204 A JOURNEY INTO YIN YOGA
So Hum Meditation
This meditation is over 3,000 years old. A simple but powerful technique, so
hum meditation uses the breath and the repetition of a mantra to quiet the
mind and relax the body. This meditation will help take your awareness from
a state of constriction to a state of expanded consciousness. On an inhale,
gently and internally say the word so. On an exhale, gently and internally say
the word hum. Notice how the word so reflects the sound of the inhalation
and how the word hum reflects the sound of the exhalation. Let your breath
remain natural as you repeat the mantra, bringing your awareness back to
it each time the mind becomes distracted by a thought, sound, or sensation.
Let the mantra align with the breath, and between breaths, allow your aware-
ness to rest in the spaces between the cycles.Vedic-Style Meditation
In the Vedic style of meditation, the mind is focused on a simple mantra. In this
meditation, use the mantra ram, which represents goodness, strength, and truth.
Internally, repeat the mantra in a gentle manner. When the mind wanders, let
the distraction go and come back to repeating the mantra. Over time, you can
slow the repetition so there are longer spaces of stillness between the mantra.