Is there any other options of matara instead of I am I don't feel a connected to it it's a English word Any other traditional options I am familiar with so ham
Or maybe I don't understand the importance of I am Please clarify Thank you
Another way of writing I AM is AYAM. AYAM is a Sanskrit word.
The full AYP mantra is: SHREE OM SHREE OM AYAM AYAM NAMAH NAMAH.
When we begin the practice we begin with just the AYAM part. The reason for this is that this mantra purifies the subtle body in a way that is suitable for people beginning meditation. It purifies between the root chakra and the ajna chakra (third eye). Some people remain with this mantra for their whole spiritual practice, whilst others follow the procedure for enhancing the mantra, gradually taking on more and more syllables until the whole mantra is being used.
In AYP there are no alternative mantras available, however if someone comes to AYP already having a mantra that they are used to and it is working well for them, then they can simply continue with it. So, if So Ham works for you, then feel free to use it.
If you wanted to take on the mantra enhancements later though, you would need to switch to AYAM first, as the enhancements are designed to work with the AYAM mantra.
There is a full description of how mantras work in this lesson: