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Advanced
Yoga Practices
Plus
Lesson 59 - Some Mantra Particulars
(Audio) Dec 30, 2003 Q: I have some questions about the I AM mantra. What if I have been given a mantra from someone else for meditation? Does I AM have the same effect as OM? Can I use I AM for chanting? Can I use it during the day while I am at work? Can I use it as I go to sleep at night? You said don't use I AM during pranayama. What about using a mantra such as So-Ham with the breath during pranayama? Besides morning and evening, can I meditate using I AM in the middle of the day too? A: If you are following another teaching or tradition, and it is going well, stick with that. That goes for any other mantra you have been given as well. In that case, just consider these lessons to be "food for thought." There is no wish here to interfere with existing systems of practice. These lessons are designed to present an "open system" of integrated spiritual practices that can be used by anyone to the degree desired. Beginners can start from scratch at the beginning and go all the way through with these lessons. Experienced practitioners can tap in anywhere and pick up a few pointers. Like that. If you have decided to use these lessons as the primary source for your practice, then you would do best to discontinue any overlapping practices and follow the lessons precisely. There are only so many things a person can do at once. You can see there are plenty of practices here to digest. There will be many more advanced yoga practices coming. Keep it simple and go one step at a time. If this is going to be your primary source, there will be more than enough to do. We will leave no stone unturned. The I AM mantra is similar to OM, but not exactly the same, so the effects are somewhat different. I AM has both linear and circular qualities contained within it, while OM is circular. "I" is the linear quality in I AM. "AM" is the circular quality in I AM. So you can see I AM has something extra. What is that something extra? It is a polarity. OM is well known to be the sound of kundalini moving through the body, the nervous system becoming enlivened as sexual essences circulate higher up and a new biology emerges. Many can hear it. OM is the sound of Mother Nature in us, and she is ecstatic bliss. Ahhh... OM is Mother. But where is Father? As we become enlightened, a divine romance occurs in us. A joining. In the I AM mantra, "I" is the Father vibration, and "AM" is the Mother vibration. Recall that yoga means "to join." This happens on many levels in many ways. In meditation, we are refining the vibrations of the mantra every day to stillness, to silence, to pure bliss consciousness, over and over again. Using I AM as mantra, we are cultivating pure bliss consciousness fully through the nervous system, permeating the natural polarity that exists within us. We are enlivening both divine masculine and divine feminine qualities within us at the same time. This has a direct relationship to the dynamics in the spinal nerve, and to the dynamics of kundalini. More on that later. The thing to understand here is that I AM has some special characteristics. This may sound theoretical, but it becomes very experiential in time. As your experience advances, you will find that the vibrational quality of the mantra has a direct correspondence with inner ecstatic experiences that constitute a consummation of polarities going on in the nervous system. It is a complex, but automatic, process we stimulate with our daily practice. Continue to be relaxed and easy in your meditations. All this theory means nothing compared to the simple process of meditation. Forget the meanings when you meditate. If all this meaning comes up in meditation, just treat it like any other thoughts. Easily go back to the mantra. Just meditate every day, and everything will come naturally. In time, you will experience inside what has been mentioned here. Chanting I AM is not recommended if you are using it in your daily meditation. The reason is that we use the mantra for going inward to stillness of mind and body. Chanting is an outside activity. We want the habit with the mantra to be going in. In time, you will think the mantra once and be gone into pure bliss consciousness. Your nervous system will become habituated to dive into the meditative state at the drop of a hat - a wonderful ability to have in this hectic world. If you love to chant, find something else to use. Chanting has its own benefits and is wonderful, especially in groups. Stick with using the I AM mantra for going in with the simple but powerful procedure of meditation. If you like to use I AM at bedtime as you go to sleep, that's okay, but keep it inside. Keep in mind it can be very stimulating for some people, especially as we further awaken kundalini. That could keep you awake. Of course, it is okay to use "I AM" in regular conversation. That is fine. That is on the level of meaning. Meditation is beyond verbal meaning, on levels of inner refinement of the vibration of thought where there is much more power.
