Translation of the mantra. What is the correct mantra so-ham

SO'HAM SADHANA - preliminary practice

Breathing, both physical and subtle, consists of two parts: inhalation, when air is drawn into the lungs, and exhalation, when the collected air is expelled from the lungs. The air emitted from the lungs forms the sound Ham (from Aham, i.e. "I"), and the air inhaled forms the sound Sa (from Sah, i.e. "he"). The two sounds together form the Sanskrit word "Ham'sa" - "Swan", which is a synonym for the concept "Into the Supreme Spirit". In Indian mythology, a swan is a bird that can separate milk from water, which is usually impossible. This exceptional ability of the mythical swan made it a symbol of distinction (Viveka) between that which is real (Spirit) and that which is transitory (the world of names and forms).

Moreover, the swan is purely white color, without blemishes and is said to represent the symbol of the soul. The sound "Ham" symbolizes the male creative principle of consciousness, and the sound "Sa" symbolizes the female creative principle of energy. If the word "Kham'sa" is pronounced backwards, it sounds like "So'ham" in Sanskrit. The word "So'ham" is a famous statement (mahavakya) of the Upanishads, emphasizing the similarity of individual souls (Aham - I) and the Supreme Spirit (Sah - Thoth) (Isha Upanishad).

"So'ham" includes the following vowels and consonants: “s”, “o”, “x”, “a”, and “m”. If we remove the consonants “s” and “x” we are left with “Om”, the greatest of all mantras ( thought forms). This sacred mantra extends to all articulated sounds and is a symbol of the cosmic order as understood by the human mind. On a practical level, the sound So'ham produced by inhalation and exhalation can be used as a means of developing consciousness.

Traditionally, this is called an exercise in involuntary repetition (ajapa-japa) - very effective for training consciousness and controlling the mind. It is also known as the natural (sahaja) way because no mantra, mala (rosary) or initiation is needed. All that is needed is to be constantly aware of the two sounds made when inhaling and exhaling. Breathing is always with us and always remains in any state of consciousness: awakening, sleep and deep sleep. If awareness of the sound So'ham can be maintained in all three states of consciousness, then the person reaches the fourth state of consciousness called turiya, or the final state of insight. But, however, firstly, it is difficult to constantly be aware of the sound “So'ham”, since this requires a little formal and preliminary practice (Sadhana).

Find a clean place, free from noise and other disturbances. The place should not remind of anything unpleasant. A natural beauty spot near a trickling stream or in the shade of flowering trees would be wonderful. It can be any time of the day or night. It is important to keep the mind calm and relaxed.

To begin, sit in a comfortable position, your eyes can be open or closed, as convenient. Then inhale slowly and try to hear the sound “Sa”. If you don't hear the sound at first, try to imagine or mentally repeat it. As you exhale, you may also hear the sound Ham, imagined or mentally repeated. You need to pay attention to the fact that the breathing is constant and the “o’ham” does not break into partial sounds, like a mantra pronounced out loud. Typically, when someone begins to notice the process of breathing, the rate of breathing changes slightly. This can get nasty. Take a short break if this happens, and then resume your workout. After 10-15 minutes, breathing will lengthen until the idea of ​​sound becomes natural and involuntary. When this happens, it will feel as if breathing has stopped. But there is no reason to worry because this is only a sign that the execution has now become natural.

This is the state Sahaji. Those. The mantra "S o'ham" is not spoken out loud, at the level of speech known as vaikhari. The stage of Sahaja leads to complete mastery of the breath and with mastery of the breath comes complete mastery of the nature of emotional, psychological and physical states. If you master the nature of states of mind, you can free yourself from the bonds of attachment. In tranquility, the final meeting of consciousness (Purusha) and energy (Prakriti) takes place.

Since the normal breathing rate of human beings is 15 times per minute, this would amount to a total of 21,600 breaths in 24 hours. The life energy that permeates the subtle body also flows in and out with the physical breath. Since life depends on the process of breathing and since part of the vital energy is lost during exhalation, it is only natural that by controlling the ratio of inhalation and exhalation, vital energy can be accumulated and life can be lengthened.

It is known that some yogis lived for many centuries, while others became almost immortal - they carefully preserved the flow of their vital energy. The flow of vital energy in and out, associated with breathing, has a noticeable effect on the human body. So, if the flow of vital energy can be brought under the control of consciousness, the yogis claim that disease can be prevented and cured, the life of human activity can be extended and one can allow oneself to penetrate deeply into the past and the future.

(From the book "The Secret Power of Tantric Breathing" Swami Sivapriyananda).

Pranayama.part 2 was last modified: March 14th, 2019 by consultant

Meditation is a powerful tool in human self-discovery. Many meditation practices are very complex and require some preparation. But, there is such a universal technique that anyone can practice without prior preparation, regardless of age, gender and religious views. This practice is mantra SO-HAM.

It is possible to experience the state of deep meditation through breathing. After all, when we are born, we take our first breath, when we die, then with our last exhalation life leaves us. We breathe constantly, no matter what we do, this process occurs unconsciously. Contemplating breathing means contemplating life, its movement. SO-HAM is a mantra our breath, our body repeats it. When we inhale, the sound of air creates the sound CO, and when we exhale, it creates HAM. By comprehending the process of meditation, contemplating our breathing, we begin very clearly. If you practice SO-HAM, your mind becomes balanced, your thoughts and inner state become collected and harmonious. Even your physical and mental body becomes healthier.

Technique for performing the HAM mantra

As for the pose, a person who understands yoga can use Siddhasana or Vajrasana pose. An ordinary person can practice the SO-HAM mantra in any position convenient for him, including sitting in a chair or lying on the sofa. Avoid a too relaxed body position to avoid falling asleep. Next, take a few deep breaths and exhales, and try to relax as much as possible. Then turn your attention to the breathing process, but in no case control your inhalation and exhalation, but rather contemplate your natural breathing. As you inhale, repeat CO every time, and as you exhale, repeat HAM, do this constantly.

The powerful mantra SO-Ham should be repeated throughout the exercise. If any thoughts come into your head, do not push them away or concentrate on them, and then your mind will gradually begin to calm down and plunge into a meditative state. You must decide for yourself how long this process will take you. Five minutes of exercise will be beneficial, and even an hour of this practice will not be superfluous. The main thing is regularity.

Practice the SO-HAM mantra for 10-15 minutes at a time if you are just learning it. More is possible. But the main thing is to do it daily.

The meaning of the strong mantra HAM

In order to practice this meditation, it is not necessary to understand the meaning of the mantra, but it will not be superfluous either. Just meditating on the meaning of the powerful mantra SO-HAM is a very powerful wisdom yoga technique.

SO in translation means that. HAM - I am. And in total SO-HAM – I am that. That is an endless stream of life.

When going to bed, instead of thinking about endless problems, immerse your mind in contemplating breathing and repeating beautiful mantra SO HAM. Do this until you fall asleep. After this practice, you will sleep peacefully, and in the morning you will wake up alert, fresh and well rested.

SoHam- I am!

The So-Ham mantra is sometimes called the Gayatri breath mantra or the mantra that is as natural as the breath itself, since it is the sound of our very breath. One of its translations can be formulated as “I am!” or “I am Consciousness!”

Below I want to give you excerpts from “Kriya Yoga” - Swami Satyananda Saraswati (direct follower and student of Swami Sivananda), so that you better understand the importance of this mantra (in parallel, you can also talk about similar Buddhist practices with breathing and many others, but consideration They are not included in the topic of this page, I just want to draw your attention to the importance of awareness of breathing).

This is a mantra that occurs automatically with every inhalation and exhalation. This sound is associated with the natural rhythm of breathing. And every person sings this mantra constantly, regardless of whether he knows it or not, whether he wants it or not.
In all Vedic practices, consciousness must be fixed on something. This should be the focal point at which the vibrations of the mind are brought into order and targeted. Many things can be used for this purpose: a mantra, a mental image of a deity, or even your thumb. But this “something” should automatically attract your attention and constantly evoke memories. And it's not that easy. Consciousness resists the process of concentration, constantly strives to run away and wander. And the symbol we choose is easily forgotten. The practitioner again finds himself in a stream of wandering thoughts. SoHam is an ideal mantra because it is performed independently of consciousness. She can only stop when her breathing stops. And therefore, SoHam reminds you to be conscious.
Any mantra can be integrated with the breathing processes in order to continuously produce memories. But SoHam, unlike all the others, arises naturally in the mind, and therefore it is the easiest mantra for most people. This has already been tested by countless yogis over thousands of years of experience. We highly recommend it (as well as the AUM mantra) for all sincere sadhaks. Constant remembrance of her leads to dhyana.
SoHam also literally means: “I am Shiva (pure consciousness)” or “I am He (pure consciousness).”
The mixture of the individual and the cosmic or higher consciousness indicates the union of Shiva and Shakti. However, readers should not be too concerned about how the word should be translated or how the meaning should be understood. Any attempt to understand this word mentally will lead to confusion. It can only be understood on an intuitive level. And only when the practitioner understands its transcendental meaning, only then can it be used as a means of constant support and remembrance. "It" means the constant flow of dhyana.
If you wish and if your consciousness is completely single-minded, you can delve further into the depths and into the real meaning of the word SoHam. But this is already a method of jnana yoga. However, it will not bring any results if your mind is tense and full of problems, even if you pronounce this word without stopping, twenty-four hours a day. Only if your consciousness is ready and your aspiration is strong enough, only then will you understand the transcendental meaning of the word SoHam. Its meaning is like a tongue of flame, a stripe of active light. But remember that for this you must be ready. For those who are already ready for this type of jnana yoga practice, we recommend entering SoHam as the best sadhana.
The main thing is to be conscious and observe how the sound synchronizes with the breath.

Some people hear "SaKham" instead of "SoKham". In principle, this is acceptable and can be used in Shabdha Sanchalyana.
SoHam must be integrated with breathing. With the practice of ujjayi pranayama, this sound can be heard quite clearly. Give it a try. You will most likely hear: So - on inhalation and Ham - on exhalation.
You should hear “so” as you inhale as consciousness moves from mulyadhara along the frontal arohan channel to bindu. It should be a long sound. From mulyadhara to svadhisthana this sound should be expressed in the sound: “s - s - s”. From svadhisthana to bindu it should sound like a long “oooh”. This pronunciation is reflected in the accompanying picture.
The sound “Ham” should be performed on the exhalation, when consciousness moves along the spinal canal avarohan from bindu to mulyadhara. From bindu through ajna to vishuddhi it should sound like: “x - a - a - a.” From Vishuddha to Muladhara it should be heard as: “m-m-m.” It is a buzzing sound that vibrates in the spine.
The sound SoHam should not be pronounced out loud. This is the natural sound of breathing. The sound should be such that you can hear it, but anyone standing very close to you, even very close, cannot hear anything.

As you inhale, your consciousness should identify with the sound “So” and rise up the frontal arohan channel. After leaving the mulyadhara chakra, you should feel the mantra and breath passing through svadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi and finally bindu.
When you exhale with the sound “Ham”, your consciousness should descend along the avarohan spinal canal. As you leave the bindu, you should feel the mantra and breath gradually passing through the ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, svadhisthana and finally the mulyadhara chakra.
There should be no mental repetition of the names of the chakras and their fields... only awareness.
During Shabdha Sanchalana you should practice ujjayi pranayama, khetchari mudra and unmani mudra.

Sit comfortably. Straighten your back. Open your eyes, do khetchari mudra and hold it throughout the practice. Exhale deeply and tilt your head forward. Feel, directing your consciousness, the muladhara chakra. This will begin your first round of energy circulation.
Using ujjayi pranayama, inhale and begin to ascend the arohan channel. Hear the sound "So" and feel it pierce each chakra as it rises.
When your consciousness begins to move between the field of Vishuddhi and Bindu, slowly raise your head. Your head should be raised and looking forward when the consciousness reaches the bindu. The “So” mantra and inhalation should end as the consciousness reaches the bindu. Become aware of your location in bindu for a few seconds. Then begin to exhale using ujjayi through the avarohan channel. Accept the performance of unmani mudra. Hear the sound of “Ham” and feel how it pierces the chakras one after another. There should be no mental naming of the chakras... only consciousness. Your exhalation and the sound “Ham” should end when the consciousness reaches mulyadhara. Bend your head forward. Open your eyes. Maintain your consciousness on the mulyadhara for a few seconds. This is the end of the first cycle. This process is shown in the attached figure. Now start the second cycle. Using ujjayi, inhale and with the sound “So” begin to raise consciousness along the arohan channel. Do this for fifty-nine (59) rounds. After this, move on to Maha mudra.

So Ham is an unusual mantra, it is not like most others. While other mantras have the names of gods in their text, this mantra is simply translated simply “I am.” This allows practitioners to put into it the meaning that is most close and understandable to them.
Some sources say that Shiva himself brought this mantra to people, and by repeating So Ham, a person becomes one with this great god and with his pure consciousness.
So Ham is considered a breathing mantra, since the sound So occurs with inhalation, and Ham with exhalation. Also, So Ham is a mantra for extreme concentration of the mind. It is often used in Pranayama techniques, however, every person unconsciously repeats it almost every moment along with their breathing. If you learn to control it, you can become someone who is in a conscious state of mind every minute of your existence. And this is reaching a fairly high stage on the path to enlightenment.
Those who practice repeating the So Ham mantra for a long time begin to feel the presence of higher consciousness, the union of the masculine and feminine principles within themselves - the union of Shiva and Shakti. And most importantly, they gain inner purity, composure and peace.
When reading the So Ham mantra, you can do the following exercise: sit in a comfortable position, or better yet, stand straight. When inhaling, say a long “So”, imagining how prana moves from Muladhara to Bindu, when exhaling, say a long “Ham”, imagining how prana descends from Bindu to Muladhara. Pronounce the sound itself quietly, or mentally. While reciting the mantra, imagine how prana passes through all your chakras and cleanses them of subtle impurities. Try to keep your mind away from thoughts and your gaze away from specific objects. You can concentrate on Shiva, his qualities, his image, or on some personal goal of your own.