All sound generates the movement of energy. Mantras, in particular, can create powerful surges of energy flow that seek expression in movement. Conversely, all movement configures, releases, and distributes energy, but some movements do so better than others. In dance, Hatha Yoga, and Tai Chi, energy is configured in a harmonious pattern; good movement feels like good music, and vice versa. It is also important to understand the dynamics of motion inherent in sound, which we will explore in this chapter.
As we have seen in chapters seven through ten, movement within the streams of traditional Sound Yoga is extremely varied. In the Vedic Shabda tradition, movement is expressed through a rich assortment of delicate ritual gestures and actions performed in a precise manner; failure to do so destroys the purity and potency of the ritual. One such traditional set of gestures, Sandhya Upaasana, is described in appendix one. In the Tantric tradition, movement is represented through internal muscle contraction, complex breathing techniques, and the subtle posturing of the hands called “mudras.” I have addressed some of these gestures on the accompanying audio tracks as well as in appendix two. Wild dancing and cathartic movements are also associated with the awakening of energy in certain Tantric ceremonies and in temples dedicated to the goddess, particularly in South India. In the Bhakti tradition, we find the informal movement of gentle body swaying, snapping of fingers, and dancing with ecstatic abandon. As is the case with devotional mantras, the devotional movements of the Bhakti tradition are unrestricted and free from the precise rules of Vedic and Tantric practice.
MOVEMENT IN YOGA is well represented through Hatha Yoga practice; it is precisely for this reason that Hatha Yoga complements the Yoga of Sound so well. Hatha Yoga has aptly been described as “poetry in motion.” While mantras are traditionally used in a number of the meditation postures, many readers will be surprised that, for the most part, mantras are not combined with many of the flowing postures, which require much care and concentration. But some Hatha Yoga schools, such as Swami Sivananda’s Integral Yoga, pair twelve Vedic mantras with the sun salutation, a series of twelve interconnected postures. These twelve movements may also be used with the six Tantric bijas hraam, hreem, hroom, hraim, hroum, and hrah, which are chanted twice in that order to complete the entire sequence. Sometimes Tantric and Vedic mantras are combined in a devotional format during the sun salutation. An example is Om Hreem Ra-va-ye Namaha. See appendix two for a full list.
There is still much room for the incorporation of motion in Sound Yoga, especially pairing deliberate, harmonious movements with mantras. In my experience, many Western spiritual seekers yearn for such movement; they are not accustomed to sitting for long periods of time and may want more than an interior process and prescribed gestures, at least when newly exploring yoga.
You may wonder where Indian dance, with its elaborate vocabulary of expression and movement, fits into yoga. Dance, known as natya, is considered to be an aspect of music in the Hindu tradition because it expresses line, color, proportion, movement, rhythm, and harmony — all musical principles. Yet neither Indian classical dance nor Indian classical music is appropriate for the general practitioner of Sound Yoga because of their focus on performance and the high standards of artistic refinement that accompany the training process. Such demands may actually stand in the way of an interior apprehension. The emphasis on technique and technical rigor often overpower the openness necessary for a beginning Sound Yoga practice. It is perhaps best to view Indian classical music and Indian dance as advanced practices of Sound Yoga and Hatha Yoga.
So how do we come up with a working vocabulary of motion for the beginner in Sound Yoga? Because movement is so therapeutic, I believe it is extremely important that various forms of movement, even freestyle motion, be incorporated into Sound Yoga practice. A certain amount of creative freedom will certainly make our explorations of Sound Yoga more personal and more exciting. But what we are looking for is deliberate, coordinated movement that works with sound and mantra.
