What’s Up in Kentucky?
TriYoga’s Kentucky Facilities: Meet HamSa and SoHum
One day’s drive from Central Pennsylvania, traveling southwest through the Appalachian Mountains, lies the town of Georgetown, Kentucky. Here was born TriYoga International’s founder, Yogini Kaliji. From this mid sized town (population ~ 37,000), heading slightly northwest, a two-lane road takes you along fields and past horse farms. A tall, majestic tree stands where the road turns sharply once and then again, perhaps marked by wagons veering around this remarkable presence centuries ago.
Further along you come to a small gravel lane leading back to land once owned by Yogini Kaliji’s father. This land now belongs to TriYoga International. Horses stand at the long fence, watching as you slowly pass. You are on the lookout for a metal gate on the right. It appears, swung open wide and revealing a fresh gravel drive that slopes gently up toward two brick buildings.
HamSa in evening light
On the left, the building known as “HamSa” stands tall in golden brick, a two-story presence slightly shy of the top fencerow. HamSa was built with love for Kaliji and TriYoga International by Kaliji’s own father while he was in his late 80’s, active and bright to the end. This building houses a state-of-the-art recording studio where Yogis in the Sky, the first CD from Chant Club, was recorded.
The second building on the right, known as “SoHum”, holds a majestic program space with high ceilings and large windows that look out on the Bluegrass property. In all directions, nature is the witness: sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, trees, fields, light, breeze, fireflies, insects and birds. By the time this blog is published, the newest building SoHum will be filled with the vibration of the TriYogis family gathering during the festival Diwali, the celebration of light, for the grand opening of SoHum.
The vibration of activity in these buildings brings to life the meaning held by their names, Hamsa and SoHum. These names come from the trinity of Sanskrit mantras that carry the vibration integral to TriYoga teachings. From TriYoga’s Prana Vidya (Knowledge of the Life Force) manual, we learn:
Ham Saḥ means “I AM THAT” and So’Ham means “THAT I AM.”
“OM”, the vibration of life energy, is the third mantra in this trinity.
I AM THAT, THAT I AM, OM.
To understand how these mantras connect, take the first vibration “Ham Saḥ” and repeat it many times without a pause. In short order, you will notice that the beginning and the end are no longer distinct, creating the second mantra, “So’Ham.” Repeat that vibration with greater speed and decreasing articulation of the “s” sound. Soon you find yourself chanting “Om”.
The nature of yoga is to realize that there is no beginning, no end, and no separation. From the discovery “I AM THAT”, energy rises. The mind gradually expands, revealing the understanding “THAT I AM.” As the yoga journey continues, truth becomes known: at the deepest level we are the eternal vibration of pure energy, OM. Standing majestically like a quiet Kentucky building waiting to be filled by manifested love, you are ready to hum with new life.
Theresa Shay is the founding director of TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania, where she teaches weekly yoga and meditation online and trains others to teach TriYoga®. Each week, she shares wisdom cultivated from decades of TriYoga study and practice.
Learn more about her here. Theresa can be reached at Theresa@PennsylvaniaYoga.com. Find her on Instagram @theresa_of_triyoga for more inspiration and light.