The Aum

According to our ancient sages, the vibration which many have tried to translate as God, or some other personification of The Great Vibration, is represented when we carefully pronounce the word A-u-m.
The complete practice will massage each of the seven chakras, and will make the entire body glow with warmth.



Start with the mouth very wide open to form a sharp 'A'.
Then while singing 'A' quietly, we slowly and gradually close our lips until we are singing 'U', having gone through a stage of 'AU'.
Now, with no steps, but in one continual gradual movement, we continue to close our lips, until we are singing 'M', having gone through the 'UM' stage.. We hold on to, and deepen through the nostrils, the 'MM'. The vibration will be felt in the upper nostril, and third eye, which will open with sufficient practice.


  By practising very quietly, we can even get away with doing this in very noisy, boring places, with no-one knowing that we are in another, more sane, world. If we are able to direct our consciousness, then we can also use this as a method for keeping warm, or for disposing of pain.

We are going to put together a series of 'AUM's, with careful timing of the breathing.

a)Inhalation
We start with a slow in-breath, during the count of eight seconds (one-second, two-second, three-second, four-second, five-second, six-second, seven-second, eight-second).
b)Upper pause
Then, with our lungs full, we pause for a count of four (one-second, two-second, three-second, four-second). As we reach the 'four-second' mark, we open our mouth wide ready for the 'A'.
c)Singing while exhaling
  Now we proceed with the 'AUM', during a count of sixteen. We aim to be leaving the 'UM', and moving to 'M', at a count of twelve. If we have unexpired breath at the count of sixteen, then we fully exhale as we finish the 'sixteen-second'.

('A' one-second, two-second three-second, 'AU' four second, five-second, six-second, 'U' seven-second, eight-second, nine-second, 'UM' ten-second, eleven-second, twelve-second, 'M' thirteen-second, fourteen-second, fifteen-second, and sixteen second  - blow(to exhale all breath))

d)Lower Pause
Then, with our lungs empty, we pause for a count of four (one-second, two-second, three-second, four-second). As we reach the 'four-second' mark, we push out our diaphragm to initiate the in-breath.

Repeat for seven cycles.


This stage gives balance to the chakras, and gives a general tone up to the body. We AUM for seven cycles of seven. For each cycle we consider the next colour of the rainbow, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. (Note: If we have never done colour visualisation before, then we need to be able to picture in our mind some item which we can easily recall, which always appears with the chosen colour ,e.g. the red hat, the oranges at the market stall, the yellow buttercup, the green lawn, the blue light on top of a car, indigo (imagine), the violet flower(or pansy, or your favourite violet coloured item).

ROYGBIV
With regular practice and complete concentration, we will be able to complete the full spectrum of the rainbow, with no mistakes. This is a wonderful meditation, and helps to tune up the powers of concentration, which calms the mind. The time taken will be about half an hour. This half hour will calm our minds, and remove thoughts of pain. It takes practice and will power to complete the cycle, but on completion, a radiance, and sense of satisfaction will be experienced.

For those musically inclined, the final step is to incorporate the seven notes of the scale, as follows.

While envisaging red,  we sing the note doh, but still pronouncing 'AUM'.
While envisaging orange, we sing the note ray.
While envisaging yellow, we sing the note me.
While envisaging green, we sing the note fah.
While envisaging blue, we sing the note soh.
While envisaging indigo, we sing the note lah.
While envisaging violet, we sing the note tee.