Over the past twenty years of study and developing a personal practice, I have found a number of movements conducive to the practice of sacred sound. Many of these movements and gestures are authentic to India, inspired by religious ceremonies or folk dancing in the temples, some of which I will share with you in this chapter. Others are adapted Sufi practices, such as the Zikr and Sama, which I will describe. Some movements are derived from Tai Chi and Chi Gong, such as the motions of vowels that I describe in this chapter and on the accompanying audio tracks. We won’t create an eclectic hodgepodge of jazz ballet or aboriginal tribe movements, however. In all instances, I have tried to maintain an atmosphere of consciousness authentic to the Hindu tradition, using only those movements that enhance the power of the sounds.
IT WAS THE SUFIS, Islam’s underground mystical movement, who truly incorporated a vast vocabulary of movements and gestures into their sonic meditations. Not surprisingly, Sufism was very much in dialogue with Hinduism and its esoteric yogic practices, but it developed its own sacred movements and mystical tradition of sound along parallel, yet separate, lines. Zikr, the remembrance of God, represents the mantra tradition within Sufism. Zikr is often combined with Sama, the Sufi’s mystical dance-like movements, usually performed with raga-like music. The circular motion of whirling dervishes is a key Sama practice, which was institutionalized by the Mevlevi order. Rumi, the founder of the Mevlevi and the most famous advocate of Sama, described the dance as “movement induced by the vision of the beloved, who himself may dance on the screen of the lover’s heart in the hour of ecstasy.”1
Legend has it that Rumi had been missing his beloved friend, Shamsuddin of Tibriz, a vagabond spiritual alchemist and Divine manifestation of the cosmic teacher. Shams was a great awakener of love in Rumi’s life, but jealous students had forced Shams to leave the premises of Rumi’s school of sacred learning. Distraught with grief, Rumi was in the marketplace one day when he heard Shams call his name. Taken by surprise, but unsure if it was indeed Shams calling out to him, Rumi cupped an ear with one hand in order to hear better and held out the other hand in longing expectation. The sound changed direction, and Rumi’s body turned. He heard his name called out repeatedly, and the source constantly moved, tracing a circle around the marketplace. As Rumi’s body responded to each call, it naturally began to spin ecstatically.
There are as many forms of Zikr as there are Tariqats (Sufi Orders) and Shaykhs (leaders) within these orders. Usually a Zikr is held in a space that is empty except for a prayer carpet on the floor. Sometimes there is a special rug or sheepskin for the leader. In traditional settings, the men are seated apart from the women. Generally, following the leader, the group chants or recites evocative words, the names of God in Arabic, and musical prayers similar to Hindu devotional chanting. Movements may accompany the words. The whirling often associated with the dervish ceremony is done only in special situations.2
The use of mantric phrases in some Sufi communities is performed by sitting on the heels (like vajrasana), their elbows close to each other, and making simultaneous light movements of the head and body. In other settings, the movement consists of balancing oneself, swaying gently from right to left and left to right, or inclining the body methodically forward and backward.3 In yet other situations, the Zikr movement would be to plunge the head first toward one knee and then toward the other, the intention being to dive deep into the heart and back out again. It could be said that the bobbing motion that Jews perform in prayer at the wailing wall in Jerusalem is a form of Zikr.4
In some Sufi Orders, such as the Kadirees and the Rufa’ees, the exercises are performed by first holding hands in a circle, then putting the right foot forward to rotate the body with hands free, and increasing the strength of the movement by using the foot as an accelerator. Known as the Devr, which may be translated as “dance” or “rotation,” this practice closely parallels Hindu circumambulation, a popular form of meditative motion done while chanting mantras. The duration of these Sufi dances is not fixed; each person is free to leave when he or she pleases. However, the dancers make it a point to remain in session as long as possible. The strongest, most robust, and most enthusiastic strive to persevere longer than the others; they take off their turbans, form a second circle within the other, entwine their arms within those of their brethren, lean their shoulders against each other, gradually raise their voices, and, without ceasing, repeat “Ya Allah!” (Oh, God) or “Ya Hu” (Oh, He), increasing the movement of their bodies, and not stopping until their strength is exhausted.5 This is how Sound Yoga should be practiced: by holding nothing back and chanting until all karma has been burned up in the flames of devotion.
