For our practice of deep meditation, we will use I am as our mantra. It is for the sound that we will use I am, not for the meaning of it. The meaning has an obvious significance in English, and I am has a religious meaning in the English Bible, as well. But we will not use I am for the meaning—only for the sound. We can also spell it Ayam. No meaning there, is there? Only the sound. That is what we want. If your first language is not English, you may spell the sound phonetically in your own language, if you wish.

From Yogani’s Deep Meditation: Pathway to Personal Freedom, Nashville, Tennessee, and London, England: AYP Publishing, 2005, p. 8.

Addendum I (March 3, 2016)

As soon as I read these words by Yogani, I adopted his mantra. There was no hesitation on my part. None whatsoever. Eight years later, the mantra is very much my own. As of late, it has become quite crucial on my daily round. Whenever a thought starts forming in my mind against my will, I cut it short with the mantra: “Ayam.” It comes close enough to Aum, the word of words. Most important, it works. Whenever I decide to rid myself of all thought, I revert to the mantra if and when a thought starts forming in my mind. Which is why I feel grateful to Yogani to this day. And I recommend the mantra with all my heart. It is a thought slayer to be reckoned with.

Addendum II (December 18, 2017)

To round off this story, I would like to add that any mantra one choses is as good as any other in the practice of yoga. There is nothing special about any one of them, that is. The essential thing is to obliterate thought. For this purpose, any old mantra would do. Returning to Yogani, his offer is of interest on two accounts. To begin with, it comes close to Aum, as pointed out in the first addendum. The word of words is soothing to both mind and body. In addition, Yogani’s mantra is funny, for it spells out in plain English the very opposite of what yoga is about. Which is why he advises that it is not used for the meaning, but only for the sound. Funny past compare, indeed.