Since the existence of language, men have always assigned a meaning to each word. However, according to Hinduism and Buddhism, there are words without a specific meaning that are considered sacred, as they have the power to create or destroy., depending on the emphasis we make when pronouncing them. These words, syllables, sounds or divine phrases are known as mantras and one of the most used and sacred that exists is Om, since according to Hinduism, it is the sound that originated the universe.
Traditionally used at the beginning and end of yoga or meditation sessions, According to yoga teacher Naylín Núñez “this mantra is considered to have a high spiritual and creative power”because it is a sound and at the same time a symbol, through which the physical and spiritual worlds are united.
Also called pranava mantra, as it contains the seed of all other mantras. According to the Vedic tradition, phonetically the mantra Om is formed by the union of three letters A, U, Mwhich symbolically represent divine energy in its three different forms: «Bhrahma Shakti» or creation, «Vishnu Sahkti» or preservation and «Shiva Shakti» or liberation, so each of them has a meaning, which according to the master of advaita vedanta, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, is as follows:
The letter or sound «a» comprises the experience of our physical world seen as a whole, encompassing what we know and do not know. Which implies a conscious perspective of three elements that are: the experience, the experienced and the experiencer. For its part, the letter “u” constitutes the world of thoughts and their experiencethrough dreams or imagination, either abstractly or subtly. While the letter «m» represents that which has not been manifestedbecause it resides in our deepest dreams.
This is how the combination of everything that exists and that which does not exist is summed up in the syllable Om. Although, in Sanskrit we can also find that its meaning is avati or raksati, which means «who supports or protects», so it is also seen as the name of the all powerful, who is in charge of protecting and maintaining everything in perfect order.
You already know its meanings, so we invite you to fill yourself with that divine energy that resides in this powerful mantra, reciting it and keeping the Om symbol in your home; Well, as the teacher Swami Dayananda Saraswati said «the teaching is to connect that word with its meaning» and once we have discovered it, it becomes the name of the almighty for us, hence it is used at the beginning of mantras and prayers to invoke him, in a symbol of our union with the supreme.
That is why its sound and vibration will not only have a physical effect since it will free your mind, but it will also bring peace and harmony to your life, thereby increasing spirituality and bringing you closer to the state of samadhi or continuous meditation, which is the source of bliss.