The Dances of Universal Peace, a chant and movement meditation developed by the American Sufi Murshid Samuel Lewis, combine Zikr with communal motions. This type of Zikr is widely practiced in the West among American Sufis; Hindu mantras such as Shree Ram Jai Ram are often utilized.
Tai Chi and Chi Gong are also powerful representations of sound and energy expressed in motion. What is wonderful about Tai Chi, Chi Gong, and Sufi dancing is that these movements are not really external. Rather, they facilitate interiority and work efficiently with internal energy.
THE FOLLOWING Zikr and Sama is an adaptation of the whirling motion of Sufi dervishes. This motion is much slower, allowing us to touch our deep center and respond to the call of the Beloved in our heart. I first learned the motion in a workshop session with Pir Vilayat Khan, the son of Hazrat Inayat Khan; the palm-gazing technique I devised from inspiration. Sufis note that turning clockwise directs our energy into the heart; spinning or turning counterclockwise allows our energy to flow outward into the world. The practice of Zikr is used to “remember” the Beloved and awaken to the Divine presence in the heart. Any devotional mantra may be employed for this practice. You may rotate your body in silence, while you chant, or with evocative music or chanting in the background.
1. Place your left palm over your heart and connect with the source of love in your body. Hold your right palm up like a mirror and gaze deeply into it, as though you were gazing deeply into your soul. Sense the Divine presence all around you by becoming aware of the vibratory presence of sacred energy in the cellular structures of your body.
Sufi mystic Ibn Al Arabi once wrote, “The eye through which you see God is the same eye through which God sees you.” Hindus call this darshan, which is the grace of simultaneously seeing and being seen by the Divine. It is darshan that inspires a Hindu to worship in a temple, meet a holy person, or travel to a sacred place. Let this be your experience as you gaze into your palm.
2. Begin to move your right palm to the right, and trace a slow, continuous circle around your body. The rest of your body will naturally follow the palm, allowing the wisdom of your body to take over. Remember the decapitated skulls around Kali’s neck? All too often, our experiences of prayer are confined to our head; this is a way to pray with our body.
There is an amazing story from the tradition of Christian Hermeticism,* a Gnostic school within Christianity. As Dionysus was walking near a place called Marmion, he suddenly realized that his head had been severed from his body. So he turned around, walked back, picked up his head, and, placing it under his arm, continued on his journey.6 This insightful story describes that moment of mystical grace when the Divine intervenes in our lives and shows us that we must surrender our cerebral center to our rhythmic center, permitting the body to lead the mind. Allow this intervention to guide your body prayer.
3. Your motion should be slow, continuous, and mindful. Alternatively, you may turn freely, sometimes opening both arms lovingly so that the Divine presence can embrace your soul or vice versa. If you become dizzy, you may anchor your left heel on the floor and swivel around it.
4. You can use any mantra for this practice, but to learn the method I suggest the Vedic mantra Om Ee-shaa Vaa-syam Idham. This is the first line of the Eesha Upanishad, which Gandhi considered a profound summary of all Hindu experience. The word Eesha means “all-powerful One,” and its wind-like, fluid sound has a pervasive quality that works well with the next word, Vaa-syam, which means “to dwell, be worn as clothing, be perfumed by, or pervade by.” Idham means “all this, here, this body, this world, this place.” The chant therefore means:“All this is pervaded by the perfume of the Divine presence.” Gandhi liked to say, “If Christians truly want to convert others, they must preach by their perfume, not by their words.” This means giving off good vibes wherever we go, speaking by our presence — a wonderful way of bearing witness to our spiritual truths.
Take in a slow, deep breath and sing out Om Ee-shaa Vaasyam Idham, all in a single breath. Take in another slow breath and repeat the chant. Keep drawing in a slow, deep breath between each sounding of the mantra as you turn.
