15. AOUM

  “There exists a fl ow of energy which comes from the sun and passes through the center of the earth and another fl ow which comes from the earth and passes through the sun. When we extend one arm upwards at an angle of 45°, we receive the Divine through it. Through the leg on which we are supported, we receive the energy of the earth. Through the arm and the leg which are extended down and back at an angle of 45°, we cast off the impure, all of our accumulated unprocessed and disharmonious energies into the earth. Through the repeated lifting of the arms forwards and upwards and the repeated lifting of the legs, we express the desire of our spirit to reach the heights. One works on earth, but one’s inner vision is always directed to the world of the stars. Man builds on earth, but desires to embody that which he has received from the sphere of the stars. This movement is the correct way to be in harmonious contact with Nature.” [1, p. 79]
 This is an exercise that man needs to keep sacred within himself. It is taken from an ancient sacred song written in a minor scale. The Master gave it in a major scale. He explained, “If I had given this song as it was – in the minor scale – you would not have be able to withstand its vibrations: they would change the pulse of your heart.”
 “When man sings sacred songs, he needs to open his soul like a fl ower before the light of the Invisible World to take the condition and state of an innocent and carefree child who is without fear of its surroundings. In such a state, he will merge with the Beings of the Sentient World; and only in this way, will one understand what music is, what singing is and what science is.
  “If you are sorrowful, ill, or with an indisposed spirit, then pronounce ‘Aoum’ a few times. Sacred words exist – one of which is ‘Aoum’ – that you need to pronounce often even if you do not understand their meaning. Your spirit understands them, and that is enough. ‘Aoum’ is a word of the Spirit. When you sing this Word of His Language, He will understand you and will help, because He understands and knows your needs.”
 “When one sings ‘Aoum’ with movements and one of the arms is lifted upwards and forwards and the other moves downwards and backwards, one needs to lift oneself up onto one’s toes, because they are connected with the Mental World. The lifting up onto
the toes is a lifting up to the Mental World.”
 “In ‘Aoum’, the arm is bent at the elbow, moving forwards and upwards, slowly extending (with a little bend remaining at the elbow) to an angle of 450. The palm is facing forwards and is not an extension of the straight line of the arm. The movement is continuous, and the arms are not – even for a moment – stationary.”

 Description
 Music: Melody 15 (“Aoum”) – 1 upbeat and 7 measures repeated 4 times, total of 4 upbeats and 28 measures. The words Aoum, Aoum, Aoum, Om, Om, Aoumen are sung.
 Starting position
 All participants in a circle, left side towards center, body upright, feet together, hands at the sides.

 Movement sequence
 Upbeat (unaccented part of measure) – bring the right foot forwards and simultaneously raising the right arm, singing the vowel A (pronounced Ah).
 1st measure, 1st beat: step forwards with the right foot and extend the right arm forwards and upwards at an angle of 45°, palm facing forwards. The left arm extends downwards in the opposite direction with the palm turned upwards. The arms form a straight line. The body is reaching upwards and forwards, the left foot behind with toes touching the ground (fi gures 15.1 and 15.2). At the end of the 2nd beat, the body and the arms are fully extended and the left foot is lifted briefl y from the ground (fi gure 15.3). At the 1st and 2nd beat one sings Oum.
  Movement sequence
 Upbeat (unaccented part of measure) – bring the right foot forwards and simultaneously raising the right arm, singing the vowel A (pronounced Ah).
 1st measure, 1st beat: step forwards with the right foot and extend the right arm forwards and upwards at an angle of 45°, palm facing forwards. The left arm extends downwards in the opposite direction with the palm turned upwards. The arms form a straight line. The body is reaching upwards and forwards, the left foot behind with toes touching the ground (fi gures 15.1 and 15.2). At the end of the 2nd beat, the body and the arms are fully extended and the left foot is lifted briefl y from the ground (fi gure 15.3). At the 1st and 2nd beat one sings Oum..

Fig 15.1	Fig 15.2

Fig 15.3	Fig 15.4

 On the 3rd beat, bring the left foot forwards, singing A. The right arm comes down and back and the left hand extends forwards and upwards (fi gures 15.4 and 15.5).
 2nd measure, 1st and 2nd beats: the left arm is raised upwards at an angle of 45°, palm forwards, while the right arm extends downwards in the opposite direction with the palm turned upwards. The arms form a straight line. The body is reaching up and forwards, the right foot behind with toes touching the ground. At the end of the 2nd beat the body and the arms are fully extended and the right foot is lifted briefly from the ground (fi gure 15.6). One sings Oum..

Fig 15.5	Fig 15.6