Hello to you all in this wonderful forum. I’ve never participated in something like this so please forgive any breaches of ettiquette or protocol!
I started AYP ages ago and got distracted by lots of other practices. Just got myself all muddled and unfocused. I’m ready to give it another go; I’ll keep the basics of my asana practice, but start meditation from scratch. I have a simple question, though. When repeating the mantra I AM or AYAM, we are not to worry about the meaning, but the vibration. So, does it matterr how one pronounces I AM? I’ve lived lots of places and it could be pronounced AYE EM, or AAAH AYem, or Ah aim, or …you get my drift. In particular does the AM vibrate like ‘am rhymes with ham’ or ‘ahm like bij mantras lam vam ram’, etc. Or does it not really matter?
Don’t sweat the details. Just start it up and let it go, sort of like a barber cutting your hair. Let the mantra do its thing.
Also, just to be clear…don’t actually SAY the mantra. Just let it silently intone.
Thank you Jim & k,
‘Ah Aim’ ready to just give in to the process. I’ve had enough sweating of details already!
Hi Melissa,
Deal! Thanks, all!
Welcome Shantaya
Were all here to help each other so post as many questions as you like there will always be someone to answer you.
RICHARD
Welcome Shantaya. “I am” glad you decided to join us 
If you don’t have a clue about the etiquette and protocol… you are at the right place… So “ah aim” away… there is no wrong way “ay yam” sure 
Welcome Shantaya! 
We’re glad you’re starting over and glad you’re here. I did that after a fifteen year break 
to raise my kids… Hee Hee. Might have been a smoother process if I’d continued the meditation! 
Light and Love,
Kathy
Hi shantanya,
Let the pronunciation be similar to how you pronounce english ‘I AM’. Actually any word will do in the initial stages because the exact vibratory qualities matter only as you advance and go deeper. Dont worry about your pronunciation once u start the meditation. Then it just becomes some faint sound which you want to come back to whenever u lose it.
-Near
Genes are a result of karma RATHER THAN A CAUSE OF IT - Yogani
Thanks everyone for your warm encouraging welcome. I’m really glad to be back.
Hello again,
I’ve been exploring different topics and just found this discussion which further answers my first question.
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=529
I’d decided to try to use ay-ahhhm instead of my more yankified pronounciation I am; seemed just as easy, and even easier to detach meaning from mantra. These posts (starting about halfway down the first page) were an interesting treatment of a pretty basic question. No need to get hung up on details but no harm in starting out closer to the “correct” vibration. I hope this helps any other newbie who stumbles upon this post.
I’m finding the practice lovely, simple, elegant. Things have gone pretty smoothly in meditation, and I’m finding a base of stillness that is growing stronger in my daily activities. I feel blessed that AYP found me!
Hi Shantaya, it’s very good to hear that your meditation is going smooth. I use AYAM also since a year, it works very good and makes it devoid of meaning, as you have found too. As we can read in many other posts as well, simplicity is what we want in meditation, that is what will help us get rid of all our unnecessary complexities in our minds. You may also be interested in getting Yogani’s little book (not little in content!) “Deep Meditation” which is available from our home page.
Hi Weaver,
I have the little blue book, as well as the AYP Online lessons book. They are both great resources. I received an invitation about 2 years ago (or more, I don’t remember exactly when…) to join the yahoo group and followed the lessons as I received them online. I was very, very new to hatha (Anusara) yoga, and to meditation. I had some intense experiences after my first or second meditation session (before AYP) and a good teacher-friend referred me to Kundalini Yoga (as taught by Yogi Bhajan) to help bring my energy into balance. Shortly after I began receiving the AYP lessons. My appetite for all things yoga was pretty voracious and I’ve tried lots of different things. As I mentioned in my first post, I got pretty unfocused and muddled. I’m so happy to return to this sweet practice. Yogani is truly inspired, sharing the core of this wisdom without hocus-pocus, pseudo-mystery, or ego. What a treasure.
Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement