Those of you who have been to my classes over the past few weeks might remember the Om So Hum – Mantra from the beginning and end of the classes. With some of you I talked briefly about the message of this mantra but I wanted to share it more widely here in the blog too.
First things first though, what is a “mantra”?
The literal Sanskrit meaning of the word can be roughly translated as “tool of the mind”, as the root “man-“ means “mind” and the suffix “-tra” refers to “tools or instruments.” Very bluntly put (and bearing in mind that there is no single definition for mantra agreed by all), mantras are thoughts, prayers, sounds or words/phrases, believed to have spiritual or psychological powers. Mantras are repeated silently in the mind or aloud (for instance by singing) and often have the aim of helping the mind to silence and focus in meditation.
The literal Sanskrit meaning of the word Mantra can be roughly translated as “tool of the mind”, as the root “man-“ means “mind” and the suffix “-tra” refers to “tools or instruments.”
I am going to leave that definition hang in there for now although obviously there is A LOT more to history, definitions and meanings of mantras.
There are countless of mantras in the world but what does “Om So Hum” mean specifically?
OM (Actually it is Aum but we’ll leave it for now) = Familiar to many from a yoga class, OM is an ancient Sanskrit letter and a sacred syllable. It is often described as the Sound of the Universe, the most elemental of vibration, a sound that attunes to the our true nature. It can be used as a mantra on its own.
So Hum = Reflecting the sound of the breath, so hum translates as “I am that” or “I am this.”
Put together, “OM So Hum” therefore translates roughly as “I am the Sound of the Universe”. It can be interpreted as a mantra connecting us with the Universe and everything that is.
Enjoy the mantra!
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