You may wonder why we OM at the beginning and end of practice? We would like to share with you why we do this. Om is not singing, it is a low vibration from the chest and throat. The vibration of OM activates the vagus nerve, and brain tissue. The Vibration of OM wakes up the heart, throat and crown energy centers of the body.
When pronounced correctly, Om has four syllables and is pronounced AUM. It begins in the solar plexus and sends vibrations up into the chest. The second syllable – U – moves the sound up into the throat as the sound moves forward along the upper palate. The third syllable – M – is a prolonged syllable and brings the vibration through the upper chakras as the teeth come together to touch gently. The final syllable is the deep silence of the Infinite as the overall vibration rises through the body and into the Universe.
There are many reasons why we chant “Om” at the beginning and ending of a yoga class. One being is that Om allows us to separate the time of our practice from the rest of our everyday lives, signifying that our practice time is a sacred time in which we care for ourselves while also practicing mindfulness.
Chanting Om is a sacred practice for many, and even if it is not part of your personal practice, we encourage all of our students to practice mindfulness and courtesy to the other yogis in the class.