Om - Mantra for meditation

ॐ

Sarvadvaraani samyamya mano hrudi nirudya cha

Moordhnyaadhaayaatmanah praanam aasthito yogadhaaranaam

Omityekaaksharam Brahma vyaaharanmaamanusmaran

Yah prayaati tyajandeham sa yaati paramaam gatim

[When one] closes all the gates of the body, confines the mind within the heart,

Fixes the life-energy in the head, engages in steadfast yoga

[When one] utters the monosyllable Om that is Brahma, focuses on Me [Supreme Soul],

[One] leaves the body thus, and attains the Supreme Goal

{Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Verse 12-13}

Om is the Primordial Sound of the Vedas, Pranava of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Brahman of the Bhagavad Gita.

Uttered at the beginning and end of shlokabhyasa (shloka practice) and yogabhyasa (yoga practice), Om is made up of three basic sounds: A-U-M, which represent the following:

	Planes	Gods	Vedas
A (aa)	Physical	Brahma	Rig
U (oo)	Mental & astral	Vishnu	Yajur
M (mm)	Deep-sleep	Shiva	Sama

Several studies have revealed the health benefits of chanting and meditating on Om: mental alertness and physical relaxation, along with cardiac rhythm synchronization (see references below).

108 is considered to be a significant number in yoga, Vedic mathematics, astrology and numerology.  For instance, the distance of sun and moon from earth is said to be 108 times their respective diameters.  There are said to be 108 Upanishads and 108 tirthsthals (places of pilgrimage).  In yoga, 108 suryanamaskars (sun salutations) are performed during Rathasaptami (sun festival).   

In this video Om has been repeated 108 times, at the rate of about four per minute.  

Meditate to the sacred sound of Om:

https://youtu.be/3fpCsxx-l1Q

If you are not keen on meditative process, you could try relaxation therapy: lie down, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and relax your muscles while listening to the sound of Om.  The duration of this video will amount to less than half-hour of your daily relaxation therapy. 

References & resources:

Significance of Om:

The Bhagavad Gita, Trans. Swami Chidbhavananda, Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitturai, Fourth Edition, 1989

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2952121/

http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Om
https://wanderlust.com/journal/108-yogas-sacred-number/
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-number-108

Background music: Satya Yuga, Jesse Gallagher

Pictures of Om:

http://www.pngall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Om-PNG-Picture.png

http://www.pngall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Om-PNG-HD.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Creative-3D-Om-Shining-HD-Wallpaper-Free.jpg/1280px-Creative-3D-Om-Shining-HD-Wallpaper-Free.jpg