Chanting and Gardens - 'OM' in the Garden

Om Stone in one of my landscapes- Jan

We need to balance the pace and intensity of modern life with periods of what poet May Sarton has called "open time,

with no obligations except toward the inner world and what is going on there."

~ Thomas Moore

So how to touch the inner world in a garden?..

I suggest chanting 'OM.' or really 'AUM'. , long and sustained, several times...“Om” is the oldest and most widely known one syllable mantra or chant.    It is said very, very slowly.
 

The Sanskrit symbol above represents “OM”. It does not say '30' as some might assume.

 

Look for this - click here: Wall Decal - OM

 

 

Though commonly spelled “Om.”, the sound is really 'Ahhooom" and the symbol consists of these three letters, “a,” “u,” and “m,” and includes an after-sound of silence:

• The “a” (pronounced "ah," the upper curve) represents our waking state.

• The “u” (pronounced "ooh," the long, lower curve) is the dreaming state.

• The “m” (the curve issuing from the center) is the dreamless state of deep sleep.

 The after-sound, symbolic of the transcendent state of consciousness,  is represented by the dot...it is our connection with a higher reality.

Garden Oms (smile)

 

Mantras are believed to contain a vibrational power that can lift us to higher states. 

Scientists recently discovered that rhythmic recitations of a mantra can slow breathing and regulate heart rhythms, this in turn oxygenates the blood, lowers blood pressure and induces a feeling of calmness and well-being.

 

Silently repeating a mantra did not produce the same effects as reciting them out loud. 

You must chant OM. out loud...slowly. and remember the 'dot' or after-sound silence.

 Lawai International Center, Kauai - shrines

(In the west we sell 'Resperate' for $250 to regulate our breath and lower blood pressure ...why don't we just chant OM in a serenity garden?)

Buddhism has the concept of "Om Mani Padme Hum" – a chant that celebrates the ‘jewel in lotus’-the essence in the core of man, which can glow into radiant brightness if he removes himself from the debris of life.

From Candle for Tibet

If repeating 'om' is not your thing then try this during your 'open time':

Lotus Night light

Listen - to the sounds around you.

 

Feel - the plants or the ground under your feet or the sun on your face.

 

See - what is around you.  enjoy the colors.

 

Smell - what does your environment smell like?

 

 

Try to stay focused on them for as long as you can.

At first, you'll find your mind wandering away frequently but this exercise is calming and pleasant. It may sound boring but really it's a relaxing break.

Here is some amazing music of OM.....