Latest / Sutra Squad / Ep. 19 - Sutras 1.27-29 On the Nature & Meaning of the Sacred Sound OM

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Ep. 19 - Sutras 1.27-29 On the Nature & Meaning of the Sacred Sound OM · Sutra Squad

• Seth Barron: Om stands for supreme reality. It is symbol for what was, what is, and what will be. Om represents also what lies beyond past, present and future. Hello and welcome to the Sutra Squad podcast brought to you by One Deep Breath. My name is Seth Barron. I am beyond thrilled to be with the superstar Sutra Squad, Sally Moore. Hello. And Sarah Page Hall. Hello. Sally, what's one word that describes how you feel right now? I'm confused. Confusion. Confused. Okay. Fair. Why is that funny? It's honest. Love it. No, it's just the realness. It's just the realness. I'm so excited. Confusing. Confused. It was like very emphatic. It was real clear. Your your lack of clarity is very clear. My past, present, and future me are all confused right now. Okay, great. Let's see if we can let's see what we can do about it. Maybe we'll be more confused. Sarah Paige, what's a word that describes how you feel right now? I feel pretty full. Happy full. That sounds like a word, doesn't? I'm happy full. Happyful. I like happyful. It's a nice I like happyful too. It's a nice thing. It's gonna be a word now. Okay, it's great. No, it's a thing. We made it. I feel curious. I'm just really like trying to like stay in a moment of some deep curiosity. ⁓ okay. So that's where we are right now. And where we are right now is recording an episode about the incredible, fascinating, mystical, eternal sound of ohm. And to sort of track our path through this text that we're s that we're focused on in this study, which is the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, we're still in the first chapter, the first Pada, which is the Samadhi Pada. Samadhi is the eighth limb in the Ashtanga eight-limbed yoga system. It is the, it means bliss, enlightenment, absorption, like whole and complete presence. You could say, if there is a goal of yoga, which is a tricky concept, but if there was one, it would be the attainment of samadhi. And I always find it so fascinating how this text, like how Master Patanjali weaves the story and we begin at the end. Like the first chapter describes all of these attributes of the final stages of yoga. And then in the second chapter, we learn more about how to do it. Right, the sadhana pada, the third chapter, which teaches us about like the mystical powers that arise, the viphutipada. And then the fourth chapter, which is the freedom, the kaivalya pada, or the liberation. So in this first chapter in the samadhipada, we've looked at the opening trilogy that describes really like everything, it's all right there. Atha Yoga Nushasanam 1.1 now is yoga. ⁓ Yoga Shitta Vritti nirodhaha. ⁓ which is the second verse 1.2 that yoga is when we restrain the swirl of our mind. ⁓ and like I still am chewing on this concept from this study that we've that we've explored, that idea of the restraint is like a baby swaddle, right? Like you like you hold it in so that the baby doesn't like get all crazy in there. And then the third verse, Tadadrastusvarupe Vastanam, ⁓ 1.3, that the true self shines forth. And then we looked at The two dynamics in play around this idea of the nirodaha, which is ⁓ a pyasa varagyabya ham tan nirodha 1.12. ⁓ that practice and detachment are the means by which we achieve that restraint. And that practice, then, as ⁓ as Master Patanjali goes on to describe, is ⁓ meant to be sustained uninterrupted with devotion for a long time. A lifetime, many lifetimes. And that detachment, the other side of this coin, detachment, is the transcendence of the sensory gratification or the sensory, like the five senses, transcending the five senses so that we might perceive this the spiritual energy of the ⁓ the universe. And then last week we talked about the nature of the divine that we may perceive Ishvara. And it starts in this sutra Ishvara Pranhidana Dva. ⁓ sometimes, like I say, it's like the only shortcut in the Yoga Sutra, if there was to be one. And it sort of it's usually translated along the lines of, or you could just surrender everything to God. And then we gave and then also Master Patanjali, like it helps us understand that because God, you know, like so let me just say this as I as we said last week, and I'll say again and again and again, yoga is not a religion. It has roots in religious traditions, but yoga itself is not a religion. Yoga is a spiritual practice of devotion. And the difference there is that I think religion implies like a specific set of beliefs and practices, whereas spirituality implies a maybe a curiosity or an interest or a seeking, a yearning, a journey toward something bigger than yourself. And then, and and in this text. We are never presented with this construct of the divine as fixed or as finite. It's not like this thing. So, like, you know, I grew up, as I've said, I grew up in a in a home of ⁓ in the Jewish tradition. And I think in in most interpretations and most modern contexts of the Abrahamic faith lineages of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There's a sense that like there's God over there and there's me over here. And I go to God's house, to the mosque, to the church, to the temple, as the place where God lives. And I go there to have this like moment with God. And there's a somebody, a priest, a rabbi, an imam who facilitates that relationship. In this text, the word that is translated as God is Ishvara. And that literally means like the most choicest. Like the choicefulest. Almost like the most attractive. And it's the sense that every single one of us is on a personal journey to discovering the divine. Sarah Page likes to say, and I love that I love to say this as well after hearing you say it, the God of our understanding. And that there's no right or wrong answer. There are attributes of the divine, right? God is beyond cause and effect in time and place and circumstance. And that God is the the seed of all knowledge. But that's not like a, it doesn't say God is Krishna or Shiva or like like there, like the the ⁓ there isn't this like one right answer. And especially in Hinduism, you know, or the practices of Sanatan Dharma, that like it is equally valid to be a devotee, a devotee of Krishna, of Shiva, of Durga, of Kali, of of Ganesha of Lakshmi, like you could Parvati, like there's so many interpretations of divine presence and wisdom, and that they're all equally valid because the one that matters the most is the one that calls to your heart. So that's sort of like we've come up to this point in the study. And then we reach 127, which is the first verse, and