If you’ve attended a few yoga classes, chances are you’ve been invited to chant Om (or more accurately, AUM) at the beginning or end of the practice.
For many people, especially in the West, this can feel unfamiliar or even a little uncomfortable. It may seem overly spiritual or “woo-woo,” and it’s natural to wonder why people are making this sound before moving their bodies.
The truth is that chanting AUM has been part of the yogic tradition for thousands of years. Long before yoga became associated with movement and postures, it was a practice of cultivating awareness. Chanting AUM is one way of marking the transition from the busyness of everyday life into the intentional space of practice.
Before we move the body, we first gather the mind.
Continue reading “The meaning of Om/Aum, and why we chant it at the beginning of a yoga practice.”
