Day 9 Sutra 1:27 The word expression of the supreme consciousness (Isvara) is the mystic sound AUM.
The mantra Aum is well known and widely chanted in yoga studios and elsewhere, so I think it is good to talk about it now. Patanjali says that Aum is the expression of supreme consciousness or the creative source (Isvara). Aum is the basic or universal sound in creation and the three sounds A-U-M are used to produce all other sounds.
Science is proving that the whole universe is vibrational – the reverberation of energy – and where there is vibration there is sound. Aum includes the entire process of sound:
A = creation
U= preservation or maintenance
M = destruction, culmination or end
This basic sound always vibrates within you but cannot be heard when the mind is busy thinking, thinking, thinking. By chanting the mantra AUM you can become aware of the vibration within you.
When you repeat AUM with awareness the obstacles, which distract and get in the way of a still mind, will disappear and you will gain knowledge of your inner self. If you just repeat the words unconsciously, however, dullness will be there because repetition makes the mind dull or inactive. So you must maintain awareness and be conscious of the vibration within you as you chant AUM.
Other familiar expressions of Aum are Amen and Ameen, which have come about because of regional variations in language and pronunciations. If you remove the 'n' from Amen and Ameen, you are left with the sound AUM.
When you chant AUM consistently, it helps to create psychological balance within you, to focus your attention and to bring joy.
Practice
Here is a great video with the yogi and mystic Sadhguru teaching how to chant Aum and where to focus your attention as you chant so that you can be fully conscious of the vibrational energy within you.
