As I look out at the world through the eyes of love, the Sanskrit mantra, “Ko Aham”, spontanously arises in my mind. This mantra is a question, which translates to mean “who am I”.

A myriad of images, words and suggestions flit across my mind, and I find myself answering, “Na Aham”, which is Sanskrit for I am not That.

“Na Aham”: I am not that memory, I am not that bundle of experiences. I am not that feeling. Na Aham, I am not that belief, nor that sensation.

I have a physical body: but I am not that ever-changing form.
I have feelings and emotions: but I am not these fluctuating patterns.
I have a mind: but I am not that vista of ideas, thoughts, beliefs and pictures.
I am infinite being, expressing, radiating, flowing….

Focussing on my breath, I draw in a long, deep breath. This perfect breath stills my mind, and I experience a profound sense of clarity. Within the stillness of no-time, the answer spontaneously comes: “So Aham” - I am That.

So Aham simply is. It is not a feeling, nor does it give rise to any sensations within the body, or thoughts within the mind. It simply “is”. So Aham, means I am That, I am pure consciousness, endlessly expressing through me, as me.

Everything else simply melts away. It’s truly amazing. All cares,worries and concerns simply dissolve into nothingness.

In this awareness I find I automatically and spontaneaously disengage from any worries, concerns or feelings of limitation. For physicality is a temporary place in endless space, a realm of subjective and objective experience. The physical body serves as impermanent, ever-changing instrument of experience, perception, action and reaction. Yet, the essence of who we are is changeless, it remains eternally radiant, pure… infinite.

The body temple is a gift which allows us to physically interface in a world of subjective and objective experience. We get to express, relate, play, and create.
We are also gifted with a truly unique sensory interface for experiencing who we are.

The mind and nervous system provides a dynamic interface for experiencing energy: it ignites a cascade of physical sensations, inspires thought and evokes feeling. We experience the beauty and essence of love. As we engage our senses: our eyes behold the splendour, while our ears the discern the subtle vibrations or sounds of essence. Through our sense of taste we get to experience the pleasure of nourishing our bodies, while our sense of smell evokes a sensory cascade of divine memories. In this way, the physical dimension gifts us with the opportunity to touch, to feel, to breathe in the divine.

In the moment that is now, I experience myself as a cosmic droplet within an infinite ocean of love. In essence, I am the dream within the dream. For we are the dreamers, the peace makers, dreaming into being beautiful visions of peace and light.

My greatest heartwish, my most cherished dream, is for peace everlasing.

Om Shanti, May Peace Prevail On Earth

Vishuddha means “the purest of the pure, pure amid all purity”. It is located at the throat. The element of this chakra is ether. Within Vishuddda, the vibrational resonance produced by sound, is imbued with subtle essence, conveying a depth of meaning that transcends words. Often these subtle inflexions are lost to us, blocked out by surges of denser energy, arising from pain fear, or overwhelm. At other times, we may be so completely identified with the words spoken, that the depth of meaning remains hidden or blocked.

The heightened perception of the sensitive soul,or the transcendent quality of beholding beauty involves the sensitivities of vishuddha. Vishuddha is the center from which we speak our truth out into the Universe.

In essence, we pull in prana, energy, into the gateway of vishuddha. Here the energy is imbued it with ethereal radiance, transformed into words, and beamed out as full and resonant sound.

Vishudda chakra is the data bank where we access the inner nada (sound). Within the purity of essence, in the silence being, one may perceive this sound. This sound is present within every element, every aspect, every dimension of universal consciousness. This eternal Om, is the primordial sound, the cosmic vibration. It does not need to be sounded, because it is already present, in every aspect, every dimension of the cosmos. It goes beyond language, beyond borders, beyond religion :: Om is universal and belongs to everyone.

Aum/Om Chanting :: Singing The Universe Through My Atoms

The resonance, or vibration, of words comprises of shaped currents of air. The element air is associated with the Heart Chakra. However, there is something much more refined – more subtle – and this is the element of ether. Those that are inherently sensitive to the energies unfolding within and around them, may feel the ethereal whisper of ether. That which is beyond words. Essence.

Chanting Om imparts a wonderfully clarifying effect on all levels of being. Most especially, it clears the throat chakra. I love to chant Om, as it feels as though I am literally singing the Universe through my atoms.

When one feels inherently sensitive to the energies unfolding within an around them, lots of activity goes on in Visshudda. This energy center is directly linked with the sense of hearing. I have found when I felt tickly or tight in the throat area, that I am either suppressing or blocking out information, shutting down or closing off. This seems to occur most especially when I am feeling anxious or afraid.