I'll chant this one. And we're gonna look at 127, 8, and 9. So again, this is like a series that all describes attributes of one central idea. And in this case, it's the central idea of om. ⁓ So the Sanskrit of this verse is Tasya Vachaka Pranava. Tasya va chaka pranava. And we're gonna talk about OM a lot. So if it is in any way possible for you, where wherever you are in whatever time, place, space you're listening to us right now, if you can, pause. Right? If you're driving, be safe. If you are working in the kitchen with sharp objects, also please be safe. And if it is possible, maybe put those things down and just take a moment and notice how you're physically taking your seat, like your seat in a like a literal or metaphorical sense. And maybe just bring a little intentional organization to that seat. Like sit up nice and tall, feel some length in your spine. Like your could feel that the tailbone could lengthen down a little and the crown of your head could lift up a little. Most of us who sit at screens all day could probably pull our chin up and back slightly. And you could just close your eyes and just tune in to what's going on right now. Without having to fix it or change it or manage it or handle it, could you just observe it? How have you arrived in this moment? And if you like, and if it's in your practice, you could bring your hands together in front of your heart. This is a mudra, a seal, and this one is Anjali mudra. It's like a seal of your hands, the source of action right in front of your heart, right there at the energetic heart space. And one thing you could notice if it's possible wherever you are to join me in the recitation of one vibration of om ⁓ See if you can experience it to start as a physical sensation. Feel the vibration of the sound in the front of your face, in your heart, in your hands. Take a deep breath in. Breathe all the air out. And for one vibration of inhale. Chanting verse twenty seven of the first chapter. Passava prana. Pasava chakranava. Hasakapranava. So again, a short verse with a lot of meaning to unpack. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satidananda, this verse is translated: the word expressive of Ishvara is the mystic sound om. And pranava is the word in Sanskrit that is used to describe om. And then just to give a sense of this context. Verse twenty eight. From the same translation, I'll s I'll spare the Sanskrit is to repeat it with reflection upon its meaning, meaning is an aid, AID and assistance, right? To repeat it with reflection upon its meaning is an aid. And then verse 29 From this practice, all the obstacles disappear. and simultaneously dawns knowledge of the inner self. This practice, all the obstacles disappear and simultaneously dawns knowledge of the inner self. So we're given this sense of like there's a divine presence that each of us is on a journey to understand that has these attributes of being beyond time, space, cause, effect, and that this, and that it that is this idea of Ishvara as the seed of all knowledge. And then we're told it's represented in the sound om. ⁓ To repeat it with reflection upon its meaning is an aid in our practice. And that from this practice, all the obstacles disappear, and we gain an inner knowledge, a deep knowledge of the capital S self. So let me pause there for a moment and invite each of you, whoever wants to go first. There's so much to unpack and there's so much in these amazing, simple, powerful, mystical, eternal words. what translation of these verses has really spoken to each of you? It's funny because in all my confusion, I forgot to spend time looking at 129. But it's so funny because I was What I jotted down from Jagannath is that he shares this following definition from the help me with the pronation. Up the Mandukya Upanishad. That I'm working on it. And I love what it said. It says Om stands for supreme reality. It is symbol for what was, what is, and what will be. Om represents also what lies beyond past, present, and future. That's exactly what it feels to me. I didn't understand, and now I'm looking at 129 from the secret power of yoga, by faithful repetition, the inner light, luminosity shines. And that's my experience. And I was like, I'm having the experience of 129, but I kind of forgot to look at it. So it that's what's I think been really interesting to me. I love also ⁓ for one twenty-seven, the expression of Ishvara is the mystic sound of om, and that's from inside the Yoga Sutras by Reverend Jagannov Kara. And I like how he goes on to deal similar to to detail om, similar to what you shared in the beginning, but I love that it was the word used to denote Ishvara needs to be special. It should be free of limitations of time, circumstance, or faith tradition. Not only should this designation be universal, it must also bring the experience of Ishvara to the practitioner. Sir Patanjali states that the name, this name, Om accomplishes that. And that just all rings very true to me. How about you, Sarah Page? Well, we can go home now. That that was beautiful. I have just I was saying earlier how I've just really gotten into this book, ⁓ The Heart of Yoga by Deshrik ⁓ Desikachar, TKV Desekachar, Krishnacharya's son. And he goes through everything. There's just a wealth of information and he and he really cites things in a different way. So this won't be like I've been doing it in di in other podcasts, it's a little different. But he takes it and he asks the question ⁓ for 127, how should we refer to God? How should we address him? And then he says, in different cultures and in different religions, different words are used to describe God and his qualities. It is more important that we express God with greatest, the greatest respect and without any conflicts. Hello, no conflicts. In this, a teacher can be a great help because quote unquote religion is full of conflict. Everybody believes something different. And he's saying, No, it's not religion. It's not religion. That's not what it is. It's respect. And then ⁓ for one twenty eight, how do we relate to God? In order to relate to God, it is necessary to regularly address him properly and reflect on his qualities. Patanjali suggests that it's necessary to reflect constantly on the qualities of God. And this might be aided by the repeated recitation of his name together with prayer and contemplation. But mechanical repetition and prayer is worthless. I'm gonna repeat that. Mechanical prayer and repetition is worthless. If you do it just because, ⁓ I gotta get this, I gotta get the check mark next to it and do it, and then it's you don't. It must be accompanied by conscious thought and consideration and by profound respect. He has mentioned respect in each one of his ⁓ definitions. And for 129, for those who have faith in God, such reflections will inevitably be beneficial. The individual will in time perceive, I love this. The individual will in time, not right away, but in time receive perceive his true nature. He will not be disturbed by any interruptions that may arise in his journey to the state of yoga. Samadhi. Well, and can I just add, like, I love that you pointed that part out because I Also highlighted from the secret ⁓ power of yoga by Nishala Joidevi, and she says the sacred sound must pluck the strings of our heart in order to unite our entire being. Often we are accustomed to repeating the same prayer with our mind and heart engaged elsewhere. When the prayer, then the prayer is only giving lip service. She's saying the same thing. The real grace comes from when we are unified on all levels of our being. You know, we were talking to that earlier, right? We were speaking to it just a little bit earlier. I know, I know, I'm gonna start crying, but it was like we were talking about earlier before the chat, before the podcast in our pre-show chat, about how like there are so many different syllables in All of this kind of stuff. And well let's clarify, let's pause. Sorry, don't mean to interrupt you. Let's let's actually just like break that down for a second. So om is said to also have three distinct syllables. ooh, like like with the right? Or you could even say that it has four. There's the three sounds, ⁓ And the silence. Right? I think sometimes we Don't always honor, or it's not as present. Like think of it as like, and again, different lineages have different points of view. We should also just say this too. Different lineages have different points of view as to the recitation of this sound. In some lineages, it's pronounced o. And there are other lineages which sort of go direct to And I don't want us to I think I don't think we have a like we're not taking a stand on one is right, one is wrong. I've heard it, I've heard masterful teachers who do both. Right. As in like there's some who do one way, some who do another way. But there is this sense that it's those three syllables. Now, again, in some lineages it's thought that they should be pronounced distinctly. In some lineages it's thought that like a Sanskrit rule of grammar, that like the sounds together make the one sound. But the sweetest sound is at the end. Is at the end. And this is what I was speaking to, which is we do the ⁓ in our lineage, what we do, ⁓ we do the ⁓ at the beginning of class and at the end of class. And so often we'll do ⁓ and then I love the vibration at the end to take that breath and to take in the vibration, and especially when it's everybody, it's a hymn, it's a it's an absolute psalm to get us connected in all of those things. But to stand there, to have the absolute honor and privilege of standing in front of a class of people who have their hands at heart center saying alm all together, for me, the beautiful part, the sweetest part, the samadhi is the period at the end and the vibration. It's almost it almost feels invasive to say, you know, Urdva Hastasna. It really does. Well, and sometimes I in the sea of alms, like asking people to do three alms. in their breath, their time, their pace, their octave, and just a lot the room, the vibr the whole room is vibrating. But I could share quickly from Jagannath Carrera, because I did kind of dig I I dig into this. And it said OM is the original original of all sounds. It compromise it com compromises three letters. A, u, mm. A is the first sound. You simply open your mouth and you make a sound. All audible sounds begin with this action. It represents creation. The U is formed when the sound rolls forward toward the lips with the help of the tongue and cheeks. This represents evolution. And finally, to make the ⁓ sound, the lips come together. The last sound represents disillusion or closure. So together at signify creation, evolution, and disillusion. The entire cycle of life is represented in these three letters. And then I added, because in that commentary it didn't talk about the fourth, the sound of silence. And for me, that fourth sound, like you guys were sharing, that's where the whole that's where I experienced being both grounded and light at the same time. ⁓ that's beautiful, Sally. You know, have y'all ever done a silent Shivasana? Just a silent Shivasana note? It's just the most beautiful and you can see the energy in the room. How often do we have silence? How often are we allowed? Seth, you live in the one of the busiest cities in the world. You know, and not a lot of silence. I live in the burrows. I live in the burrows of Jersey, so I get silence quite a bit. But I mean, for me, I Crave silence. And it's not I mean, listen, now you could draw the comparison. Seth lives in one of the busiest cities in the world. I live in the suburbs. Sally lives in ⁓ northern whatever. California, where I was actually just asked to close my windows because birds were really loud, birds chirping. It was gonna be weird on the podcast. We were like, are there birds in somewhere? Anyway, so there are birds in New Jersey too. But anyway, so it's there are birds in Manhattan. There are. There pigeons. But anyway, so Sorry. So anyway. Not very ugly to me. I hate pigeons. Okay. Well, real quick while they're having a giggle, the one other thing that I noted here is from the Jiva Mukti chant book. And I this chant and repeat om and realize the divine within. And that is like simple language to put on my experience. ⁓ So there's a bunch too, we should just say that like there's a bunch of context too of ohm, these three syllables that have this really powerful representation. So in one, in one context, like Sally was just saying, it's like it's the whole life cycle of the universe from creation to sustenance and then to its dissolution. And that's also sometimes said to represent the the sort of ⁓ trinity of deities of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, right? Brahma, who Creates the world, Vishnu, who sustains the world, Shiva, who transforms and eventually, I don't even like the word destroys, but let's just say like that, like, like transforms the world, right? That like all of that is those three syllables. It's also said, om represents the past, the present, and the future in those three syllables. It's also said that om represents the states of consciousness, the waking state, the dreaming state. The dreamless state. And in this context, the silence, sometimes it's even said like the the symbol of om repres is like those, there's right that like the waking state is the making the shape, like like the sort of backwards three the three shape. The dream state is the