To speak is to express and to speak well is to communicate well! I share with you a therapy ‘Balanced Omkar Recitation’ that uses a divine tool that greatly improves one’s speaking ability. I have been experimenting with this for more than three decades!
That was first truly satisfying presentation of talk! Long back in May 1988, when I was serving Western Railway at Mumbai, my HOD Mr. P D Joglekar gave me an assignment: I was to prepare & present a talk on certain aspect of purchasing, before the audience of senior departmental executives.
During delivery of this talk, I felt that I was addressing the audience much more comfortably, unlike my earlier presentations. And the way I faced a query from the audience, for which I had no ready answer, convinced me that my public speaking had undergone a significant improvement! How?
A blessing in disguise! Just a couple of months before the said presentation, I faced a serious turmoil in my life and in search of peace, landed at Shantikunj Haridwar. I attended a program for a few days and got significant relief. Back home at Mumbai, I chalked out my meditation routine which included recitation of Gayatri Mantra. However, one evening, I incidentally started reciting just “ॐ” [AUM] rather than Gayatri. It felt good & I continued with this recitation for a couple of weeks. Around this time I got to make the said presentation.
Experimentation & Conclusion! I experimented with this practice extensively, especially during my years as a Professor at NAIR Vadodara, during 2003-2007 I also shared it with a few of my friends & colleagues and with three of my daughters. The practice improved their quality of speech & capacity to speak! I concluded that there is definitely a blissful connect between balanced Omkar recitation and one’s speaking ability!
This practice is actually a very handy tool for more effective vocal communication via enhancement in the strength & soundness of entire speech organs. Just perform a balanced Omkar recitation for 5 minutes or say 11 cycles, daily for a few weeks! You will appreciate improvement.
Significance of ‘AUM’: The Gita says! During my tenure at the NAIR (National Academy of Indian Railways), while studying the Gita, I came across an extremely significant declaration by Sri Krishna, (Vibhutipadyog: Chapter X/25). It says, “गिराम अस्मि एकम अक्षरम”. The phrase, ‘Ekam aksharam’ refersto the single syllable “ॐ”. The statement thus translates, “Among sounds, I am AUM”. So, if one wishes to realize the God-consciousness through the path of ‘sounds’ then proceed through Omkar recitation!
A-U-M: Health and Soundness of the Vocal-tract! And how does the recitation work on the vocal-tract (Voice box & articulators i.e. the tongue, cheeks, lips, palate) to produce such significant positive impact? Let us look at the three letters A (अ), U (उ), M [( ̐ )]. Try to notice; sound corresponding to A is produced at the bottom of the ‘voice box’, corresponding to U, somewhere around the middle of the vocal-tract (the Palate; तालू) and corresponding to M is produced at the close of lips. Thus, reciting A-U-M gives a powerful exercise, divine vibrations to the entire vocal-tract. This results in enhanced functional efficiency of speech organs, including the support organ of lungs!
Balanced Omkar Recitation as a ‘therapy’ has universal applicability! Omkar recitation improves the efficiency of the speech organ itself hence it has a universal applicability. Anyone, across the globe, speaker of any language, would benefit with enhanced speaking ability with this practice!
Who should practice this recitation? All those in the business of ‘speaking’, for whom communication is important i.e. practically everyone! Still more particularly, the Students, the job-seekers, the Teachers, the Advocates, the public orators, the ‘Executives’ etc. for improved verbal and written communications.
The advantages of the practice you will start experiencing with 3 to 4 weeks of recitation:
*Improvement in quality of voice; audibility of voice; clarity of pronunciation.
*Increase in length of breath that means a better regulated dialogue delivery: That translates into superior Speaking Agility!
*A controlled excitation of the ‘central nervous system’ (brain & the spinal cord), through Omkar vibrations, strengthens your nerves, in general, and thus improves the courage-function!
*Omkar recitation also Checks the Glossophobia (Speech-anxiety): More confident public-speaking!
*Litmus test for public speaking: Being unable to answer a query from audience we naturally tend to feel bad for a moment. The ability to cut a sorry figure without feeling embarrassed, without momentarily loosing that “little smile” is the litmus test I mention. Omkar recitation gives you that confidence & conviction!
*Regulated flow of speech also helps improved thought clarity & hence better written communication!
*The Lungs has to go extra mile, in maintaining enhanced air flow through voice-box, hence the lungs and the entire respiratory health gets a boost!
These advantages are best realized when we do ‘balanced’ recitation of Omkar! Recitation is balanced if all the three constituent sounds i.e. A, U & M [( ̐ )] are practiced for equal length of time.
How to Recite? 11 cycles of balanced Omkar recitation should be done once a day. Do it before breakfast, sitting cross-legged or in siddhaasan or padmaasan (Any one aged 15 and above). In case of difficulty, it can be done sitting on chair/sofa also. Voice should be reasonably audible. Recite “O” and “M” sounds in 50:50 ratio of length of your breath, duly stretching recitation of ‘M’ conveniently.
Divine Recitation!
ॐ-कार के 11 उच्चारण, सुबह नाश्ते से पहले बस एक बार; पालथी, सिद्धासन, या पद्मासन में बैठकर करें (कोई भी जिसकी आयु 15 वर्ष या उससे ऊपर है।) यदि परेशानी हो तो कुर्सी या सोफा पे बैठ के भी कर सकते हैं। अच्छी सुनाई देने वाली आवाज मे करें। “ओ” की आवाज और चंद्रबिन्दु ( ̐ ) [म] की आवाज अपने स्वास की लगभग आधी-आधी लम्बाई तक करें; स्वास को थोड़ा लंबाते हुए, जब ‘म’ का उच्चारण समाप्त हो रहा हो।
[Immediately after this practice you can conveniently be on your job/assignment.]