Om is more than a word – it is an intonation, like music or vibration. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, essentially “A” – “U” – “M”. It is often said that the sound of Om contains in it all other sounds. In the Upanishads Om is considered to be an all-encompassing mystical entity- the voice of God, or as I like to think of it, the sound of the universe. As sacred texts declare, the vibration of Om is supposed to penetrate one’s soul, transcend the past, present and future, and reveal the truth.
So the question remains: om or no om?
Having been a past practitioner at Jivamukti where they chant, A LOT, in their classes I have built up a tolerance to chanting in general. I enjoy it- but on occasion and in the right place at the right time. In fact, I have to admit I’m not one who enjoys chanting when I show up to a yoga class expecting to jump right into the physical aspect.
I do however, ALWAYS enjoy chanting om at the beginning and end of the class. My favorite is actually chanting om in rounds. Not exactly, Row Row Your Boat style but more or less just following the rise and fall of your own breath rather than the instructor/leader of the chant. I like to imagine that there must be times when all the yogis around Manhattan (i.e. Union Square) are chanting om at once given that there are so many studios with similar class schedules. You would think there must be a few hundred people chanting om come 7:30 on the weekdays across Manhattan. Pretty cool, huh?
What I find odd, and actually awkward is some classes choose to chant om at the start of class and not at the end (Dana Strong does this at YogaWorks). There’s something about closing with om that makes you feel full or satisfied. Maybe it’s just me. But as my teaching philosophy has developed I believe whole heartedly in om, and less so in chanting before class. Truth is, I’m there to practice like everyone else and chanting (while nice) is sometimes hard to fit into the hour and a half you’re on the mat. Oh and what’s up with instructors who pick obscure chants that no one can repeat – that’s just uncomfortable for everyone!
-Eliza
Well it ’sgreat you are experiencing yoga at all. However Yoga is meant to open the mind. So stop thinking so much and just be in the experience as different as they all are and see what happens. So often we go to the same teachers and think all classes and teachers should teach the same. Trying new things can be scary and uncomfortable but when we are always comparing we potentially miss out on some really good stuff. Om can be done in the beginning of class depending on what vibe the teacher is getting from the class. Om can center the class getting students to focus and awaken. It actually can be done at any time during the class and can be quite fun during a cat/cow.Make no mistake there is almost always a reason for why a credible teacher sequences a class.
Dana is truly an amazing teacher and a little sad that is the only thing you took away from her class.
Hm, not sure why there’s so much negativity in this comment. If you read my posting it’s meant to be thoughtful. If you’re a student or a yoga teacher it’s important to reflect on your practice and why you do what you do. And just to be clear – this was in no way a criticism of the instructor Dana Strong. — It’s not sad at all. Thanks for your comment Jen.