So Hum meditation
I love practising with mantra and I find it deepens my practice in profound ways. The simple repetition of syllables takes you to a place of peace and stillness. The word mantra means a ‘tool for the mind’. Repeating mantra during meditation or yoga is powerful as it draws the mind inwards and allows you to be in touch with your deep Self.
There are a number of ways to experience the power of manta. One is through repeating the mantra with focus and feeling until it gradually sinks into your body at deeper and deeper levels. But perhaps the simplest way to practice is to combine mantra with breath. You breathe in softly thinking of the mantra on the inhalation. You exhale softly thinking of the mantra on the exhalation.
One of the great sanskrit mantras is ‘So hum’. This mantra is sometimes called the natural mantra, or the mantra of the breath as it mirrors the sound of the breath as it moves in and out the nostrils. ‘So hum’ translates as ‘That I am’. ‘That’ refers to the pure awareness at the heart of reality. So the mantra reminds you that your true self is identical with pure Consciousness. When you coordinate with your breathing, you can feel that your own breath is reminding you of the deepest truth of who you are.
Here is a simple exercise from one of my favourite meditation teachers, Sally Kempton, from her book, Meditation For The Love Of It. Her teachings on meditation are clear, thoughtful and intuitive and she has taught me so much over the years.
Mantra practice with So’hum.
Sit in a comfortable upright position and close your eyes. Focus on the flow of the breath. Gently and with relaxed attention, begin to think the mantra 'So Hum. Coordinate the syllables with the breathing - ‘So’ on the exhalation ‘Hum’ on the inhalation. Or simply think the mantra to yourself in a gentle, relaxed rhythm.
Listen to the syllables as you repeat them. Allow your attention to focus more and more fully on the mantra’s syllables.
Feel each syllable is dropping into your awareness. Gently tune into the energetic sensation that the mantra creates inside. When thoughts arise as soon as you notice yourself thinking, bring your attention back to the mantra. If your attention wanders, bring it gently back to the mantra. Little by little let the mantra become the prominent thought in your mind.
