Om

Om (ॐ), also written Aum, is regarded as the primordial sound and the most sacred syllable in the yogic and broader Indian traditions. Its name in Sanskrit is praṇava, sometimes explained as that which 'sounds forth' or resounds. It is treated less as a word with a fixed meaning than as sound itself in its purest form.

Written as Aum, the syllable is often unfolded into three sounds, A-U-M, followed by a silence. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad maps these onto waking, dreaming and deep sleep, with the silence beyond them pointing to pure consciousness. Om is thus heard as an utterance that encompasses the whole of experience.

In Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras, Om is identified as the sound-expression of Īśvara: 'tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ' (YS 1.27), 'its expression is the praṇava'. The following sutra recommends repeating it while contemplating its meaning. This gives Om a central place as an object of meditation within classical yoga philosophy.

Today Om is commonly chanted at the opening or closing of a practice, its steady vibration helping a group settle and gather attention. Sustaining the sound naturally lengthens the exhalation and encourages a calm, unhurried breath. Many practitioners feel the resonance in the chest and head as a physical focusing.

A frequent misconception is that Om is simply a relaxing 'yoga noise' or belongs to one religion alone. Traditionally it is a profound symbol of ultimate reality, contemplated as much as vocalised. It appears across Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, each giving it its own layers of meaning.