5. After a while, whisper the mantra on your breath, still turning. Later, intone the mantra in your mind as you turn. Eventually, come to a standstill and center yourself in your heart. Maintain an interior silence, and enjoy the powerful sense of union you feel with the Beloved.
Other mantras you can use with this practice are:
Om Namah Shivaaya (“I worship the dance of creation”)
Om Namah Christaaya (“I worship the presence of Christ”)
Om Namah Durgaaya (“I worship that fierce, feminine light that burns away all impurity”)
CIRCUMAMBULATION — walking around a shrine or sacred site as part of a ritual — is one of Hinduism’s most common movement meditations. A story often associated with this practice describes Ganesh and Murugan, the two sons of Shiva and Parvati, vying for a sacred gift. It was decreed that whoever went around the cosmos three times and returned first would receive the gift. Murugan flew off on his vehicle, the peacock. Ganesh, a spiritual power associated with knowledge and learning, knew that his vehicle, the mouse, was no match for Murugan’s peacock. So Ganesh devised an ingenious method of claiming the gift: he reverently circled his parents three times. In Tantric cosmology, Shiva and Shakti together make up the entire universe, so Ganesh was essentially circling the cosmos. He won the sacred gift.
Circumambulation in a temple, in front of a shrine, or around a holy tree is always done a minimum of three times to signify that all levels of consciousness are affected. Equally common is standing in one place and turning around one’s own central axis, a familiar sight on Indian streets throughout the day. A common utterance during circumambulation is one’s core mantra, or the mantra of the deity dwelling in the shrine where one is worshipping. Popular mantras while circumambulating include Shiva Shiva; Raam Raam; and Om Shakti.
The power of circumambulation is protection. Another function is purification, as in Islam, in which circling the Haaj restores one’s relationship with the Divine. Hindus will often say, “May I become free from all past transgressions,” as they circumambulate. In Hinduism, circumambulation is known as pradakshina, a Sanskrit word meaning “moving rightward, or clockwise.” The intention is to shift the mind from worldly concerns to an awareness of the Divine, much like the Zikr’s “remembrance.” Clockwise movement is considered to raise awareness from the lower chakras upward, while the reverse moves awareness downward into the lower chakras. Clockwise motion is preferred in Hinduism.
When circumambulating, it is popular to join the palms all the way above the head while turning. This gesture is reserved for the holy of holies, and used only in the presence of the most high. By contrast, the “namaste” greeting, used to honor fellow human beings, is performed by joining the palms at the heart, a gesture known as anjali mudra. When placed at the forehead, this mudra establishes a sacred connection between the mind and the object of one’s devotion. This position is often used to venerate spiritual teachers.
GENTLE SWAYING is a wonderful motion to use while chanting. In fact, it is natural and spontaneous when singing kirtans. Try a swaying motion as you chant the mantra Shree Raama Jai Raama Jai Jai Raamo.
Gyrating — rotating your torso or hips in small and large circles — is particularly effective when using Shakti mantras, as it causes energy to swirl with the objective of removing toxicity from our system. You can do this by sitting and rotating your torso 360 degrees in repeated circles, or by standing and rotating your hips in the same manner.
A powerful image associated with this motion is the churning of the cosmic ocean by the Devas (beings of the sky, associated with light) and Asuras (forces of the earth, fertility powers associated with the dark). The ocean symbolizes the unconscious. A story in the Hindu Puranas describes how these two groups, both parts of ourselves that desire immortality, need to work together in order to produce transformation. When we bring together our earthiness (the incarnate aspect of our being) with the subtle spiritual aspect of our being, Divine nectar is produced through this yoga. Reciting a mantra while you gyrate is thus a means of churning our own cosmic ocean; the mingling energies of our physical and mental dimensions awaken our immortality. Try chanting the mantra Om Namah Shivaa-ya, Shivaa-ya Namah Om — a mantra palindrome — while you gyrate.
Stomping the feet, usually in rhythm, symbolizes the destruction of ignorance. One instance of this metaphor is found in Shiva’s classic posture as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, in which he has one foot on a dwarf, who represents ignorance. Another is that of Kali poised with one foot above a reclining, submissive Shiva, symbolizing the ultimate transformation of libido in Tantric practice. Try chanting the mantra Om Shakti Om Shakti Om Shakti Om as you stomp your feet in rhythm.
One variation of hopping, in the Tantric style, is to spread your feet apart and stretch out both hands fully on each side, palms facing downward. Next, turn to the right and hop in that direction, lifting both feet off the ground each time. Reverse the process. Use the mantra Aadhi Shakti, Aadhi Shakti, Aadhi Shakti Om; or Mahaa Shakti, Mahaa Shakti, Mahaa Shakti Om as you hop. Tantric devotees move this way when infused with the energy of the goddess.
Another variation is performed by hopping from one foot to another. This is an ecstatic motion employed by Bhaktas as well as Tantrics to induce trance states. The Hare Krishnas often use this technique. Try chanting the maha mantra Ha-re Raa-ma, Ha-re Raa-ma, Raa-ma, Raa-ma, Ha-re, Ha-re; Ha-re Krish-na, Ha-re Krish-na, Krish-na Krish-na, Ha-re, Hare as you hop from one foot to the other in rhythm with the chant. Start slowly, build up speed, and then slowly resolve to a standstill.
AS MUCH AS WE WANT to move our bodies when we employ sacred sound, it is equally important to learn to perceive the movement that is inherent “within” sound. All sound has direction encoded within its shade of vowel, pitch, and timbre. Vowels, in the ancient Vedic tradition, were associated with Indra. One of the principal deities of the early Vedic world, Indra is the god of thunder and the first deity to be formally associated with the power of sacred sound.
The vowel sounds — O, A, E, and U — have great transparency, as evident from “ooh” (as in “woo”), expressing delight; “aah,” declaring wonder; “eek,” a nervous shriek; and “oh,” registering surprise or curiosity. Notice, too, that each of these expressions carries with it a distinctive pitch: “ooh” and “oh” are usually low, “aah” is moderate, while “eek” is invariably high-pitched.
Pitch, as we know, has directionality. Physics explains low tones as slower-moving sound waves that act upon the denser parts of the body; the reason we start moving our tailbone the moment we enter a nightclub or discotheque is because the low boom of a bass guitar or the thump of a bass drum reverberates in our depths. High pitches are rapid frequencies that affect the subtle consistencies of our being, such as our brain. A “hot” solo from a violin goes quickly to our head. This is why composers often have solo instruments like the violin or viola play over the orchestra, since they can literally cut through the sound from the other instruments. Similarly, we tend to speak in a higher pitch when we are excited or trying to cut through someone’s thoughts and get their attention. Conversely, we speak in a lower pitch after having awakened from a good night’s sleep; we are relaxed, and our consciousness resides in a deep place.
In the Tibetan Tantric tradition of yoga, the mantras hoom and hrih, (pronounced “hree”), which contain the vowels U and E, are considered complementary to each other in their energetic direction. Hrih is said to have the nature of flame — a shooting-upward quality that moves rapidly toward the head and skyward.
Complementing the mantra hrih is the mantra hoom, which has a descending, downward motion. Even the visual representation of this sound in English, “U,” depicts a downward plunge.
The vowel O has an inclusive, circular motion that seems to gather all things into itself — a powerful feminine quality. The mantra Om is composed using this vowel, and it is no coincidence that it is visually represented as a circle. The oscilloscope, a modern instrument used to “see” sound, displays the shape of the vowel O as a circular image. The sound “O” is like the womb from which all things come forth, and the “ocean,” into which all sounds ultimately merge.
The vowel A (“ah”) is definitely a heart sound, found in words such as “heart” and “art.” The sound “ah” has a horizontal, outgoing, extroverted quality, which I like to think of as moving across the surface of the earth to embrace all creatures.