swoop over and down. The dreamless state is the line across, and the dot is samadhi. So like it's all there. Like it's all in this mystical syllable. And you know, maybe one just one way to start is for each of us just to say, like, you know, I'll I'll pose this as a start for some some inquiry, which is like a student walks up to you and says, What is ohm? And like, why do we say it in class? New student, new to yoga. And they walk up to you, Sarah Page, and they say, Yeah, what what is Ohm? And like, why do we say it? Like, I don't do it because it's weird. And like I listen to it, but I don't know what it means. So I don't know if it's for me. But like, why, why and what? I'll be very, very transparent here and very honest. If it's a new student who's like, it's weird to me and blah, blah, blah, I'll say it's just a vibration and a way to connect us all. Now, if it's somebody who wants and that's all I'll say. Now, if it's somebody who wants to go a little answer, that's what I say. It's what I say. And and usually I forget sometimes, but when I say, let's start with a sound of om, and I think I'm gonna I would prefer the word vibration. Let's start with a vibration of om because ⁓ that's really what it is. ⁓ Seth, you've spoken to this before that Sanskrit is a vibrational language. Om just resonates in the body. When it just physically resonates in the body. So that's what I say. If it was somebody else, I'd say it's a way to connect to the divine. Whatever the divine means to you. You know, w whoever divine is to you. Sally, what do you say? So something similar. I mean, I say it's the, you know, the sound of everything, the sound of the sun, you know, it's a vibrational sound that connects us to everything, past, present, and future. It it's funny because I've shared with people, my dad died dur just before my first teacher training. And I have to be honest, like I used to believe I was shy. And for some reason when he died, I believed I needed to get even more quiet because he sort of encouraged me to speak up. You know, outdated stories that I've mostly outgrown at this point. But when he died, I just remember before he died, I I hate it. When the teacher called for Ohm, I was mouthing it. You know, what's that movie where if you don't know the word, you just say watermelon? There's a Well the drag queens were still pulling that one. There's just, you know, so I used to mouth Ohm because I was so embarrassed to join the group. And now when my dad died, like Ohm was the place where I could start getting more and more confident, actually belting it out at this point. And then it was weird. I felt some connection to him. Like I think the ohm was working and I didn't understand about the ohm. And then my mom died. And I Just that ohm, the ohm to me is that I connect with my parents. And sometimes I get a little something back. And sometimes I don't. And that's the letting go, you know. But it's a way where I can sort of say, I don't know, thank you for bringing me here. And so I also feel that I finally outgrowing that story that I'm shy, but for me, it's also a really safe place to start speaking up, to adding my sound to the conversation. And so I say that a lot to people, like, ⁓ or if I'm just asking teachers, like, why are you choosing not to own? Because I think we all need to just know why we're choosing what we're choosing. I'm not gonna tell people what to do, you know. For me, it feels like a very safe place to earn. encourage people to join the conversation. And there is a room of ohms is just so like I said earlier. It's so enlivening and grounding at the same time. You know, so and it's a beautiful moment. I mean that's why we start this practice of podcasting with ohm it's a way to unite us and and to unite the For people listening. It's like it's really wonderful to do that. I'm reading, ⁓ Seth, thank you for sharing this ⁓ essay by Shannon G Sharon Gannon. She says something, and I I'm going to tattoo this or get it on a t-shirt or something. She goes, You can never go wrong in chanting om. You can never go wrong chanting the names of God. Whatever name resonates with you, the God of your own understanding, you can never go wrong. Chanting auspicious words like shanti, peace. These sounds are like medicine. It's so true. I end every class, I end every class with Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. Long I do the Lokusamastan, the Shanti Shanti. I don't care where I am, people can't get enough of that. They will they will say it loudly and and it's just it's medicine. We're living in a really difficult time. We should let's just make sure we also give ⁓ shanti is is said like shanti means peace and it's repeated three times. Shanti, shanti, shanti, and then it's followed by Hari Om in the Jivamukti lineage and many others. And the the mantra that Sarah Page is referencing was Loka Samasta Sukino Bhavantu. May all beings everywhere this is the Jivamukti translation, may all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my life contribute in some way to the happiness and freedom of all beings everywhere. And I I paraphrase that wildly. I know you too. I'm giving the the translation of the lineage of my teachers because if I have anything to offer, it is by their grace and of ⁓ and I have a real reverence for lineage. And you know, we were talking about this. I was saying actually how like I was reading and thinking about this week and I had the just unbelievable privilege of taking class with my teacher's teacher over this past weekend. And ⁓ And like I literally I took class with a teacher with whom my teacher apprenticed. And ⁓ I said to her after class that and I've I've taken her class before she like, you know, we're not close, but she ⁓ she's she's she knows me and like, you know, I'm a very dedicated student of my teacher. And ⁓ and because I also teach I sub at the studio, so I, you help if she has questions with the Zoom stuff or whatever. ⁓ one it it is a privilege to be of service to my teacher's teacher, truly. And ⁓ and I said to her that ⁓ You know, I we don't often give give reverence to lineage in the West, ⁓ but it's so meaningful in these Eastern cultures and lineages. ⁓ that disciplin succession. ⁓ the wisdom and the the instruction passed from teacher to student and then to the student who becomes teacher, and then two students and to infinite. It is especially quite beautiful to have the opportunity and privilege to show respect for my teacher by showing my reverence for her teacher. You know, I even used to say this at work actually, that the way we the way we honor our mentors is to take what we've learned and one, put it into practice and then two teach others. And you know, something about om