Ever notice how the om chanted at the beginning of a yoga class is different in tone than the *om* that closes the class?At the beginning of the class, before we've begun the process of moving our minds inward and listening to the sound of our breathing, we are still heavy with the stresses of the world. The *om* sounds more pitchy and sharp. It also carries the expectations of the chanter. As in, some people think they need to impersonate Mariah Carey when they *om*. Or Barry White.
Everyone is trying too hard. The sound is not coming from the right place.
At the end of the class, however, the *om* is more mellow and softer in tone. The "trying" has melted away. It is not forced. The sound reverberates in your ribs, your belly. The mark of a good practice.
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2 comments:
And, occasionally, when every one is chanting it at the same time, there's a certain reverberation that occurs and you feel it in your spine.
This doesn't happen often, but I enjoy it when it does.
Oooh - I'm looking forward to that one!
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