Om- Part II

Last weekend I went out and crossed one more thing off my bucket list.... a tattoo.

I've wanted a tattoo since grade 7. I remember wanting 'made in canada' on my foot for the longest time. When I'd talk about it in University, friends would comment 'you haven't got it yet?!'  The pun was always how do you know you were 'made' in Canada. Ew. 

A lot of thought and a lot of research went into my tattoo. Placement, which parlour to go to (based on cleanliness - price - and artists), the meaning, the story I wanted to tell others, and how it was going to look when I have wrinkles. I settled on the Om symbol on my foot. Why my foot? When I get married it will be covered and I can still be taken seriously in a professional setting. I wanted it to be somewhere I can see it when I want to, not all the time. See my previous blog post on its many meanings. 

I'm so happy with the final product. People told me it would hurt so much I'd never want another tattoo again. One said the foot hurts so much you'll want to saw your foot off. That was a bit dramatic. On the pain scale from 1-10 it was about a 5, maybe because I was prepared for the worst. What was neat is that my artist turned out to be a friends bother, fate. I had two Om pictures and he combined them to make a more artistic symbol. I would definitely recommend Karl from Living Canvas. Very professional, clean, and fast. Did I tell you it only took two minutes? Super surprised. They say once you get one you'll want another, I can see why. Every time I look at mine I smile. My mom said your body is no longer perfect. I say it never was, and now its a piece of art. Onto another item on my bucket list.... 

Om

The Om symbol has many interpretations. It has a different meaning from person to person and religion to religion. Om is a mantra, originally in Hindu, that has been used in Indian religions. 

In Hindu, they believe that "Om" is the original vibration and sound as creation began. It is thought to be the manifestation of God. They believe he first created sound then built the universe. Everything that exists and that will exist is symbolized by the symbol. Om is a root sound the world is built on and held together by. Everything vibrates if you listen close enough and that vibration is 'Om'. 

The symbol is composed of three letters: aa, uu, and ma (AUM). It represents three Hindu deities Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. It has also been used to symbolize triads: [mind, body, and spirit] [past, present, and future] [earth atmosphere, and heaven]. 

Above there is a diagram with the four states of consciousness in Hinduism.  Wakefulness is symbolized by the lower half of the 3 like letter. Wakefulness is when we turn our consciousness outward and use our senses to interpret the world. It is large portion of the symbol because this is where we spend the majority of our time. The upper half of the 3 is dedicated to deep sleep. This is when we are considered unconscious. We are not dreaming nor wanting anything from the world in this state. The middle outward curve represents a dreaming state, between being awake and deep sleep. The forth state is symbolized by the dot. This when our attention is neither outward nor inward. This is the 'absolute', the ultimate calm and peace we hope to achieve. The semi circle underneath the dot symbolizes, maya - the illusion, the idea of a translucent barrier between the states of consciousness and the absolute. 

People chant this manta to bring them internal peace. It's to help you tune into the world, your core, and your spirituality. It is said at the beginning and ending of Hindu prayers. It is also used in Yoga as a way to help meditate. For myself, 'Om' helps be remember to be calm and focus inward about what truly matters. Reading about the symbol and understanding its many meanings is only one way to grasp the complexity of Om. Try humming Om right now, and see how it feels.