here really resonates in this way to me, that like ohm is this so it because my answer to that question is is that ohm is the sound of sound. I don't even like to think of I don't even say like make the sound of ohm that implies that we are that we are capable of creating something that is so far bigger and more vast than anything, right? We don't like in this in in many lineages it said too, like in we don't create, we just organize, we just move stuff around, right? The divine is the only thing that actually creates or destroys. We just move stuff around, it changes state, but like. If you believe in the you could, I mean, look, there's physics that says, you in the preservation of mass and energy, it just changes form and place, time, shape, context. ⁓ the divine is that which is beyond shape, place, time, context. And so you could say that ohm is the sound of sound. We don't make the sound of om. was, is, and will be. Ohm is always in the background. I mean, Sally mentioned this. I once found this video from NASA. And they actually play the sound of the extra the electromagnetic frequency, like the radiation of the sun. And guess what it sounds like? ⁓ And so if Om is what was, is, and will be, there's something really beautiful that like to say a vibration of Om, because we don't make it. It's there. Right? Someone right now on this planet is always b right. Someone right now is saying ⁓ Someone somewhere on the planet Earth is saying om. I just choose to believe that. I think it's true with a couple of billion people and a lot of yogis and a lot, you know, the and om also is is a a point of reference in multiple faith lineages and actual, you know, ⁓ Buddhism and Jainism and Hinduism and Satan Dharma and like, right? So we just organize ourselves to be a channel from which Om can flow from the subtle into the gross, right? From the subconscious into the conscious, from the ether into the material, just for a moment. So it's not that I'm making it, I'm just organizing myself, my breath to allow. that to flow through me for just this moment. Because there's a to me, there's like a beautiful humility of that. And so like the simple answer to your point, like the simple answer is like, ⁓ is the sound of sound. ⁓ is the sound of what was, is, and will be. And we make we we make the sound or we we bring the sound into the space as a point of connection and as a point to just touch, touch into something a little bit bigger than ourselves. I really want to hop in here. I I just It's so much, so much, so much. We we're jumping all over each other too because this is such a great a great thing. It's so rich. It's so rich. Hours about on hours and hours. We were on for an hour and fifteen before we like, you know, just talking about it. And there is so much. I'm one thing I will say, we're going back to reference and how we come to it reverently. I won't let I ask the front desk to please not let anybody enter during ohm. Please don't let anybody enter during om. It's a real and sometimes they slip through and you can just feel the energy shift because now it's been. But the thing you had mentioned, ⁓ Seth, about the Upanishads said that A is the waking state, you the dream state, ⁓ is the state of dreamless sleep, and then you have the last, which is samadhi, the silence. And then it goes on Desha Dessachar Desekachar says the parallel points to the ones who stands behind all four states. The one who is only who is truly awake, Ishvara, which is God, the God of your understanding. And then he goes on and on and on. He goes, Ishvara Pana Dahana, which we went through last week, is one of the strongest ways for dispelling the obstacles we meet as we move forward in life. And I love that. But there's another thing. We were talking about the reverence. And Desika Char was saying. that he and I wanted to bring this up because we also talk about appropriation and trying not to be appropriative and to cite the correct sources and to be you know to be very, very ethical and authentic. to the best of our ability. To the best of our ability. We're three white people doing our best. And you know, we are not born in India or w is so, but we're doing our best and we have deep love for this lineage. He says that he was at a and I found this fascinating, he said that he was at a like a big yoga conference and he saw all of these people wearing ohm. For us, ohm is not a gadget or a decoration. We regard it with the utmost seriousness and respect. And then he goes on to say, I think that this story that the story ⁓ he went on to try and clear that up any confusion during the conference and blah, blah, blah. And he was met with a lot of resistance. And he said, I think this story exemplifies the confusion that exists between Hinduism and yoga. Seth, you talked about this at the beginning of of the podcast. It's based in Hinduism, but it's not that's not because even among the teachers of yoga. Exactly, it's not a religion. I'm gonna say it one more time for the people in the back. Yoga is not a religion. Exactly. He goes, the symbol of Om also believe belongs to the Buddhists. And the Jain traditions and the Sikh traditions. It is not exclusive to Hinduism. To misuse it willingly is to act with disrespect towards all these groups. Reverence. Seeing it, and that's what it goes to. And that's really what I think he's he is talking about is like, you know, it's I remember even with the Namaste. We have ⁓ in the studio that I teach in in Mituchin, which is very close to Islan, is very Indian based, and I'm very careful. I'm very, very careful because I remember saying I think my southern accent came out. Sarah Page and say respectful. Which word? Respectful. I am very respectful. I am careful. I am very careful. So anyway. We're careful. But like not as in I am respectful. Yes, I do. You are full of care. Yes. I just want to be clear that like there's a that word implies that you're like being hesitant or like careful. And I think there's more about like, no, I c you care. I care about what I don't want to offend anyone in any way that is not at all what I'm about. And I want to get it right. I'm saying it's it's about caring that we are reverent and respectful. And it's acknowledge these limits. It goes to the Namas Day. It goes to the Namaste. And I think I said something like Namaste, and she stayed with me after class and like went through it with me. She said, Namaste is very sacred. She goes, it is the way we greet, the way we say goodbye, but it's very sacred. And so like it's namaste. And it's not and it matters. These things matter. It's not and it's not namaste in bed. It's not namaste away. And it's not namaste bitches. I mean I'm just gonna and I think no, I think we're like