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So Hum Meditation
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“When sound, breath, and awareness come together, it becomes

light… So Hum meditation properly practiced leads to the union
of the individual with the universal Cosmic Consciousness. You
will go beyond thought, beyond time and space, beyond cause
and effect. Limitations will vanish.” — Dr. Vasant Lad1

 
So Hum Meditation has existed in India throughout the ages. It synchronizes the movement of the
breath with the mantra that fits naturally into the inhalation (So) and exhalation (Hum). So is felt and
★
said  WHY
mentally during the whole phase of inhalation and Hum during the exhalation. The literal
BANYAN?
translation of So Hum is “I am that,” while the deeper meaning is “I am that pure awareness.” This
mantra calms the mind, yet simultaneously focuses and sharpens it…2

How to Practice
Begin by taking several slow, deep breaths, establishing yourself in the practice of Full Yogic Breath
(https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/yoga/full-yogic-breath). When
you are ready to practice So Hum, shift your awareness as follows.*

Instructions
(As described in Dr. Vasant Lad & Anisha Durve’s book: Marma Points of Ayurveda
(http://www.ayurveda.com/ayurvedic_press/marma_points_of_ayurveda.html)) 2
Reprinted with permission from The Ayurvedic Press. All Rights Reserved.
 
As you breathe in, feel that you are beginning the inhalation at the base of the spine. With the inhale,
draw your awareness up the front of the body, along the midline, to the center of the brain. Mentally
chant “So” during this inhalation. When you reach the top of the inhale, hold the breath in a short
retention.
As you breathe out, mentally chant “Hum.” Visualize the breath leaving the center of the brain, moving
down the throat and returning to the base of the spine along the midline of the back of the body.
When you reach the bottom of the exhale, pause before beginning [again].
 

★ WHY BANYAN?
 Drawing by Dr. Vasant Lad

About The Author

Dr. Vasant Lad
Dr. Lad is the founder and medical director of the Ayurvedic Institute.  For more information on Dr. Lad
(http://www.ayurveda.com/education/faculty.html) and his school, visit the Ayurvedic Institute (http://www.ayurveda.com). This
article has been reprinted with the permission of the Ayurvedic Press, All Rights Reserved.

References
1 Lad, Vasant. The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1998. Print. 79.
★ WHY BANYAN?
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