Sent from the heavens, babies fill us up with love, giggles, and joy. As tiny humans, they whine, cry, and fuss until we figure out what they need.
So, over the millennia parents have calmed their infants down with feedings, rides around the block, and songs. Lullabies, hums, hymns, and radio tunes often help to soothe a restless or upset baby, but this dad put his own spin on things.
Daniel Eisenman was trying to shoot a video while cradling his newborn daughter, Divina, when she began to get fussy. Naturally, he went to comfort her. But instead of rocking her or singing her a lullaby, he began to chant.
At first, the baby girl looked at him like, “Whaaat?”. Then her expression changed – she was digging it. She was into it so much that she quieted down and shut her little eyes. We would call this dad the Baby Whisperer but it is clear he is a different type of baby charmer.
Who knew that chanting “om” could affect a baby this way? As it turns out, it was nothing new for this doting dad. Eisenman told ABC News that when his wife was pregnant, he would regularly sing the mantra into the womb. Something told him to try it this time and it worked!
Fellow yogis and yoginis are already familiar with the sound of “om” and its history. It’s a Vedic mantra used during meditation and in yoga classes, and it’s been around for thousands of years. A sacred sound, it is said to be the sound that echoed through the universe when it was created.
In ancient spiritual texts, the sound/syllable is explained as having these principles embedded in it: waking, sleeping, and deep sleep – of the mind. There’s lots more, but with just that basic understanding it is easy to see why this could have worked on Divina.
But there is more to this equation. The new parents shared that when Mom tries the om chant, it’s no dice. Instead, her secret weapon lies in the feedings. Hey, we can all relate to being hangry!
You’ve got to watch the video to see it with your own eyes and to let out an “awwwww”. Since the Facebook video hit the web, it’s racked up over 30,000,000 views and plenty of commenters. Inspired by what they saw, other parents tried the trick and were happy to report it worked for them too.
Some pointed out that pediatricians agree that humming-type sounds such as a vacuum, fan, or hair dryer can soothe a baby. That combined with her dad’s voice is likely part of the magic that calmed Divina.
We know babies love the sound of their parents’ voices, so it’s not surprising that chanting, humming, and singing is hypnotizing. But they also love sounds that mimic their time in the womb. Everyone say “om”.
Did you have a magical sound that calmed your babies down? What do you think of this dad’s use of “om”? Will you try it yourself?
