When you move to a new place, one of the first questions you often hear is: āSo, what do you do?ā As many of you know, weāve just moved to Lugano, Switzerland, and are settling into a new rhythm of life and new social situations
Itās a simple question, but Iāve found that my answer isnāt always simple. Iām the founder and teacher at Veda Studies, where I dedicate my life to teaching Vedic chantingāa living oral tradition from ancient India.
But how do you explain that at a school gate or to a new neighbour? Sometimes I say: āI teach ancient sacred poetry.ā And thatās true. The Veda is the oldest collection of sacred poetry from India. Yet it is not just readāit is sounded. There is a special way to study it, where every syllable, every rhythm, every breath matters.
Through this poetry, we donāt just learn wordsāwe connect with the chandas, the rhythms of nature itself. When the sound aligns with those rhythms, something shifts. A sense of calm arises, like falling into step with the heartbeat of the universe.
And then comes the next question people often ask me, with wide eyes: āBut who is learning this stuff?ā
The answer always surprises them: a global community. Students from every corner of the world, across all walks of life, come to learn. Many are yoga teachers and Sanskrit teachers deepening their roots. Others are Ayurveda practitioners and Jyotiį¹£a (Vedic astrology) consultants weaving chanting into their healing work. Some are artists and sound healers drawn to the transformative power of vibration. There are students, parents, professionals, and seekers of quiet in a noisy world.
What unites them is not their profession, but their orientation: a desire to use this ancient instrument of sound to connect with the divine, and to align more closely with the rhythms of life itself.
Thatās what I do for a living.
Now, hereās a fun challenge for you: if you had to explain this to someone with no background in Indic traditions, how would you describe it?
This is my go-to-line at the moment: I teach people all over the world how to sound ancient Indian poetry the way itās been passed down for thousands of years.
Namaskara Shantala. Very simple yet power blog! I was also thinking on what would be the best way to tell about vedic chanting to a child or to my English friends here. As always, I googled and among the many many results I got, one looked like an acceptable answer for which I tried adding my own humble thoughts – Vedic chanting is a form of Mindfulness practice, where breath, sound, and awareness come together. As a learner one need to have an undivided focus and sincere practice to understand each syllable, pitch, and pause of this “sacred poetry”.
Lovely Anjana! I’m enjoying exploring this…:-)
It’s just so well done, Shantala : that’s it, you described what we are – each of us in its own way – and what we all seem to strive for … tune in to the Universe, to the sound vibration of … the unknown and indescribable, infusing us into a community …
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Beautiful article Shantala. This is what I suggest:
ā I make the recitation of ancient Indian chants, as passed down for thousands of years, accessible to worldwide spiritual seekersā
You could also make it longer by adding: ā ā¦ through online and in-studio classes and retreats, supported by a unique self-learning platformā
Beautiful Lucia, thank you!!
Thatās what I have on my IG profile, sort ofā¦
Here’s what Edgar said, I really like this one:
I always use the connection with the past and ask for whether people know that kids birthday party game where they sit in a circle and whisper a sentenceā¦ that it always comes out in a different way, but that Vedic Chant is the same for thousands of years and is taught from teacher to student in the most profound and precise way.
Namaskaram Shantala!
I am not a teacher yet…but this is what i would say if I had the chance.
I am facilitating the tuning of my instrument (body,mind,chitta etc)to the shabdha Brahma (universal sound) just as the ancient Rishis and Rishikas (ancestors) had instructed.
please correct me if i need to change something.
Hi Sravanthi – this is a very deep and powerful way to describe the practice. But if you had to explain to someone who is not familiar with India or the Rishis or chitta or subtle body, how would you explain to them? That was the dilemma being addressed here š
Namaste Shantala Ji,
I’m getting read to enroll in the foundations course. I can’t wait to learn from you.
I would say, ‘I study and teach the art & science of sound’.
Wonderful.
I will say, I am a founder, or I run an online school, which teaches ancient way of living, learning and accepting the truth of life in this universe. The teachings resonate to all human beings and bring peace. There is no age limit for attending this school as it teaches to focus the mind and understand mind body complex.
Instead of “school” as mentioned in my previous post, I might say– “I am a founder, or I run and online academy”.
Thank you!
The potent vibrations of Vedic mantras have the power to sublimate the mind and help develop faith and devotion, fostering a deeper connection with the Divine.
Dear Shantala, thank you for asking this. All propositions from our friends are excellent.Since you are addressing to a wide public – which has probably no idea of Vedas and chanting -, may be you could also talk about some beneficial aspects of chanting for becoming more focused, for health and developing the sense of hearing. For example: To concentrate has become a problem for the people who are glued all the time to their screen, chanting can be an efficient tool for re- learning how to focus the attention. Working consciously on increasing the breathing capacity (when people have… Read more Ā»