For those who chant OM, what inspires you to do it?

[Uma]

It is the pranava, the primordial sound containing all sound in it so it is connected to the crown chakra. Chanting of OM increases my connection to the crown. But a milestone in that connecting is hearing the OM chanting itself in my head.

[ThoughtOnFire]

Should we change your name from Uma to Aum?

[Uma]

Originally Posted by ThoughtOnFire

Should we change your name from Uma to Aum?

The name is related to it already

[ThoughtOnFire]

Originally Posted by Uma

The name is related to it already

Awesome

It's been said that the Numerical Value of Languages has been reversed. So Modern English is Numerically Reversed from Sanskrit. This is why the English word for confusion is "Um"... same word as Om is it not? From Om to Um to Om we must.

[Vinayaka]

Uma is a name of Shakti, the manifest half of the unmanifest/manifest God that is Siva/Sakti. The Aum can be seen as the first manifestation.

There may be other interpretations. Sorry, Uma, if this doesn't jive with your interpretation.

In traditional Hinduism, Aum is just all over the place, but is rarely chanted alone.

[Taokuoh]

I've never done it but I've wanted to give it a try. I read that from doing the OM chant it gives you higher vibrations. The OM chant can also help you focus and clear your mind.

[Uma]

I learned about it from an expert from India. OM actually has 5 parts to it:

1) Ah
2) O
3) U
4) MMM
5) A

This relates to the way the sound is experienced through the throat and making it's way out of the mouth, ending with the lips and opening them again.

On a deeper level, it relates to consciousness emanating out of the void, through the causal, astral and finally physical dimensions.

There is also the anahata - the unstruck sound in the heart, that is the purest level.

Chanting needs to absorb you in that kind of focus - full attention... everything slows down, becomes more and more quiet and then you experience more and more -- like pulling back the curtain to reveal what underlies everything.

[themyth]

People usually start of with chanting either for fulfilling their desires or getting closer to God. Eventually, we find our problems dissolving like they never existed and we find peace in just chanting!!
I hope we all are able to reach that stage.