The word Om or Aum is the primordial symbol, the first sound ever heard, and the sound that the earth was created by. The sound starts with an opening of the lips and ends with closing them. This represents pulling all things into the body while making the sound. In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which are where much of the philosophy in modern-day yoga classes comes from, in verse 1:27 states, "God's voice is Aum." Meaning that not only is Om the beginning and ending of all things, it is also from God, and to go further it is the sound of God, and brings us closer to God and the Universe.
