There has been some talk about I AM not being a traditional sanskrit bija (seed) mantra and I want to put that to rest.
I had been going over various mantras that I learned in Ayurveda school back in the 80s and one came back to me. It was a chant of bija mantras that went “OM AYAM RHEEM KLEEM CHAMUN DIYA VICHAY”. This was chanted at fire ceremonies and at various ceremonial times and each of the bija mantras seperatly could be given out for personal meditation such as “OM RHEEM NAMAHA” or “OM KLEEM NAMAHA” or “OM AYAM NAMAHA” etc. Essentially this is completely consistent with Yogani’s teaching of the mantra so I just wanted to clarify this and resolve any doubts on the I AM mantra.
Hi Victor,
Are you sure it was not OM AIM HREEM KLEEM CHAMUNDAYE VICHE?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwia1xCAdQA
The search continues… 
Hello Victor;
When I went to India,Tiru…among all the mantras I was given “IAM” mantra…I couldn’t but laugh as already I’ve been practicing yogani’s IAM only to be given IAM again.
they use it over there too 
Hi Victor & All,
As has been discussed a few times over the years, and as Yogani has clarified:
I AM as a mantra is, like all mantras, about the sound, and not about the meaning of the words that the sound(s) may comprise, in any given language - thus, I AM can also be rendered as AYAM - which is a Sanskrit term meaning This, and is used in various Sanskrit mantras, either as a separate word/phrase, or as part of a longer word/phrase.
And so, the sound AYAM (I AM) is fully valid as mantric sound, as far as traditional views of such things go, in yogic traditions.
I also recognized AIM from a book on sanskrit mantras that looks authentic and up to scholarly standards. No doubt legitimate, even if we are reminded to not dwell on its past and just use it starting here, now and onwards. Thanks for sharing.
Does a ‘mantric sound’ come from a praying mantis? 
That’s the one, Christi. Is AIM and I AM different?
AIM is one-syllable (“I’m”), AYAM is two syllables (“I Am”).
LOL!
Only when it’s at AUM …
It’s not massively different is it?
It reminds me of Pooh bear: “My spelling is wobbly, and sometimes the letters get in the wrong places”.
In India I used to use the mantra: “Om aim shreem hreem saraswati devye namaha” which was given to me by my Guru. Aim is slightly different to IAM in practice, but there is not a great deal in it.
Welcome back Kirtanman.
i am shall be the Christ center in the pituitory gland the I am of old Testament as a sort of personal ishta which are many and not great brahma, shiva or krishna in indian denomination. Questions of monotheism and polytheism are secondary in Indian belief and expression of the same. Trinity would be complete by the spirit of I Am He used in SRF in forgotten Sanskrit perhaps in the navel.
KLEEM is for another location on the back of the skull.
It’s rather useless discussing some sanskrit words without their context and function and around the body and the indian interpretation of Christian belief.
Axel
Hhmm… I thought that ‘aim’ is pronounced with a long ‘A’ as in ‘came’. Can you clarify how aim is pronounced?
Thanks, Christi!!
That’s my basic point. the english word “aim” is pronounced like “came” the sanskrit mantra “aim” is pronounced like “ahyim” which for me when repeated silently feels the same as “ayam” or the AYP “i am” mantra. I never did understand why people quibble over subtle pronunciation of a sound that is repeated silently. In my experience it simply flows along and the sound pretty much finds its own pronunciation.
Silent sound ha! Kinda like the color blackish white.
And what’s about the difficulties when I am becomes Aeeunng or shivers in other ways?
Is it allowed that it does this way nearer to aum as person often report, but unheard by this list seeing beginners as faultive.
Axel
The Sanskrit word “aim” is a short a and short i. So “a” as in the English “and”, “i” as in the English word “igloo” and “m” as in the English word “mini”.
Thanks Victor and Christi