Finally, the vowel I, which combines the vowels A and E, appears to be a solitary, stationary sound; it is centered in the self and points to the self. I also rhymes with words such as “eye,” an organ that sees things as separate from one another; “ice,” a frozen substance; and “island,” meaning “that which is isolated.” On a positive note, the holy syllable Aim, pronounced like the English contraction “I’m,” is associated with Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and learning; it is known as the “guru-bija,” or the seed-syllable of the teacher. Let us, therefore, view this vowel as a sound that centers us in the deep self, the true self, the authentic self within. The meaning of the word “Saraswati” is “she who flows.” Originally the name of one of the holiest rivers in the Vedic world, Saraswati was also the name given to Brahma’s consort. Brahma is the creator principle in the Hindu Trinity, and Saraswati is his “shakti,” his force. The bija mantra Aim and its vowel I can be used to visualize all streams of energy flowing in and out of the deep self.
In the following exercise, we will take the key components of Sound Yoga that we have addressed thus far — posture, breath, and sound — and work them into movements. Unless otherwise instructed, prevent your hands and fingertips from touching for all these exercises. Keeping your hands apart allows for a certain charge of energy to develop between your palms.
1. FEELING THE SOUND: Stand with your feet apart, knees slightly bent, and palms at your heart, separated but facing each other; your fingers are pointing upward. This is your base position. First, empty your lungs completely — top first, bottom last. Now fill your lungs, section by section, starting with the lower lungs. Choose a comfortable tone for expressing the vowel “oh.” As you tone the vowel on exhalation, first use air from the upper portion of your lungs, then the mid-chest, and finally the abdomen. After you have produced the tone, draw your breath in slowly and audibly through both nostrils. Observe how the energy generated by the tone moves around in your body. To obtain the full effects of this practice, use your body as a sounding board or resonating chamber instead of projecting your voice into the room.
2. GAINING CONTROL: Produce the “oh” softly at first by using the air from your upper chest. Next, move rapidly into developing the sound in volume and resonance by using the air from your mid-chest; the abdominal area should retain its air. The moment you have used the air from your mid-chest, your abdominal muscles will begin to contract; use this contraction as your cue to resolve the tone smoothly with air from your lower lungs, allowing the sound to taper off into silence. With practice, you will be able to produce a steady, uninterrupted tone that builds and resolves smoothly.
You are initiating, developing, and resolving the tone into silence. This is participation in the Divine act of creation, following the process to its source in the Absolute Sound.
3. ENHANCING THE TONE WITH MOVEMENT: The sound “oh” has a circular movement. As you tone the sound, imagine it as a spherical ball of energy that is exploding gently within your being and unfolding multidimensionally through you. Position your hands at your forehead in a pyramid shape, with your fingertips gently touching. Begin to trace the shape of this spherical sound with your palms as you intone the vowel, each hand tracing a semicircle down either side of your body and resolving into a complete circle that culminates at the base of your spine. Visualize your body as the galaxy, with your breath spiraling around your heart, the sun. When inhaling, direct the movement of energy up your spine, following the ascent of your breath with your palms until they return to your forehead in the pyramid shape you began with. Repeat the vowel “oh” several times until you feel the experience come together for you. This exercise helps unify a fragmented personality or a distracted mind.
1. FEELING THE SOUND: Stand with your feet apart, knees slightly bent, hands positioned as though you were holding a large bowl at chest height, palms facing upward, elbows comfortably close but not pressing against the body. This time, use the vowel-sound “ee,” and choose a high tone to express it. Observe the direction of the sound as it moves in your body.
2. GAINING CONTROL: Gain control as you did with the previous vowel, using air from the various sections of your lungs to initiate, develop, and resolve the intensity of the tone. Wasn’t it worth working on that sectional breathing?
