant Aum? Aum, as most things, can be viewed from many different angles, and its benefits come from finding a way for you personally to connect with it.
On a physical level chanting Aum creates an internal vibration. We can create a therapeutic effect through our own vibrations, the way Western medicine uses machines to create a vibration in the body. Vibration is used to break down kidney and gallstones, release impurities, exercise muscles, and even to see more deeply within ourselves. Sonograms are based off of soundwaves. Chanting Aum exercises the vocal chords and lungs. It can create a vibration throughout the body that breaks down impurities, massages the subtle body, and focuses the mind.
On an emotional or spiritual level chanting Aum with an intention can be a beautiful meditation practice. Many chant Aum with the intent of embracing all their experiences from morning till night. It can represent the highest good and help expand awareness further toward the realm of pure consciousness. B.K.S. Iyengar writes in Light on Yoga that Aum can help with realizing the divinity within oneself.
If you want to experiment with Aum, here is an exercise that Steven Sturgess suggests in The Yoga Book:
Find a place and time without interruptions. Begin meditating by chanting Aum aloud, then chant Aum in a whisper, and then mentally chant Aum, giving about an equal amount of time for each. Use mala beads to keep track of time if needed. Finally, bring your focus to the place between your eyebrows, your third eye, and surrender to the vibrations of Aum.
If you'd like to learn more on Aum, Iyengar's Light on Yoga has a section that talks more about Aum, as well as The Yoga Book that includes the exercise above.