What are the Arts of Sounding, Yoga Sūtra Chanting
and Veda Mantra Chanting?

The Arts of Nāda Yoga or Sounding, Yoga Sūtra Chanting and Veda Mantra Chanting are oral learning and meditative practices from the rich tradition of Indian Spiritual and Psychological teachings on Sacred Sādhana for personal development.

Traditionally Yoga and Veda chanting was called Adhyayanam and is the art of listening and learning to recite with attention and care and deep involvement of head, heart and body in the outcome.

The Arts of Sounding, Yoga Sūtra Chanting and Veda Mantra Chanting as a Sacred Sādhana

Chanting as a practice aligns body, voice, mind, emotions and awareness in the quest for unity with the source from which sound originates. The benefits also include learning to remember how to recite India’s teachings on Spirituality and Psychology from the inside, hence learning by heart, rather than from the outside following from the senses.

Veda Chant is a practice that uses language
to experience ‘That’ which is beyond language.

Plus we learn how to enhance our sense of attention and reflection and refine the ability to learn to listen, thus improving memory as well as personal confidence around the use of our voice.

Arising out of Sounding, Yoga Sūtra Chanting and Veda Mantra Chanting as a Sacred Sādhana is the possibility of a deeper reflection on the meaning, significance and transformative message of the teachings being chanted, plus a sense of inner stillness, both during the practice itself because of the degree of involvement required and in the vibrational silence that follows its practice.

The online 121 Art of Sounding and Chanting eModule One reflects the teachings of TKV Desikachar and his father and teacher T Krishnamacharya as taught to Paul Harvey over 25 years through:

• Gaining confidence
  – in finding your chanting voice and developing your breathing through Sound and Chanting.
• An appreciation
  – and familiarity with the principles which inspire Sound and Chant practice.
• Learning how to read
  – and authentically vocalise Sound and Chant in Romanised Saṃskṛta.
• Learning how to link
  – and join Romanised Saṃskṛta to enhance our use and understanding of Sound and Chant.
• Discovering
  – Sound and Chant as therapeutic support, personal meditation and Sacred Sādhana.
• Appreciating
  – the core principles which inspire the use of Sound and Chanting practices.
• Learning techniques
  – to help find our chanting voice and develop their breathing with and for Sound and Chant.
• Being able to choose
  – appropriate postures according to the energy and application of the Sound and Chant.
• Integrating
  – Sound and Chanting into existing Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Meditational (Dhyānam) practices.
• Experiencing
  – how Sound and Chant can be a tool to lead the student towards silence as a natural outcome.
• Discovering
  – how Sound and Chant can be used as a tool for learning Indian teachings on psychology or spirituality.
• Application
  – of Sound and Chanting respecting differences in cultural background, vocal ability and musical experience.
• Learning skills
  – for teaching Sound and Chanting to others.

The Art of Sounding, Sūtra and Mantra Module One, as a foundational step, leads towards two distinct routes, namely:

– Learning to Chant the Yoga Sūtra
– Learning to Chant Veda Mantra

“I think, that all those who want to practise Vedic chanting must be able to do so, provided there is no confusion with Patañjali’s Yoga.”
– TKV Desikachar

The Common prerequisite to both routes is the Online 121 or Live Small Group Module One Sounding & Chanting Workshop teaching the Practice Tools and Learning Theory underpinning both Sūtra and Veda Chanting Paths.

Thus the Module One Workshop introduces the core principles that provide a solid foundation for a deeper study, through their Modules Two and Three, of either of the twin Arts of Yoga Sūtra Chanting or Veda Mantra Chanting as a Sacred Personal Sādhana or, if relevant, professional teaching skills.

1. Learning practice techniques, observation skills and awareness processes to help refine your short-term and long-term personal Chanting practice

• Exploring Chanting Practice according to Age
• Exploring Chanting Practice according to Health
• Exploring Chanting Practice according to Lifestyle
• Exploring Chanting Practice according to Constitution
• Introducing the Energetic characteristics of Chanting
• Introducing the Psychological characteristics of Chanting

2. Study of Chanting Practice Techniques and Practice Theory

• Learning techniques to help find our chanting voice and develop their breathing with and for Sound and Chant.
• Learning how to read and authentically vocalise Sound and Chant in Romanised Saṃskṛta.
• Learning how to link and join Romanised Saṃskṛta to enhance our use and understanding of Sound and Chant.
• Being able to choose appropriate postures according to the energy and application of the Sound and Chant.
• Integrating Sound and Chanting into existing Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Meditational (Dhyānam) practices.
• Discovering how Sound and Chant can be used as a tool for learning Indian teachings on psychology or spirituality.
• Indexing Sound and Chant Material
• Origins and context for Chanting
• Guidelines for Sound and Chant
• Saṃskṛta alphabet and pronunciation of the Sound and Chant
• Saṃskṛta grammar and Saṃskṛta Sound and Chant rules