And again, like ⁓ no. My desk started rising. ⁓ accidentally hit a button. it's well, and can I just put in here like I I'm gonna put in here that maybe we're all doing the best we can on our journey, and there's times where these things they just shift inside of us. You know what I mean? So I don't wanna per se make anyone wrong. I used to wear t shirts that I don't wear anymore. And I also am thinking, I can't remember which books, ⁓ but one of the books said, and it really was helpful to me, and I feel helpful right now because I can get overwhelmed in what I don't know, and then I get afraid that I'm not an expert and I can't share this. But one of, you know, said seek not to memorize or learn the sutras, but seek to study the one who studies. And that's what I'm thinking here, even with the ⁓ Like I I noted that I have found speaking ohm has given me clarity and courage off my mat, like when I'm called to speak up for myself and others. I find that I'm quicker to be able to speak up. I become better at conversations that I used to run away from before I started practicing ohm. And it wasn't like this time as I'm reading this, I'm like, ⁓ it's working. And maybe I'm finding my God. You know, that's always been really scary to me. But the feeling is coming. The feeling is here. And so now maybe the mental will follow, if that makes any sense. Ohm is also, you know, relative to Amen. ⁓ like a ma ⁓ amen. Thank you. Amen. Or amen. ⁓ Shallow all of those things. All of those things. And it's you know, we try so we try so hard in our c in in the West to make quote unquote religion, which of course we've already very well established, but to make it the right way. This is the right way to do it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And there is there's no right way. There is often presented. Maybe it's better said like it's often presented like it certainly was to me. As a little Jewish boy, that like this is the we are the chosen people. And like they'll they'll figure it out. As in like, but you know, like like there how can there be there like there's only one God and that like if you know saying that Jesus is God is like, you know, like it it's presented in a very black and white, like right and wrong dogma. Dog dogmatic context. And and there's something very ⁓ very different here. There's something very different here. Ishvara is not presented in the Yoga Sutra as that like fixed one construct. It's a deeply, deeply personal experience in the same way that om is like not a sound we make. But it's a an embodied experience that is palpable, it's it's observable, it's tangible, tactile, and ⁓ and it's not just theory, it's not just an idea, it's an action. And there's something about again, like letting go of the creation of it. But instead, like we it does require action to allow it, to allow ourselves to be its channel, its conduit for a moment. Right. It requires like a good heartfelt ⁓ requires you to like just have a think about where you're sitting and how you're sitting or how you're standing and the breath that is flowing in and out of you, and that you are going to take one exhalation and intentionally align that. vibrational energy to the sound. To the sound of sound. ⁓ you know, and I think this is also where maybe I admit, like I have a I I do have an ohm tattooed on my body and I will say why. It's right behind my right ear. It's hard to see on the I don't know, can you see it on the podcast? ⁓ can you see it if I turn over? and it sits over a little lotus and it's a very simple graphic and I and I ⁓ I put it behind my right ear because ⁓ in the in the yogic energetic system, the right side is the future or forward, the left side is the past or back. And it was in a moment of big life transition. It was ⁓ I was between things. I had just turned for literally had it done the night before my 40th birthday, which felt like a maybe arbitrary, but a milestone. And it was a reminder that like. I've come this far and now I I'm on this journey and I knew I just done my first teacher training. I wasn't even teaching yet. But what I knew was that om is like what arises, like it's the it's the om is the jewel in the lotus. Om manipadmayom. Right? It said like that mantra is said that the jewel is in the lotus. And you could say even that like om is like right there and like. And so the idea of om arising from the lotus, then lotus has to grow through the mud in order to open, right? The no mud, no lotus. I think that's tiknatan. And that putting it right behind my right ear was a reminder that like when I when I get like quiet and hear om, I will always go in the right direction. ⁓ will always take me forward to the right place. ⁓ will always take me where I'm supposed to go. That ⁓ will never take me anywhere besides where I need to be. And then if I'm quiet and I listen, it's always there. And it requires me to like really pay attention. And so like that's to me is very reverent. But your why is reverent. I was just about to say it wasn't without understanding what you were doing and all of that. I think that what Desica Char, I mean, the last time he spoke to me about it, what he was saying was was he and I great, great chats. Anyway, he you know. I think it's this just sort of no reverence, just wearing it on your shirt. Well that's the thing, right? Is it just like what's your why? What's your why? What's your why? You know. Okay. And full disclosure over here, I got it tattooed on myself too. Okay. I have no tattoos for the listening audience. ⁓ that's right. I've got the Namaste with an ⁓ ending on my arm. I put this on me, my first tattoo. And I had just come home from India and just finished my first teacher training too. And I was not sure that I was already teaching or just about to teach when I got back. I can't I think I was already teaching, but new. And I was in a mosque with my daughter and her husband at the time. And there was a woman with what I made up because we didn't talk. was maybe her husband and maybe her child. And I felt this tremendous connection to her. Don't know and never spoke to her. And I was didn't understand what I understand, but I think I understood more than I thought I understood. I felt deeply connected and I didn't want to ever forget that we are all connected. And And there it goes. So I can apologize to anyone who's offended by it, but it is deeply meaningful to me. And I look at it. But you have a very definitive I see it. You have a why though. You have the why. Yeah. I mean, I think it's I think what Desica Char was talking about, and I agree and I do agree with this. Why do we say Namaste? Why do we say OM? Why do you have it tattooed on Should we take a moment and just make sure we're clear? What