3. ENHANCING THE TONE WITH MOVEMENT: Position your hands and body as described in “Feeling the Sound.” Inhale, filling your lungs with air from the bottom upward. As you tone the high-pitched “ee,” slowly raise your palms upward, as though they were magnetically attracted to the sky. When you reach the level of your face, branch off your hands on either side with palms leading, as though a fountain were sprouting from the top of your head. As you allow your hands to descend on either side of your body, sink down by bending your knees.
4. As you inhale, straighten your knees and allow your palms to ascend alongside the spine, following your breath toward your chest. When your lungs are filled, you will be ready to repeat the sound and movement.
Notice how the vowel seems to push through the crown of your head as it seeks release in the space above your head. Visualize your energy breaking through your head and stimulating your brain cells. This exercise helps charge your brain with creative energy.
1. FEELING THE SOUND: Stand with your feet apart, palms positioned in front of your body, as though you were protecting your breasts, with your elbows sticking out to either side. The fingertips of both hands should be pointing at each other, your thumbs bent downward, and the centers of your palms aligned with your nipples. Tone the vowel-sound “ah” and feel its motion in your body.
2. GAINING CONTROL: Work on initiating, developing, and resolving the tone smoothly, as before.
3. ENHANCING THE TONE WITH MOVEMENT: Position your hands and body as described in “Feeling the Sound.” Take in a slow, deep breath and fill your lungs from the bottom upward. You should experience your palms and elbows rising slightly as the energy fills your lungs. When you begin to tone the sound “ah,” start to move your palms away from your body; spread your fingers so that they become web-like and keep moving your arms outward until you are stretched out like Christ on the cross. As you tone the sound, allow your energy to bless all living creatures over the face of the earth. When inhaling, slowly draw your palms back to where they were when you started, matching your breathing with the motion of your hands. Repeat the exercise a few times. This is a great way to release anger, emotional pain, and tension.
1. FEELING THE SOUND: Stand relaxed with your knees slightly bent. Position your palms at your chest, facing downward, with your elbows bent and out to the sides. Choose a low pitch — as low as possible without being too soft or lacking energy. Bend your head slightly downward with your chin pressing toward your collarbone, but keep your chest up; this will help you produce a clear, stable tone using the vowel U, as in the word “who” but without the aspiration. Make sure it isn’t an “oh.” Notice the direction of the sound moving in your body, and make sure that your spine stays relaxed and erect.
2. GAINING CONTROL: Follow the same process you did with the other vowels, ensuring that your tone is not wobbly. A gradual contraction of your abdominal muscles will help push the sound deep into your pelvic area and toward the base of your spine.
3. ENHANCING THE TONE WITH MOVEMENT: Stand with your hands and body positioned as described in “Feeling the Sound.” As you inhale, slowly raise your arms straight upward, as though you were gathering an armload of energy. When your palms meet above your head, push straight downward along your body as you tone the vowelU. Midway through your descent (around your heart-space), start to bend your knees; keep your spine straight, being mindful not to lean forward.
As you sound this vowel, imagine your energy plunging into the depths of your consciousness and settling deep, deep down. You will find a center in the very pit of your being where such stability and strength feel natural. Use your palms to follow the movement of your energy and intention downward. When you have completed the tone, slowly straighten your knees and raise your arms outward on either side, as though you were gathering another armload of energy to channel through your being a second time. Repeat the exercise. Use this practice when you feel frazzled, insecure, or out of your depth, and it will help you to quickly regain your balance.
FOR THE LAST VOWEL, “I” (pronounced “eye”), stand with your feet together and palms joined at your heart in the namaste position. Inhale through your nostrils, drawing your breath into your solar plexus, then exhale through your open mouth while whispering the sound “I” softly into your heart-space to invoke a deep sense of self — deeper than all thoughts and images, deeper even than dreams.
IN THIS EXERCISE, you will combine all five vowels and their movements to invoke a multidimensional energetic space through sound. You may also combine the vowels with consonants, which add thrust to the vowels, transforming them into the bija mantras Om, Hrih, Ma, Hoom, and Aim. These jewel-like sounds are very powerful.
