Sound of Existence: A

(peaceful crashing waves) Let's explore this world of sounds with the primary sounds like uh, ee, and oo. But we'll begin with the sound uh. The sound uh is the first sound that the human vocal instrument can produce. It is a sound in the throat and we'll do it as a short vowel like the uh and it's like the A in another. So uh.

Say that. Uh. Lovely. And the sound, it relates to pure existence. So the vibrating nature of the sound is pure existence being in one's absolute self.

This is a sound that has the power to help us connect with our essential nature, with our deepest self. And it also has the power to shut out all extra noise. We could use this sound at times when we are not feeling very centered in the midst of a very hectic life, maybe kids doing this and having a lot of work to do, and just feel the need to gather yourself and just feel more centered before you start on another activity. So the sound uh can be very beneficial in just allowing you to relax and be. And this is how I would suggest that you can practice it.

You can incorporate it into your daily lives. First and foremost, when you're talking about a place to do the practice, initially because we are not used to this working with sounds, it would be helpful to find a quiet spot where there's nobody else around so that you can center all your attention around that particular vibration. It can be at any time of day. Initially, it might come to you, the need might arise when there is a moment of crisis, but gradually you can practice it as often as you can and make that a more natural state of being. So, three things are important in that.

One is the posture, that one assumes. Make sure that you're comfortable. And then the awareness of your breath and also the practice or the sound that you choose to practice with. So this is the practice that I would recommend. Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

Close your eyes, and go within. If you have gone within into your body awareness, feel at home completely in that place. And then make the sound uh. Do that again. Uh.

If you've gone into your heart, rest in your heart and make the same sound. Uh. Uh. If you're in your head, rest in your head and do the sound uh. Uh.

Imagine that you're being is like a calm lake. There is no ripple on it. And every time you make the sound uh, allow it to fall into your consciousness and make its own ripples. So stay with the practice and do the sound uh. Feel the weight of that sound in your being.

Uh. Uh. To enhance your practice, what I would do is to add gestures. So place the palm of your hand in your heart if that is where you feel comfortable. Close your eyes and do the sound uh.

Try to feel the connection of your palm with the center of your being. Uh. Then shift your hand to another center, your belly. Take a deep breath. Make the sound uh.

Observe its effects in your body, in your breath, as well as the space that it generates. Repeat this exercise at the different levels of your being, the body, the heart, the head. And at all times, just become aware of how you feel. Where do you feel that you are home? That is the experience of the sound uh.

So initially, you could do the sound aloud, so you say the uh. Use the gesture if you feel comfortable with it. But gradually, you can make it into a more silent sound. So you can only lip the sound, you need not even produce it. So try that out once.

Just make the uh without producing the sound. How did that feel? Different? Okay. Once you feel comfortable with that level of practice, you can take it one step beyond and now do it completely silently using the gesture.

So, close your eyes. Place your hand on the center that you feel most comfortable in. And then make the sound uh in your head. So how did that feel? Interesting, no?

It's interesting to observe how a sound when it is made aloud creates a certain effect. When it is silent, it has a completely different effect at times. As I told you earlier on, it's easy to follow a sound when it is made aloud initially. But the more one can progressively move towards the silent sound, the more potential or the more powerful the effect is in changing our inner being. So dear friends, enjoy this practice.

Try to explore the effects of these sounds in different environments and see whether it really makes you or gives you a powerful transformation. Take care.