the school
HAṃSA
Hamsa is the spiritual swan, a metaphor for the human soul which migrates from one existence to another towards complete realization. It is also the mythical mount of Brahma, the bird that broods the cosmic egg from which arise the universes. It is a symbol of eternal light, purity and elevation. Hamsa is also the secret sound of breath, becoming sah + aham (so’ham), an assertion which means ‘I am That’, expressing supreme identity between Atman and Paramatman, the individual spirit and Brahman.
“The breath of each person generates the sound of ‘Ham’ during exhalation and that of ‘Sah’ during inhalation. These sounds, when united, make So’ham (I am He, the supreme identification with Atman, the spiritual principle or substance). In the course of a day and night, there are 21,600 such respirations. Each of us, being alive, unconsciously but constantly execute this Japa” (Gheranda Samhita, V, 84).
Within this sound is encompassed the essence of every Yoga– and this is why it was chosen as the name and the symbol of our school.