Chanting

The ancient teachings and stories, on which modern Yoga practice is based, were handed down for centuries in verbal form, through precise methods of chanting in Sanskrit, the ancient learned language of India. Chanting has a deep resonance, which many find healing, and chanting can itself be a meditation. It can improve your voice, giving it more depth and resonance, and helping you be more genuinely convincing in whatever you say. Chanting opens your ears to music and singing since, being based on just three notes, it is much more accessible than most modern music. By chanting Sanskrit, an ancient language much more strongly articulated than modern languages, you will improve your diction, and it will even tone the muscles of your face!

This line in Devanāgarī script reads Om shāntishāntishāntih - Om peace, peace, peace, more relevant today than ever. In 1945, my mother had to flee from the advancing Russians, so my prayers are with those now in a similar plight.

When chanting in a group with a teacher one has an appreciation of the manner in which Yoga was learnt traditionally, which is hard to experience any other way. Much of the content of the Classical Texts can be better appreciated if understood with the heart, through chanting, rather than with the head, through study. Chanting is another aspect of Yoga, another path to finding space within, another way of focussing, of developing clarity and concentration, and leaving one feeling awakened and refreshed.

While group classes have been suspended, I have continued to teach chanting 1:1, so please ask!

My background in chanting comes not only from the Vedic chanting revealed to us by Sri Desikachar, but from annual four-day immersions in Tantric chanting with Muz Murray from 1993-2006 and further therapeutic voice-work. In both 2018 and 2020 I underwent intense personal training in Vedic Chant with the internationally renowned Radha Sundararajan in Chennai. Until we sadly lost her in May 2021, Radha (pictured left) was my personal teacher whom I saw every week on Skype. I now offer Skype chanting lessons myself to pass on what I learned from Radha, please email me michael@twobirdsyoga.com to arrange lessons.

I plan to start a small chanting group in May 2023, in the large airy conservatory at our home in Pamber Heath RG26 3TN. Please enquire! Click here to hear and repeat Vyasa's Chant in Praise of Yoga 'Through Yoga, Yoga is Known' (.pdf file 27kb) Click here to download a copy of the chant (.pdf file 473kb)>

Last Updated: 6 December 2023