does namaste mean? ⁓ the light in me honors the light in you. That's one of the things. It's also a greeting, you know. ⁓ when we were in India, it's it people regularly. Namaste, Namasteing. Also here, Hardy Om. Yeah, Hardy Omni. Hardy Bomb. I've always thought as like the best in me or the me right here sees them the you right here too. So I always thought of it as that, an exchange. Basically hello in this moment. But there are reasons that we do what we do and why we say what we say. And I think that the thing I'm getting out of this conversation more than I'm getting much is again going back to the why is the reverence is coming into the reverence. And as long I really do believe this, and I know us very well. So I know that what that our intentions are very good, you know, ⁓ that we do care. That we don't want to appropriate. Very reverent. We do not want to appropriate. And we are very open to we're all trained, trained in baptism. We're going to learn and grow. And feedback. You know, we're all there about it. And so I like ⁓ I like I don't wanna skip this. the light in me sees honors and cherishes the light in you, the light, which is the light of divine loving kindness within every single one of us. ⁓ that's a good one. That's that's my interpret that's my expressionistic interpretation. And I think it's a really good thing as we move through our lives and our days and our weeks and our months and our years that we rethink about these things. Yes, thank you for saying that, Sally. So I just feel like like ohm for me is a really powerful part of the practice right now. Yeah. Huge. And maybe for the rest of my life. I find it brings me both calm and energy. I find that nothing changes and everything changes. And maybe I'm just reminded of the duality of being human and here. ⁓ but I do think it's a really I was just talking to a newer teacher that was asking me for feedback on Friday. And I just asked her, It's like, just dig in why? Why yes or why no? Like Do a little bit of research and just know what you're standing for. I'm my answer's not the right answer. But but know why. You know, and and she said, Look, someone told me that it's offensive if we say namaste at the beginning end of class. And I was like, Yeah, and I think I have heard it too, and it I look thoughts. I have thoughts as well. But the thing is what I said is. It doesn't need to stop you. And if it feels right to take a pause in it, do it. Just know why. Or same with the I feel like we need to know. I see it as very much respecting like trying to understand in this. And it might not be everyone's point of view. Like my intention would not be to appropriate, but I also am really big I mean this might sound completely ridiculous, but I look into my back little garden. And there's olive bushes there that I planted when I was lucky enough to come home from Croatia because I loved looking at the olive trees. And then I was lucky enough to go to France and there was lavender. So what's in front of the olive trees now? Lavender. I mean, I don't think you know what I mean? So I'm really honoring these places where I've got to go and happen to have a similar climate to where I live. So these plants will grow. But I look there and I see so much more. Than an olive bush in a scraggly little lavender. Well, that's such a beautiful. No, I mean, I right, and that's such a that's this maybe this is where we gotta start you know, bring us home. I mean, because we could talk about this all day, but that like, Sally, what a beautiful analogy that you've just given us that like we all tend the garden of our mind. If you're listening to this podcast, you probably have a sense of what I mean by that, right? You tend the garden of your mind and ⁓ we plant the seeds of what of for of that which we ⁓ for that which we have reverence and for that which we that which we love and that which we want to see. And like I think om to me is both like planting the seed and watering it every time. ⁓ I'm not too fussy like or too yes no about much in yoga, but like to me, f for the way I want to practice, like a class without om feels a little incomplete. Now Plenty of different lineages, plenty of people have different points of view, same like Namaste. I mean, again, like I all three of us have been to India. You hear people just say Namaste very not casually, but like it's it's just a very common greeting, right? Now, in the same way that like in there are parts of India where people say Jram. That's just a greeting, like Jairam. which is, you know, a name of the divine, like you could say. ⁓ so there are there's an infinite number of practices and an infinite number of opinions, and all we can do is share the opinions that are informed by our experiences, our teachers, and our own our own personal reverence. And I think, you know, that's that's a that's a good place to start to ground down for you know a truly for a discussion of the eternal that could be eternal. So every week we we start. Well, we offer a little bit of inquiry, which is just a point of inspiration for you. And you can take it however you like. You could just sort of chew on it over time. You could write it down and journal on it. ⁓ you could talk to a friend about it if you maybe both listen to the Sutra Squad Podcast. ⁓ so Sarah Page, what is an inquiry that is ⁓ inspired by this by this discussion for you? I love this because it's something I've been working on. So I'm going to ask you to inquire what I've been inquiring, which is what is your why? When you get stuck in something or you are conflicted around something or you want to do something, for me personally, I have to step back and go, why do I want to do it? Is it is it is my intention pure and good, or is there ego involved that will stop it? Why do I want to do it? Beautiful. How about you, Sally? So I'm I just I don't know why I Prefacing like with without judgment and with curiosity, I offer. Do you join in an ⁓ What do you notice when you do or do not ⁓ What comes up when you reflect on the meaning of And can you possibly see the value of paying more attention to your inward response to your outward actions? Say that last one again. Uh-huh. Can you see the value of paying more attention to your inward response to your outward actions? I love that. Yeah. Write that one down. Writing it down, Sally. Thank you, Sally. I'll just add to this beautiful this this these beautiful points of inquiry. Just ⁓ Just, you know, think like I guess think about what om means to you. Just to Sally's point, like if you don't own, think about why. If you do, think about why. And let and one way, if you're not sure or you're like in discovery, ⁓ first of all, just honor that you're in discovery, that