According to the Big Bang theory, Om is the cosmic sound that initiated the creation of the universe. Some say it’s even among the sounds recorded in deep space—on NASA’s website, deep space sounds at the vibratory frequency of Om. The sound first appears in the Upanishads, a collection of sacred texts that inform Hinduism; the Mandukya Upanishad, which is entirely devoted to om, begins like this: “Om is the imperishable word. Om is the universe, and this is the exposition of om. The past, the present, and the future, all that was, all that is, all that will be is om. Likewise, all else that may exist beyond the bounds of time, that too is om.”

At its root, an OM is a chant. It is a sound; a vibration. You can feel it in your chest as you physically lower the place you make the sound from in your throat down to your gut. Before the physical OM, an intention to make the sound is required. Your consciousness is the source of the OM. Your body is the instrument of consciousness. Some scholars say that the shape of the visual om symbol embodies each of its syllables—the three is the Sanskrit letter for “ahh,” that same three with the mini S on it is “oooh,” and the bindhi and half-moon at the top are the “mmm.” Some say the symbol is connected to Ganesh, the Hindu half-elephant god who removes obstacles because if you squint, you can see his rotund curves and graceful trunk represented.

Om is also considered the mother of the bija, or “seed” mantras—short, potent sounds that correlate to each chakra and fuel longer chants (like, say, Om Namah Shivaya). Depending on who you talk to, it relates to either the third eye or the crown chakra, connecting us to the Divine. No wonder its core to some Buddhist systems and other Indian religions. This sacred syllable is not just one sound, it is actually three. The ‘Pranava’ (power) mantra comprises three syllables: ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’, indicating the continuity of past, present, and future. we all know how we feel when we Om together. Sometimes we harmonize as people hear it and find their notes. It has been a joyous thing when we begin and ends our gathering with the sound of Om – like a Universal choir.

Here are some quotes about OM.
“Om (or AUM) is the primordial throb of the universe.
“Everything in life is vibration.” ~ Albert Einstein.
“Aum is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development.
“Mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the same thing” ~ Albert Einstein.

The sound itself seems to calm the nervous system,” says Stephen Cope, author, most recently, of The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling. “Like all chants, it gathers and focuses the mind, and in that state, it’s not vulnerable to the rising of the odd thought that will create grasping or aversion. It shifts us out of our ordinary discursive mind and into a more contemplative mode.”

“Om is not just a sound or vibration. It is not just a symbol. It is the entire cosmos, whatever we can see, touch, hear and feel. Moreover, it is all that is within our perception and all that is beyond our perception. It is the core of our very existence… Om is the mysterious cosmic energy that is the substratum of all the things and all the beings of the entire universe. It is an eternal song of the Divine. It is continuously resounding in silence on the background of everything that exists.”
                                                                                                                                     ~ Amit Ray

“When we sound om together, we’re aligning body/mind/spirit; we’re aligning with one another; we’re aligning with the universe because it’s the sound of the universe, and we’re referencing something real,” says Bhavani Lorraine Nelson, who leads workshops around the world on the power of the voice and is the creator of the CD series Meditation Made Possible. “It’s a very grounding and peaceful sound. One teacher said that if you go through life chanting om, the very air around you will sparkle.”

“So often in my classes, we will sound om, letting those three-voiced parts go very consciously through the cathedral of the mouth, and then sit for a moment in that silence after and simply observe what that feels like,” Bhavani says.

Yogananda says that chanting om also creates a link with those who have practiced before us. “It’s a sound that validates oneness and harmony,” he says. “We chant it because yogis have for thousands of years. And when we chant it, we’re connecting with those yogis ritually and drawing upon the support of the practices they’ve been doing for a long, long time.”