AUM CHANTING
Sound + Breath + Stillness
Chanting AUM (or OM) is one of those rare practices that works on many levels at once—breathwork, sound healing, and mindful stillness combined in a single, simple act.
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As breathwork: It gently stretches the exhale, activating your parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s natural “calm” switch.
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As sound: It becomes a vibration you generate yourself, resonating through your body and giving the mind a steady point of focus.
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As stillness: The silence after the sound is part of the practice too, offering a moment of rest in the spaciousness it leaves behind.
Why Try It?
AUM chanting is for anyone who wants to
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Reduce stress and tension in body and mind
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Support healthy breathing and lower blood pressure
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Calm the nervous system and activate the vagus nerve (a key regulator of relaxation)
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Add structure and ease to meditation
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Explore the power of sound in a way that feels both personal and universal
Chanting AUM isn’t tied to a belief system. You don’t need to subscribe to anything
beyond your own breath and voice. It’s simply a tool for shifting your state of being—one that people across traditions have found deeply effective.
AUM: The Sound That Centers and Heals.
Each long, resonant AUM carries a physical vibration that you can feel in your chest, throat, and head. This vibration supports the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in relaxation, emotional stability, and restoring balance to your nervous system. That’s part of why the practice often leaves people feeling more settled, uplifted, and connected — even after just a few minutes. Whether you think of it as sacred or simply sonic, AUM is a steady companion for anyone seeking stillness.
AUM isn’t about magic —
it’s a vibration that steadies the breath, settles the nerves, and opens a little more quiet inside.
A Familiar Bridge
If you come from a Western background, AUM chanting may be less familiar, but its benefits aren’t foreign. Western traditions have long used sound for healing—think of Gregorian chants, hymns, or even the steady rhythm of prayer.
Modern science echoes these insights: vocal sound practices like AUM chanting can lower cortisol, ease anxiety, and help train the brain into more relaxed states.
This makes AUM a kind of bridge practice—rooted in the East but resonant with universal human experience. Like yoga or mindfulness, it has crossed cultures because it simply works.
Silent Chanting
There’s also a subtler practice called mental japa — the silent repetition of AUM in the mind. Many consider it to be deeply potent, but it’s best approached after first chanting aloud, where you can feel the breath, the vibration, and the sound directly. With time, the sound may begin to echo inward on its own.
How to Begin
You don’t need to carve out hours to try this. One breath. One sound. One moment of stillness. That’s enough to begin. With daily practice, those moments accumulate, reshaping stress into calm, chatter into focus, and tension into ease.
Before you watch and listen…
reading these steps might be a good place to start:
HOW TO CHANT AUM
Here’s a simple way to begin. Let the breath lead, and let the sound flow naturally.
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Sit upright. Find a comfortable seated posture with your spine tall and your body relaxed.
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Inhale gently. Breathe in through your nose, steady and smooth.
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Chant AUM on the exhale. Say the sound in one slow, connected breath. Let each part flow into the next.
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(pronounced “ah” as in father): A
Start the sound in your chest and belly. It’s bright and open.
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(pronounced “oo” as in moon): U
Let the sound rise through your throat and feel it round out and deepen.
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(a closed-mouth hum, like “mmm”): M
Close your lips and feel the vibration in your head and face. This is the deepest and quietest part. Let it trail off into silence.
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Pause. Let the sound fade completely. Rest in the quiet for a moment before breathing in again.
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Repeat. Try three rounds to start. You can increase gradually as desired.
You can chant AUM to lead into meditation as a way to get centered, slow your breathing, and still the mind. Many of us practice AUM chanting for longer periods, often 20 minutes or more, finding astounding physiological gifts from the practice as you'll see in the subtitled YouTube short at the end of our video section.
Scroll down. A few minutes is all it takes.
Begin.
Watch & Listen
Here are a few handpicked videos to help you explore AUM chanting for yourself. From learning the basics to diving into the sound, and even discovering the science behind it, these clips give you different ways to experience the practice.
Try one—or all—and see how it feels in your own body and mind.
“The sound of AUM is not about belief — it’s about listening, breathing, and letting the body rest in its natural rhythm.”
— JACK KORNFIELD
Buddhist Teacher
How to Chant AUM Correctly
New to chanting? This short video walks you through the basics—how to shape the sound, use your breath, and feel the vibration in your body. A clear, simple start for anyone curious to try.
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Title: How to chant AUM correctly | The power of AUM
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Creator: Bharti Yoga
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Length: 1 min
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Video by Bharti Yoga, shared with appreciation
AUM Chanting at 432 hz
Settle in and let the sound carry you. This extended chant resonates at 432 Hz, a calming frequency often used for meditation and sound healing. Perfect for a deeper session or background practice.
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Title: OM Chanting @ 432 Hz
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Creator: Meditative Mind
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Length: 3 hrs
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Video by Meditative Mind, shared with appreciation.
The Neuroscience of AUM Chanting
What does chanting do to the brain? This talk explores the science behind AUM—showing how it calms the nervous system, lowers stress, and shifts brainwave activity. A great watch if you like knowing the “why.”
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Title: Neuroscience Behind Aum Chanting - Dr. Sweta Adatia
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Creator: Dr. Sweta Adatia
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Length: 5 min
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Video by Dr. Sweta Adatia, shared with appreciation.
Variations in Practice
(A Subtitled Short)
A quick glimpse into how different traditions sound AUM slightly differently—yet each approach works. A reminder that the practice is flexible, and you’ll find the version that feels natural to you.
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Title: How to Chant AUM for Maximum Benefits?
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Creator: Parveen Sharma
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Length: 1 min
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Video by Parveen Sharma, shared with appreciation.
Whether you chant for a minute or a meditation’s length, AUM has a way of bringing the mind to stillness and the body into ease. Make it part of your day, and notice how even small moments of sound and silence can ripple through the rest of your life.
“Chanting AUM or listening to its vibration brings deep peace to the heart and awakens awareness of our inner life.”
— PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA
Modern Teacher, Autobiography of a Yogi
The Chakra System:
Map to Inner Awareness
A basic understanding of the Chakra System can be helpful here, as practices like Breathwork, Sound Healing, Sacred Geometry, and Yoga Meditation often overlap with this ancient framework.
Rooted in the Vedic tradition, the Chakra System offers a symbolic way to reflect on how energy may move through body and mind. Whether you see it as metaphor or more, it can help you connect with grounding, creativity, willpower, compassion, clarity, intuition, and connection.
