Exploring Aim

Namaste. Welcome to this session on the sound I'm. Today we are going to explore the sound and see what does it reveal to us. Because every time we engage with the sound, we open ourselves to a journey into the world of sounds. It's an adventure. The more we open ourselves and allow the sound to guide us, the more it shows us newer and newer passages, new roots. So join along on this adventure. We'll do the sound I'm. I'll ask you or I'll invite you to start by making the sound A. So just close your eyes, sit comfortably, take a deep breath and make the sound A. Allow your entire being to relax. See what the sound does to you. Ah. Observe your breath. Observe the body. Observe if there are any tensions in the body. What happens to them when you do the sound? Ah. We'll do it once more and this time when you do it, try and visualize what kind of gesture you would like to do to accompany the sound. Make your body as receptive as possible and allow the sound to create its ripples within your being. So close your eyes, sit comfortably, take a deep breath and make the sound A. Ah. So what kind of action came to your mind? How did your body respond to the sound A? It is interesting to notice that every time we make a particular sound, it corresponds to a very definite effect. So if I make a sound, I can break glass. I change the sound. I no longer break glass. At an emotional level, a sound can correspond to different emotional experiences. So a particular music can make us feel happy or sad. So as you do the sound A, very often it corresponds to the experience of an expanse. One wants to just stretch out into infinity and that is because the sound A resonates with the experience of existence itself. It represents one's being and in a sense, the sound A is like our identity card in sound. It reflects the quality of the inner space that is within us and therefore the sound A is a very diagnostic sound because we can start understanding what is happening within us. Is it a constricted space? Is our sound like an A which reflects that maybe it's not so free in there or is it more open, more like an A which shows that the sound has space to move within us. The sound is not constricted by our mental and our thoughts, our emotions that are not free. So just now take a deep breath again, relax your being as much as you can, open your arms wide, stretch your existence into infinity and make the sound A. Continue the sound for as long as you can, for as long as your breath lasts. The next sound in the mantra AIM is the sound E. So we'll do the sound E in the same manner, relax your being, take a deep breath, make the sound E and try and observe what kind of effect it has on your body. What is the action that you would like to do to represent the sound E? So let's go. E. So what did you feel like doing? Like the sound of A often represents itself with this action. The sound E corresponds to relative existence. It is the sound of focus. So very often the sound E corresponds to a kind of a focusing action, a focus of one's will and one's direction. We'll do the sound E again and this time add this intention behind the sound. Focus all the energies of your being towards a very pointed direction and see what it does to you. So sit back, relax, take a deep breath and then do the sound E. E. The last sound that makes the AIM mantra is the sound it's not like a it's not a sound with your jaws tightly shut like because that has its own effect so this sound is more like a rounded try and relax your mouth in a manner to create maximum vibration so do the sound and again observe what kind of action you would like to represent it with take a deep breath relax do the sound so what kind of action did you feel like doing the sound was for existence the sound E was for relative existence the sound M or M corresponds to an establishment so we can practice the sound together once more the first time we'll do it with the action of trying to center all your being to a common point feel all the vibrations of your thoughts emotions settling into a common point within your being. And the second time we'll try and gather all the energies of your being and bring it to a common alignment. Let's start sit back relax take a deep breath and do the sound M M. Observe the silence that follows this sound watch your breath then take a deep breath and do it a second time but this time align all the energies of your being to a central alignment within yourself sit relaxed take a deep breath and do the sound M M.

I often suggest that when one does these sounds it's a good idea to keep your eyes closed because if your eyes are open then you're distracted by everything around you and then it's difficult for the for the being to concentrate on the vibration of the sound so as you do this these sounds as you experiment with these sounds in your sincerity try to close your eyes try to relax as much as you can let go of your prejudices let go of all these interferences of mental vibrations that are not conducive to the overall experience and allow these sounds trust these sounds to guide you to show you some light so now we'll do the sound again we'll try to do it by combining the three sounds together so we'll do an I try and do the sounds in a manner that you literally roll it out of your vocal system so that there is a gentle massage of that sound as it goes up your your throat and that massage can go up all to your mind do it do it with a lot of love do it with a lot of trust do it with a lot of light because you would be infusing your system with that light and love and trust so we close our eyes sit comfortably sit straight preferably so that the sound can travel all the way down your spine as well take a deep breath and then chant the I am once more I am I'd like to add a small note here try and do the sound I'm in a manner that you have enough breath so try and measure out your breath at least into three so you have enough time for the ah then as it goes into the a and the e the emphasis would be on the e so I am it's important to give that equal length to each of these vowels so that they can create that balanced effect within yourself as well as in the environment around you will the beauty of the sound I'm is that like the home which represents the unmanifest potential of creation I am is the sound of the manifested or the directed form with the e which has the sense of a direction the I'm becomes also the sound of the goddess while home is the creative potential purusha or the male energy I'm represents the divine supreme mother feminine energy and often is used to accompany the chance for the different goddesses to invoke their force that primal force in whatever undergoes or whatever is that follows it there is a very good book called mantra yoga and primal sounds by David Frawley that gives a very good description of the different aspects of these sounds that you can refer to the sound for those who are probably having difficulties in concentration can help in bringing the mind can help in bringing focus in the heart and the mind and establish one's will in the direction that one wants to focus it on we'll do the sound I'm in a manner that's with a stretch your arms out to express the infinity of your being with the sound E just try and feel the energy of focus represented through this action and the you can try and then concentrate it into your heart into a center point you can also do it by bringing that energy down in a sense of namaste so that is a way in which you can do it if you feel more free second time we can do it with stretch your arms out take the arms straight on top as if a focused energy and then bring that whole energy into your being as concentrated as you can so we'll at least do it twice in that manner we'll start take a deep breath relax yourself become as receptive at all levels of your being open your heart to the energy of the goddess as you do this sound take a deep breath and chant the I'm I'm I'll repeat that I'm this time we'll do it vertically so again relax close your eyes take a deep breath and do the vertical movement with the I'm I'm don't worry if you run out of your breath because often people say I had to take two three breaths what I would suggest is just take a deep breath try and I mean you have an idea of the length of your breath so try and divide it equally but in case you run out of breath you can continue with the silent vibration of the sound we have the idea of the expressed sound but we also speak about the silent sound so allow that sound to silently continue vibrating within your being stay with that particular vibration it will have the same effect so do the sound I'm increase the concentration the focus the direction of your life invoke the supreme mother energy within you and become a creator of your own life thank you.