it's okay. If you don't want to om and you're in a class of people that own, well, we got you. You can receive benefit from see from just listening and absorbing the vibration. But maybe one beautiful place to start is to experience it just as something very physical. Like just feel in your body. If you listen to it, how it feels when it resonates around you. If you try making the sound, just notice how it feels like as an actual vibrational experience. PSA, it is addictive Once you start omen, you never stop. It's a good addiction. It's a good addiction. Yeah. I mean, it is to be repeated over a long period of time. And it is an its repetition is an aid to the consciousness. You literally just re-quoted the actual sutra. Stunning. That happy dance. I got a little bit of goosebumps. We ⁓ you I mean, you did it, sis. ⁓ we offer a teaching tip. So if you're an Os if you give teaching, if you teach, you give Osana classes and you're hearing and listening, maybe this is some inspiration. If you ⁓ are a student, well, you're a teacher to one person. That's you, because you're your best teacher. So ⁓ Sarah Page, what's a teaching tip for this week based on this conversation? I'm gonna say it. Do the ⁓ Say om at the beginning of class. Do the ⁓ and at the end of class. Do the ⁓ don't be afraid. Yeah. Don't be afraid. Yeah. There's something really like I we get this is a whole other conversation too, which is like the first time you lead an ⁓ the first time you say ⁓ first, it's like And like you just yeah. and you like it's something to be done also, I think a little bit fearlessly. Because here's what I'll say too. It's okay. Like, don't worry. Like, I know tone-deaf teachers who own beautifully. I know singers who own awkwardly. So the way is your reverence. Well, what makes it not awkward is your reverence and your your intention. Sally, what's your teaching tip for the week? So I always allow the practice to be a practice of connection, like a feeling practice. Notice your thoughts and how they're landing in your body. Notice the cues and how they're landing in your body. Choose the words and the thoughts that uplift your mind, body, and spirit and create space for connection and letting go of the outdated. I was gonna say shit, but I'm gonna say stuff. You just said it. It's over. Beep. You know, a sea of alms. A sea of ohms will bring me to my knees. Yeah. So let's I'll I'll just s quickly summarize that practice. So ⁓ the way I would instruct it is when I ask people to bring their their hands together in front of their heart, I might say, We're just gonna do a sea of ohms today. So we'll start together and then when you complete your first. Don't you don't need to wait for me. You don't need to wait for anybody else. Just like dive right back in and we'll create this sea of ohms, this like uninterrupted ohm. And when you're complete with your third, you can just allow everyone else to be complete and just hold that space and try to be still and notice the moment of stillness when we're all complete. Yeah, it's a really a sea of ohms is actually a quite a beautiful practice. okay, so my teaching tip. Would be to make a bold request of students to participate in Ohm, first of all. And you can just just put it front and center and just say, I'm gonna ask you to OM with me. And like consider that like OM belongs to everyone. There is like as long as as long as your intention is to have a moment of presence and reverence, there is no way you can do it wrong. And there is no way that it's gonna be appropriative. Because it is about you and your heart and allowing the sound of your heart to be manifest into the physical form as vibrational energy of sound. And so don't worry about harmony, don't worry about singing, don't worry about anything. Make a heartfelt call to yourself and just join me and make the sound of om would be the first one. I would just really make a bold demand and say, not demand, a bold request to join the ⁓ And the second I would I would say as a teaching tip is just like find a moment in your class like to like talk about it. Just like talk about what it means. Like, why do we om? Like you don't have to stop the whole class and give like a 15-minute lecture, but you could certainly weave it into you could think about the music you choose if you teach with music. You could think about how the sound of Ujayi breath is like a reflection of om. It's like a shadow of om. ⁓ there's so many ways to talk about it. There's amazing, you can just Google essays chivum. The Jiva Mukti Focus of the Month has multiple essays about OM ⁓ with more in-depth teaching tips. But like teach it. Like, say it, teach it, say what it means to you, and say what it means to you. I think something students love when we I always get this feedback is like students want to hear our experience as teachers. And now there's let me just say this: it's not by making the class about you. That is about offering from your experience to inspire the room. Right. That is not about like regaling students with your wisdom of That is very much about speaking to your belief as a point of inquiry and inspiration for students to discover their own belief. Right. It's a fine line, but like, and if you don't play with it, you'll never find it in your own voice. So, like if you're hesitant, do it. Just do it. Make the request for people to join, say something about what it means to you. And see what happens. And it's addictive. In the best way. In the best way. Truly in the best way, right? We're we're given the instruction to repeat it as an aid to our practice. Well, being in community with the two of you, ⁓ and with every single person who has ⁓ our deepest, our deepest reverence, respect, and appreciation for the time you take to listen to the sound of our voices and to enjoy the experience of your own discovery. And if we inspire Any additional discovery, it is by the grace of our teachers and by the grace of each other's presence. Because all we can try to do is illuminate with something that you already know. Like all great teachers of wisdom lineages. So I love you, Sarah Page. I love you, Seth. And I love you, Sally. I love you both. Thank you. Really? I love you too, Sally. I love you. I love you. Yeah, this is just an absolute heart work in the best way. And to all of you listening, we love you and we're so grateful. And please consider ⁓ subscribing, liking this episode, sending a comment, leaving us a review. If you gained any benefit, if you believe you gained any benefit from the sound of our words, ⁓ consider sharing it with someone else. And with that, I'll say thank you and we'll see you again or talk to you again very soon on the Sutra Squad podcast. Bye-bye for now. Bye-bye.