A brief note for the musically inclined: Choose a comfortable octave to work with, and try this exercise using the tonic for the “oh,” or Om; the higher octave for “ee,” or hrih; the middle fifth for “ah,” or ma; and the lower, deep fifth for “ooh,” or hoom. The “I,” or aim, is expressed without pitch. For example: middle C, G, the octave C, and then the G below middle C will be the notes for the key of C. The fifths create stability and balance, while the tonic and octave offer unity and a sense of completeness. The first four sonic motions performed together will move your energy through all the chakras. I compare this to St. Paul’s eloquent description of knowing the height, length, breadth, and depth of Divine love. The fifth vowel and mantra will center you.
1. Start with your feet apart and knees slightly bent. With your palms facing downward, breathe in slowly and deeply while raising your palms toward your head. Begin to tone the Om as you exhale while tracing the sound and shape of the mantra in a circular fashion, as though caressing a sphere. Your palms meet at the genital area, facing upward. Keep your spine straight, but bend your knees a bit more toward the latter half of your exhalation so that the space between your thighs opens up as you conclude the sound.
2. With bent knees and palms joined below the abdomen (facing upward), take a slow, deep breath, directing the air into the lowest regions of your lungs. Match the upward flow of breath with your palms, moving them straight upward as you continue breathing, now into your solar plexus. When your palms arrive at your chest and your upper lungs are filled with air, begin a high-pitched hrih as you exhale and straighten your knees. Use the aspiration to propel energy into your head, which you will follow with your palms, pushing upward and branching off at the top of your head to create a fountain-like effect.
3. As you inhale, spread your arms wide apart and let them descend slowly on either side of your body, eventually bringing your hands together at your heart, palms facing your chest.
4. Tone the mantra ma on your exhalation, palms moving outward and fingers stretching apart until both arms are stretched out on either side.
5. Take in a slow breath as you gather an armload of energy, and tone the mantra hoom with palms facing downward and pushing toward the genitals. Bend your knees halfway through your exhalation and keep your spine straight.
6. Breathe in slowly, bringing your feet together, raising your palms, and joining them at your heart. Exhale through your mouth while you softly whisper the mantra aim. Stand still for a few moments and allow the effects of your practice to be distributed throughout your body as you breathe normally.
VARIATIONS:
• Repeat this five-step process two more times, for a set of three complete cycles.
• Perform one set of three cycles with the vowels, and one set of three with the bija mantras.
• Perform one set of three cycles with the vowels, a second set of three cycles with the bija mantras, and a third set of three cycles whispering the vowels on your breath without tones.
SOME TIPS: For best results, resolve each sound smoothly. Coordinate your breathing with the sounds you are producing, synchronizing breath and sound with your body movements. The exercise becomes even more powerful when the great yogic breath and the audible breath are employed, opening a multidimensional energetic space through sound.
ALL TOO OFTEN, yoga practice is very formal, and much of Western spirituality is overly educated and too much in the head. Sometimes this center of reference must be severed, and what better way to do this than through mantra combined with movement? On many occasions, I encourage my students to let their bodies do as they please for a period of time, usually at the climax of the chanting. I always begin my “body prayers” with traditional movements, either Hindu or Sufi, develop the practice into wild abandon, then return to a deep stillness and silence. I recommend that you keep this cycle in mind when you design your own body prayers with mantras. As you experiment with motions to complement mantric utterances, also keep in mind the sacredness of these mantras.
* Hermeticism is an esoteric Gnostic tradition dating back to the third century A.D. in the Egyptian desert, where many hermits, including Christian monks, lived. A mythic figure known as Hermes Trismegistus is credited with ancient texts known as the Corpus Hermeticum, a Hellenistic fusion of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. See Phillip J. Brown’s article, “Hermeticism” at http://www.belinus.co.uk/mythology/Hermeticism.htm.