SoHam or SoHum Mantra

I was introduced to the meditation mantra So Ham during a course called The Turning Point run by a company called People Knowhow way back in 2003.

The first thing they taught us on the course was to meditate and meditation was a big part of all their teachings at the time. I can still see the instructor putting up the list of mantras on a whiteboard and telling us to select one but stressing that we were never to reveal the mantra we had chosen to anyone. I still wonder about the importance of this secrecy for such a simple thing as the mantra. If anyone from People Knowhow in those days could enlighten me in the comments below as to why secrecy was so stressed I would appreciate it. But there you are, I have broken the seal on the one I chose, So Ham. Usually pronounced though as So Hum and why this is I am not too sure, something to do with the pronunciation of Sanskrit perhaps, the language from which this comes.

What is a meditation mantra? It is a combination of verbal sounds that you silently “say” to yourself during meditation to bring focus to your breathing. I use it this way. Say “So” on the inhale or in breath and “Hum” on the exhale or out breath. Repeat for every breath. The purpose is to bring your focus within yourself and to hopefully quieten the internal chatter in your mind, sometimes called “monkey mind” like a monkey jumping from branch to branch.

I have included a link below to a Wikipedia entry which explains the mantra in better depth than I might here but it is generally understood that So Ham means “I am that” or “I am one with everything”. But the meaning is perhaps not as important as the rhythm and feel that it provides when used in concert with your breath. For me it just fits so well. However I do remember in the early days of meditation when combined with the personal development course like Turning Point it was bringing me to a realisation and acceptance of childhood abandonment issues which I had suppressed for many decades. Sometimes in those days the mantra would become “So Mum this is another fine mess you have got me into”. It was amusing to me at the time but on reflection probably not so much.

Let me commend the use of this mantra to you in your meditation and even more importantly, to the value of practising meditation, it can be a life saver.

References:

• For the Wikipedia definition of the mantra click here
• Image based on saint-198958 Image by Zafer from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/saint-meditation-yoga-meditating-198958/