When this happens I find it helpful to focus on my breath and the colour blue. I imagine breathing in the most azure, sky blue. Then I close my eyes and notice any little physical discomforts that may be diverting my attention: such as feelings, sensations, sounds…just breathing and settling. Being fully present with my surrounding environement. Letting the sounds wash over me. Accepting them as part of what is.

As I settle into the gentle rhythm of my breath, I find at some point I pull in slightly, as I attune with my inner environment. What is going on there? What thoughts are vying for my attention? The key here is in letting the thoughts and feeling bubble up from the realms of the unconscious mind. Simply watch them. At first this requires some resolve, as I try not to judge, suppress or resist whatever is coming up. Here I use my breath to gently flow with whatever is coming up. I take a moment to reflect on what is going on with my breath. Is is high, low, deep, shallow, rapid, slow, stressed or relaxed… I then settle into my breath.

As I focus on my gentle, undulating rhythm of my breath, I begin to vocalize the four parts of the Om - from the A at the back of the throat, to the U in the middle of the mouth, to the M at the from of the mouth, and then to the hum in the head. I repeat chanting Om, slowly developing the density and duration of the sound. Sometimes I chant for five minutes, while at other times I journey into the sound for much, much longer. As I feel the sound reverberating through me, I imagine it is beaming across the room… out the window… and beyond. For this is the sound of the Universe. And as it flows through me, I cannot help but feel the sound of my voice dissolving into the sound of the absolute.
To conclude my Om chanting session, I continue chanting, letting the sound become softer and softer… slowly pulling the sound back into myself. I sit very still, just absorbing the vibrational resonance of the sound. Sometimes I continue to hear the sound in my mind’s ear. To conclude my Om Chanting Practice I chant Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti (Shanti means Peace).

Within the unfolding that is now, I am experiencing a peculiar sensation. I feel as though my mind is being s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d and that all around me time, space, consciousness is accelerating - expanding.

On a personal level, so much change is flowing into my life. It has been a bit of a quirky time for me! One of my major lessons within the unfolding, is entraining my mind so that it is in a continual state of divine flow. The energy of change is illumining for me something quite remarkable. Admidst the flux and flow of change I become aware of the many layers of conditioning that have me dwelling on the past or stressing about the future. I also become inherently aware of a previously hidden opportunity.

You see when I find myself experiencing change, there is this moment. My concept of time and space suspends for an instant, and I experience the space in-between the external stimulous and automated response. Within this moment, I can choose to intervene and create a conscious, fully realized response. I can choose to attune my thoughts and feelings with the highest vibration of Love ~ and create light spheres of pure potentiality.

By focusing on maintaining present-moment awareness I find that more and more, I am able to catch myself mid-thought. One powerful exercise I am working with involves inviting thoughts (especially those nagging thoughts!) to come to the fore. I imagine sitting under the Bodhi Tree with the deities. I feel very calm, supported and relaxed. Within this space, I initiate some self-talk, I invite the thought (regardless of whether it is perceived as positive or negative) to come sit with me, share with me. I ask the thought where it came from, what it is associated with, where is it located in my body and what it wishes to express. This is a powerful practice that gifts me with very direct information. Curiously, in many instances the thought will simply dissolve.

The challenge presented with so much rapid, accelerated change resides in being fully present with my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes there is a great temptation to try to suppress, to think of something else, or to immerse myself in the energy of distraction. This tends to create a whirling vortex of attention screaming thoughts. It’s like trying not to think of a monkey. My yogi offered a vast sum of money to his attendees in study, if anyone, in the moment, could “not” think of a monkey. Try it right now. Do not under any circumstances think of a monkey. Oh, this is such a fun exercise! Are there cheeky monkeys playing havok in your mind’s eye? It is the same with those feelings that we try to suppress.

It takes great courage to be real with yourself, to face life with a loving, open heart. The essence of love is a gentle balm and as I write I feel such a beautiful connection with the Universal Heart. I am inspired by the infinite wellspring of Universal Love/Divine Consciousness. I envision being able to draw from this wellspring at any time, Light Spheres of Pure Potentiality. I imagine (create) golden orbs of light brimming with abiding love. These beautiful orbs of light illumine my resolve, as they fill my physical, mental, emotional, and energy light body with ever-greater spheres of love, light and information.

The following is a beautiful light reminder. It a translation of the introductory verse for Upanishads of the Taittiriya Samhita of Yajur-Veda:

“Let us be together, Let us eat together, Let us be vital together, Let us be radiating truth, radiating the light of life, Never shall we denounce anyone, never entertain negativity.”

Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih