- apbeas
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Ever since I was a kid, I've been enchanted by the night sky. From growing up in Florida watching Cape Canaveral rocket launches from our backyard, to moving to rural Wisconsin and spending my adolescent nights staring into the endless sky, the vastness of space has always called to me.
As an adult, even though space seems so far away, it always feels familiar - even safe. My internal world has always felt like a limitless cavern - boundless in thought, boundless in emotion, boundless in love. Space has always been there for me to make that boundlessness feel less overwhelming and less alone.
Astronomers have discovered a cosmic sound - the sound of gravitational waves (caused by the collision of black holes) humming at ultra-low frequencies. They have also discovered ways to listen to radio frequencies emitted by different celestial sources. As a singer and musician, the idea that we could HEAR or even perceive space through frequency or vibration strongly aligned with traditional yogic teaching.
In ancient yoga texts, (specifically the Mandukya Upanishad), the mantra Om was the sound made at the beginning of the universe, and the sound that perpetuates through the universe. Om, or AUM, is creation, manifestation, and destruction, all wrapped up in a mantra or sound and set of frequencies that we can physically experience within our bodies.
I loved this quite literal connection between recorded sound of space from our modern age all the way back to ancient belief. We are all connected by the same celestial hum, the same set of frequencies, the same elements.
Finally, I wanted to tie in my deep love and connection I feel for bees - both in fascination and also as a nod to my last name. Hum is a further reference to the murmur of bees in their hive, alive, and full of greater, common purpose and community.
Through Celestial Hum, I hope to bring people together in community to form our own "hive" of humans working together to a common goal of wellness, love, growth, and abundance for all. Thank you for being here. |
Since we touched on the subject, let's dive a little deeper into how to chant Om or AUM! Mantras or chanting can feel foreign and even intimidating in our Western society, but I find knowledge and instruction helps soften this barrier. Let's break it down.
As mentioned before, AUM has different parts:
A - "ahhh" - creation U - "oooo" - manifestation M - "mmmm" - destruction silence
These are considered four quarters that make up AUM, and the same amount of time is given to each sound.
My favorite part about AUM is that when it's chanted, you feel the sound vibrations start at the base of the spine at "ahh", move up through the belly as you shift to "ooo", and move allll the way up to the crown of the head on the "mmm". Give it a try, experiment, see how it feels!
I use AUM to come back to my body, clear my head, or to end a yoga practice. Let me know how it turns out for you! |