Aah!

Take a deep breath. Open your mouth. Exhale softly and say "aaah".

If you envisioned sore throats, tongue depressors and physicals, be forewarned that this article is about healing of a different sort.

I'm talking about that "aaah" you let out as you sink into your favourite chair - or bed - after a long, hard day. This is the sound of release, of melting into peace.

Wayne Dyer, in his book Manifesting Your Destiny, speaks of "aaah" as the sound of creation. He writes that "aaah" is found in virtually all the names for 'God', in Eastern and Western religions and other traditions. For example, Allah, Brahma, Buddha, Yahweh, etc. Toning the sound "aaah" as we move beyond our thinking mind to a meditative state can generate a frequency of vibration that bridges spirit and ego and brings thought to material form. We can use this to manifest our desires. A powerful tool if it is engaged regularly.

But it was my thinking mind that set me on a different path of thought, and I found myself wondering about the presence of the sound 'aaah' in language. I didn't have to search too far to make a heart-warming discovery.

My partner Joseph, who has studied the psychology of language and NLP, and is a student of philosophy, religion, psychology and all learnings of the cosmos that really stretch the mind, pointed out a few facts: in Italian, it is customary when parting company to say "Adio", in French it is "Adieu" and in Spanish the sentiment is "Adios". All of these mean "to God". What a beautiful blessing to leave with someone! One that I'm sure has lost its impact over years of casual use. Certainly for me, until now, I had not given it much thought.

In English we don't really have a direct translation. However, what did surface from my years of Catholic upbringing was the phrase "God be with you". But notice the difference: "Adio", "Adieu" and "Adios" all infer that the human is moving toward God. This implies choice, openness, and co-creation. Conversely "God be with you" implies some level of human passiveness in awaiting the Divine, as if the choice belongs only to God.

If you choose to relate to a 'God' in your life, which resonates with you? Whatever your term for 'God' or whatever your faith, how do you view your relationship with 'God'? In what ways do you move toward the Great Mystery in your everyday living, and in what ways do you believe that the Universe holds power over you?

We have free will and power to invite the Divine into our lives in so many ways: seeing others as our teachers especially when they frustrate or anger us, trusting in the timing of events in our lives, appreciating the Divine support that comes to us through the synchronistic orchestration of happy 'accidents', marvelling in the complex miracle of our bodies and nurturing them through self-care, or being of service to those in need. Sometimes, however, we play out the dramas of patriarchal teachings, believing that the universe "does to us", punishes and rewards, or decides our ultimate fate without our input.

Either approach to living is your choice. But one question remains: "When you relate to the 'God' in your life, do you feel like letting go a soft exclamation of "aaah"?



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