Dr Bhaskar Bora, London
What is the significance of Om?
There are sounds that fill our lives every day — the honk of a horn, a loved one’s voice, rain on rooftops. But there’s one sound that seems to come not just from the world outside, but from somewhere deeper — Om.
You don’t need to be a monk or a yogi to have heard of Om. It pops up in yoga studios, meditation apps, even on Instagram quotes. But truth be told, most of us have no idea what it really means. I didn’t, not until life slowed me down enough to sit still, breathe, and actually listen.
And that’s when I realised: Om is not just a sound. It’s a space. A rhythm. A reminder.
What Does Om Even Mean?
If you try to look it up, you’ll read things like “primordial sound,” “cosmic vibration,” or “sound of the universe.” Which sounds poetic, sure. But also a little vague, doesn’t it?
Here’s what I understood, the human way.
Om is said to be made of three parts:
- A — the beginning, the birth, the spark
- U — the flow, the journey, the in-between
- M — the ending, the silence, the letting go
And then… there’s a pause. A quiet, sacred moment after the sound fades.
That pause? That’s where the magic lies. That’s where you feel something shift — not outside, but inside.
The First Time I Really Heard Om
Not just heard, but felt. It was in a session with some close friends that I almost missed. I was quite tired and just wanted to go to sleep. But I did go. While others sat on the floor cross-legged, I had to sit on a chair due to my spinal cord injury and followed the advice of the friend who was leading the session.
We chanted Om together, slowly, three times.
When I did it the first time, it felt strange. I wasn’t sure.
The second one came out more naturally, like an exhale that had been waiting.
By the third, something inside me — I don’t know, loosened.
The sound vibrated not just in my chest, but in my bones. In my breath. In the spaces I hadn’t acknowledged in weeks.
I walked out lighter. Not changed forever. Not suddenly enlightened. Just… softer.
Why Om Still Matters (Even If You’re Not Spiritual)
Om isn’t about religion. It isn’t even really about “being spiritual” in the woo-woo sense.
It’s about tuning in.
In a world that constantly asks us to do, Om asks us to be.
To be still.
To be here.
To be aware of our breath and the fact that we’re alive. Which, honestly, is no small thing.
Om in Daily Life (Yes, Even in Traffic)
I was under the impression that one had to be in a deep meditative state on the top of the Himalayas to say Om. But over time, I started using it in the most unexpected places:
- Before an anxious Zoom call — to ground myself
- During a walk — just humming it softly under my breath
- Right after waking up — instead of checking my phone
- And sometimes, when things felt like they were falling apart
It was never perfect. Sometimes it felt silly. But sometimes it felt like home.
The Sound That Holds It All
Om doesn’t judge. It holds space for everything — the mess, the beauty, the doubt, the peace. It doesn’t tell you to be positive or productive or perfect.
It just… is.
And in doing that, it invites you to just be. For a few seconds. In a world that rarely allows that.
What Science Says
You’ll find articles about Om reducing stress, lowering heart rate, helping with focus. That’s great — and probably true.
But even if none of that were proven, Om would still matter. Because what other sound invites you to breathe fully, exhale deeply, and notice the space between thoughts?
Sometimes, that’s more healing than any app or affirmation.
A Note for the Sceptics
If you’re thinking, “This sounds too deep for me,” I hear you.
There was a time when I used to roll my eyes at anything remotely meditative or spiritual. But the world has a way of softening our edges. Life crisis does that. Loss does that. So does adversities and pain. And in those quiet crumbling moments, when no advice seems to help, sometimes one long, slow “Om” feels like the only thing that makes sense.
Not to fix anything. But to sit with it. To not feel so alone in it.
Try It Once — Not Perfectly, Just Honestly
Here’s what I suggest: find five minutes. Literally five.
Close your eyes.
Take a breath.
And let a long “Ommmmmm” move through you.
Not for Instagram.
Not for anyone else.
Just for the part of you that’s tired of carrying so much.
Let the sound hold you for a while.
Then sit in the silence that follows.
That silence? That’s where your real voice lives.
Final Thoughts: Om Is Not About Mastery — It’s About Remembering
We forget ourselves sometimes — in the deadlines, the roles we play, the noise. Om is a gentle knock. A reminder. A moment that says:
“You’re still here. You’re still breathing. And that’s enough.”
So next time you hear someone chant Om, don’t dismiss it.
Maybe join in. Or maybe just listen.
Let it move something inside you, even if just a little.
Because sometimes the most ancient truths aren’t meant to be explained.
They’re just meant to be felt.
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