Inhale from 9 inches away from the nostrils and mentally say ‘so…ooo’ as you inhale.
Bring your awareness to the ‘so’ as that ‘so’ goes inward, into the center of the brain and center of your body, then stops.
Stay there for a fraction of a second, then exhale as you feel and say ‘hammmm’ throughout the phase of exhalation. You exhale out of the body and ham dissolves into the outer space.
Within these two stops, so and ham, within that gap, there is a canvas of pure awareness. On that canvas, your whole life is painted. Be with that canvas and then you will feel the pure essence of your being. Your being is god, your being is reality, your being is the love divine. Just stay there. With this practice, so’ham will unfold inner beauty, inner joy, and inner truth.
As this practice deepens, continue to expand this art of paying attention to the gap. While you are walking, walk, but be rooted in the gap. While eating food, you are in the gap. All activities of life are happening at the periphery, the circumference, but you are deeply rooted in the gap of the heart. Your whole life becomes a drama, a play, and you are simply the watcher of the drama. Every moment is then a moment of peace, love, and joy.
So’ham :: the “a” is pronounced as the “a” in about, not the “a” in cat.
Excerpted with permission from Applied Marma Therapy Cards by Vasant Lad, MASc.
Vasant Lad BAM&S, MASc
A native of India, he served for three years as Medical Director of the Ayurveda Hospital in Pune, India. He was Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Pune University College of Ayurvedic Medicine for 15 years. He holds a Bachelor’s of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAM&S) degree from the University of Pune and a Master’s of Ayurvedic Science (MASc) degree from Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya. The author of numerous books, Vasant Lad is respected throughout the world for his knowledge of Ayurveda.
