I try to make my Microsoft Office workshops fun, but sometimes the content is a little on the dry side. My group and I were inserting symbols into documents, and I was asked about a symbol I'd never used before... Om. The participant who asked was a Yoga instructor, so he would use this symbol often if he only knew how to insert it into his documents.
Om or Aum is a mantra that is often chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. Om is both a sound and a symbol rich in religious meaning and depth. It is said to be both the sound of the creation of the universe, and the sound of silence. It represents both the highest level of divinity and the path to enlightenment. Om is often used as a yogic chant to calm the mind, create a peaceful setting or achieve a higher level of consciousness.
Many believe that chanting Om in class or in private meditation aligns their own vibration with the sacred vibration of the universe, which provides a peaceful, calming effect and puts the practitioner in an excellent frame of mind for yoga posing.
I decided to put a shiny spin on the Om symbol.