Thinking the mantra during the day while in activity is not recommended. When you are in the world, be in the world. When you are in meditation, be in meditation. Your activity will stabilize pure bliss consciousness in your nervous system. That will happen naturally if you meditate twice a day. In general, keep meditation and activity separate. Both have their purpose. Likewise, we don't deliberately use the mantra while we are doing pranayama, or vise versa. The reason we don't use the mantra in pranayama is because we are already building many other habits of practice relating to spinal breathing. Spinal breathing is an advanced practice, and becomes more advanced as we add on the other things that we do during pranayama. There are breathing mantras like So-Ham that people use during pranayama. That is fine as a beginning practice when the attention is not going up and down the spinal nerve and also building the other habits that are necessary for advanced yoga practice. Because we begin with spinal breathing in these lessons, we skip the beginning practice of breathing mantra. Instead, we do pranayama first and meditation second. In these lessons we don't do both at the same time. Twice a day is the formula for meditation. If morning and mid afternoon are best for you rather than morning and early evening, then do it. Take a good rest when coming out so activity will be smooth. Meditation three times a day may make you cranky. If you have a weekend or holiday, and are removed from responsibilities, you can try three meditations for a day or two. But keep in mind you are using a powerful practice that releases obstructions/impurities in your nervous system. If they come out too fast, it can be uncomfortable. That is why we rest after meditation, and then go and be active to stabilize the pure bliss consciousness in our nervous system. Find your steady pattern, and make it a routine. Regularity in practice over time is how to progress. Short intense practice for a day here and there won't make much difference. It is what you do day in and day out for months and years that will make the difference. Then the silence of pure bliss consciousness will come up and permeate every part of your life.
Q: Thanks for all great information in your website. Does the mantra I AM mean "I am" in English, or is it an Indian word? And what about OM?
Of course, it is true that I AM (AYAM) has meaning in both English and Sanskrit, as well as other languages, but this is not a factor in the application of the sound in deep meditation. You can find an audio clip of the mantra in Lesson 13. Regarding OM, it is Sanskrit and has no verbal meaning either. It is a sound representing the primal vibration in the human nervous system. There are versions of it in English (AMEN) and other languages. See the above lesson for a discussion on the relationship of OM and I AM. If you go through the AYP lessons in order, you will see how the daily practice of deep meditation with mantra promotes overall spiritual progress and increasing peace, energy and creativity in daily activity. Wishing you all the best on your path. Practice wisely, and enjoy!
Q: I want to know what is a Linear and what is a Circular Mantra. What is the difference and how to recognize?
As mentioned in the lesson, linear has polarity and circular does not. It is an important principle and direct experience in yoga -- the joining of polarity in unity, the joining of stillness and ecstasy, the joining of shiva and shakti, the balanced integration of upper and lower spiritual neurobiology. This is what is behind the progression of AYP mantras, including enhancements. Best to take it one step at a time with mantra in our deep meditation practice, beginning with I AM. Practice wisely, and enjoy!
Q: I am a new AYP registered yoga teacher (RYT), and will begin teaching Deep Meditation soon. I was thinking about all the questions that could arise from the students, and how I would answer them. And then I realised that if a student asked me "where does the AYAM mantra come from?" I can't answer that question myself. I can say and feel many things about it, but not where it comes from. So I thought I should ask you directly: Why did you decide to teach this particular "I AM" (AYAM) mantra as a unique mantra for everyone? Where does it come from? How did you come across this mantra yourself? A: Congratulations on becoming a registered AYP teacher! Regarding the source of the I AM (AYAM) mantra, there have been endless discussions on this over the years in the AYP community. Happily, those discussions eventually wore themselves out, as excessive intellectual analysis has a way of undermining the simplicity of deep meditation practice and its results. So the less analysis on it, the better. That said, AYAM is ancient, as ancient as OM, only not quite as well known. It can be found in a number of traditions in varying forms. Like OM, the source of AYAM is in the subtle human nervous system, with greater polarity (more linear) than OM. See Lesson 59 above, with additions, for more on that. Those with ecstatic conductivity can perceive this directly, but seeking or over-analyzing this kind of direct perception can also be a distraction. It comes naturally with practice and human spiritual transformation over the years. So best to stick with the simple practice of deep meditation, and results will speak for themselves. This is especially important in the early months and years of practice, where temptations to analyze too much can pull us off track. As the old saying goes, "If the shoe fits, wear it." Studying the origins of the shoe has little to do with wearing it. Same with mantra and deep meditation. It is for improving the quality of our life in the here and now. So if anyone asks about the source of AYAM, maybe best to say "Yogani." If they press the question, you can refer them to Lesson 59. Beyond that, it can become a lot of unnecessary speculation, and a potential distraction. Better that students focus on daily practice and going out and living an active life. That is the formula for steady progress. I am honored that you have chosen to become an AYP RYT. All the best on your teaching journey and on your path!
