Sarah Collin

Awaken Your Heart Song

Dashboard / dru meditation

Using light to bring inner balance

As many of you know I was recently challenged with the influenza type A virus that wiped me out for a couple of weeks. I took a week off teaching and would like to thank Nicky Smith and Allison Sawyer for stepping in and keeping Wednesday and Friday classes going. It was during that first week of lying and sitting around that I rediscovered the delight and power of candle gazing. I thought this would be nice to share as a tool of transformation that might work for you too.

One evening, having had enough of lying around in bed all day, I went into the lounge and decided to put a candle on the coffee table. Once lit I was instantly drawn to the flame, like a moth to a light. The effect was transforming as I let my eyes soften and absorb the candlelight. It was almost as though there was nothing else to do other than let this light flow in. Upon reflection of this it made me wonder if the profundity of this action, gazing at the light, was a result of having spent a few days inside out of the sunlight and my body craved light.

As I sat and gazed I felt a stillness within and found myself relaxing as this stillness calmed and soothed my being. It was as though an inner knowing was awakening to the power of the light to reach into my cells and restore balance and harmony. I had intended to watch a movie but instead I was transfixed by the flame and the feeling that was moving through my whole being.

This was a timely reminder of the simple things in life that are the best for us … the straightforward act of lighting a candle, stopping to take it in and allowing the light to be felt in every cell of my body. My invitation to you is to explore this for yourself. Sit with a flame, let your breath settle, then allow your breath take you in deeper and deeper and see what you notice. With no expectations be open to letting this light take you on an inner journey to peace and harmony.

I would love to hear about your experiences with candlelight so please share, comment and spread the message of light. As we take more light in we shine more light out and make this planet a lighter, brighter place to be.

Namaste

Sarah

The meaning of Aum

At the end of my yoga classes now we finish by chanting three ‘Aums’. You may have wondered: why do we Aum? Is Aum a mantra and how might we benefit from this practice?

I introduced the chanting of Aum at the request of a student. I then asked my other classes if they too would like to explore finishing the class with three Aums as the resulting vibrational effect was so profound. Some of my yoga students enthusiastically chant and others sit and feel. Regardless of the participation, which is absolutely voluntary, the classes finish with a stillness and connection that is amplified by the three Aums.

Connecting to the Universe

Aum, or Om, represents the universal consciousness, the origin of all other sounds and is considered to be a mantra on its own. Mantra comes from ‘man’, meaning ‘mind’, and ‘tra’, to transcend, so a mantra, when repeated with a heart connection, can help us to transcend the busyness of our minds. You might think of Aum as a nameless, formless, divine presence honoured through the symbol of sound. It is the truth and energy of the universe. As energetic beings we are affected by the vibration of the mantra as sound is energy.

The chanting of sacred sounds has been embraced by traditions all over the world and the accumulative effect can be felt in many places of worship: that silence and reverence you feel as you enter and sit. It is the repetition of the chant that creates the effect deep in your cellular structure, permeating your whole being and even the space around you. You see this practiced often with the use of prayer beads or malas as the mantra is chanted into each bead as a form of practice.

When we chant Aum at the end of our classes it is broken down into three parts with equal time given to each part. Ah is chanted from the region of the navel, oo from the sternum and mm from the throat as we close our mouths and let the vibration be felt all the way to our lips.

If we chant the mantra of Aum with open hearts and mindful intent it is a vibrational experience that, to my observations, assimilates all that has taken place in the class. It is as if it pulls all the intent of the day’s practice into our hearts and then vibrates out collectively for the benefit of all, leaving you in a still, connected state of being. When you surrender to the mantra and the connected state it creates, you connect with the vibration of the universe. It is powerful.
 
 
I look forward to seeing you in class soon to share the power of Aum together.
 
Namaste

Sarah