Q: I would like to ask about experience using OM Mantra vs I Am (AYAM) mantra during meditation. I'm fairly new on my journey and before encountering AYP teachings, I used OM Mantra during meditation. Specifically, I would focus my attention at the center of my forehead and mentally chant OM six times for each inhalation and OM another six times upon exhalation. I learned this technique by reading about Kriya Yoga. The past couple of days, I've been using the AYP I Am mantra during meditation and I can feel a significant difference between the OM and I Am mantra. While using the OM mantra, I can feel an intense pulling sensation at the center of my forehead and my eyes would turn upward without any effort. After some time, my breath would feel slower and the interval between breath becomes longer (never to an uncomfortable point). Whereas, when I am using the I Am mantra, the feeling is less intense, and the I Am mantra feels lighter and less extreme. I don't get the same pulling sensation, but the I AM mantra feels more relaxing and smooth. I can't think of any other words to describe it. With that said, given all this, now that I have two mantras, each providing different sensations, I'm having a hard time picking one for my practice over the other. I would love to get your opinion on this matter. Thank you.
There are specific reasons why the I AM mantra is smoother, and far less likely to cause difficulties with energy overload in deep meditation, and in daily life. Lesson 59 above discusses the differences between I AM (AYAM) and OM. Accordingly, OM is not recommended as a starting mantra in AYP deep meditation for the reasons given in the lesson. Later on, it has a role to play in the AYP enhanced mantras, as mentioned. But as a beginner, this is not the time to be considering a mantra enhancement, and certainly not the time to be using two different mantras from two different systems. There is nothing wrong with participating in group OM chanting and the like, but deep meditation is a very different thing, and the mantra we use for that will have far-reaching effects, so best to begin with a mantra that has well-known long term effects deep in the subtle neurobiology. There is no shortage of effects from causes we may introduce in practice, some which can get out of hand if we are not on a well-established path. The trick is in maintaining a balance between practice and results in our daily life over the long term, as we go deeper into abiding inner silence and live increasingly in and as stillness during our ordinary daily life, which is rising freedom from fear and suffering. AYP is designed for this, taking us deep, while at the same time enhancing our peace and creativity in daily activity, with effective measures for maintaining that balance for good spiritual progress with comfort and safety. So it is not recommended to try and follow two teachings at once, mixing them together, as this can lead to a lot of difficulties and confusion. Better to pick one teaching and stay with it. If it is the AYP approach you are interested in, the suggestion is to take the lessons more or less in order, with good "self-pacing" of your practice as you move along over months and years. The journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Wishing you all the best on your path!
Q: I am new to AYP and know very little. Have been reading about Deep Meditation and the I AM mantra. What is the specific quality and reason that this sound has been chosen before others? I have done a little previous research into yoga studies and have read that the Sanskrit seed (Bija) mantras are holy and powerful vibrations and was realized by rishis long ago. I just wonder about the qualities of I AM instead of a perhaps more tested Sanskrit seed mantra? I have come to get a feeling that in AYP it somehow is okay to make individual adjustments. What would be your view on using another mantra as one consisting of Sanskrit seed syllables in the DM practice? I know little and come here hoping to learn. Thank you.
It is not easy for me to explain why AYP is like or not like other systems. While such comparisons of mantras, approaches to practice, etc. may be interesting, the real proof of the pudding (a particular system of practice) is in the eating. So, if interested, try AYP deep meditation with the I AM (AYAM) mantra (Lesson 13) and see if the results are there for you. It is generally not recommended to mix parts of other systems, including mantras, with the AYP approach, especially for beginners, as results cannot be predicted. Rather, start at the beginning of the AYP lessons and see how things develop. Along the way you will find ample explanation of the AYP approach to mantras, including mantra enhancements as daily practice becomes more advanced over months and years. You can find discussions on mantra particulars in Lesson 59 above. Your own experience with AYP will be your greatest teacher. But it does take a commitment to consistent daily practice over time, without jumping around to different things every other week and month. Best to dig the well deep in in one place in order to bring up the water of pure bliss consciousness. For the type of system AYP is, it is both streamlined for modern practitioners with busy lives, while at the same time being very traditional. It is a time-tested approach. All the best on your path. Practice wisely, and enjoy! The guru is in you. Discuss this Lesson in the AYP Plus Support Forum Note: For detailed instructions on deep meditation, see the Deep Meditation Online Book. |
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