Anna can’t explain why she feels so connected to Veda mantras, but she is convinced that she has to learn them and teach them.
By Sophia Ann French
Anna Zvizhinskaia has lived in Russia, Europe and the Middle East; she has visited over 30 countries, and in that time, she has been a TV Presenter, a PR Manager, a body-voice therapist, and a Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher. Recently, she graduated from the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme (2025-2026). Anna’s desire to explore the world beyond the town (Penza, Russia) she was born in was inspired by her sister, who moved to New Zealand when they were young. She learned to speak English for that purpose and recalls that every time she learned something new, she was always blessed with good teachers. “I played the piano in school, and my music teacher was really good. Music has been a part of my life since I was very young. My earliest memories are of listening to the music my father listened to, so a lot of Queen, Freddie Mercury, Mariah Carey… I went on to become a journalist and lived in Moscow in my 20s. At the time, I worked in PR, and in 2016, I attended the Cannes Film Festival, but I was also tired. I wanted to stop looking outside and find something within. I attended a yoga class at a fitness club, and even after that, I kept looking until I found Aṣṭāṅga. My second life slowly began from there. I continued to work at my former job, but yoga influenced me a lot. Then COVID happened, and during that time I remembered how much I like to sing and play music, so I started taking online vocal classes and met some people who host kirtan events. In 2019, I attended the Inner Peace Conference in Amsterdam where Eddie Stern performed a Gaṇapati pūja. It was, in fact, Eddie who told me about Veda Studies when I asked him where I could learn to chant.”
Anna signed up for the free Veda Essentials course, and that inspired her to study further. She has been studying with Veda Studies for around three years and took her time to study before signing up for the Teacher Training Programme. “I wanted to give myself some time just to digest all the information. Before the TTC, I had been chanting for two years, and I don’t think I’m great, but I understand so much more than when I first started. I feel a deep connection to Veda mantras that I cannot explain. For example, I was in Hampi last year, and I was listening to a recording of the Challakere Brothers — it made me cry,” says Anna.
The Mantra Effect
In addition to deeply moving her emotionally, reciting Veda mantras has made Anna feel more centred. “The mantras are not random, and I love the clarity I have when I recite. For example, after learning Śraddhā Sūktam, I feel this quality of śraddhā. My voice feels connected to my mind and thoughts. The more I practise, the more clarity I have in my mind and in my actions. I ask myself every day why I am under this influence, but I know that I have to learn it and I have to teach it,” says Anna.
To realise her purpose, Anna signed up for the TTC and looks forward to building her own community. “I wrote a blog about the fact that I am studying in the TTC and that I was open to teaching a group the invocation mantras. I actually got a group together, and once they were done learning the invocation mantras, they asked me what they could learn next. I’m working with small groups for now because I love the process and I work with the feedback. I ask my students how they feel, how they use the mantras, what the practice does for them, and all of that informs how I teach. I have a small community, and we are learning the Śhradha Sūktam, the Durgā Sūktam… and I want to grow my group,” says Anna.
Spirituality is Communication With Life
Anna’s advice to students who want to study and teach Veda is to understand that it is a precious gift and, “our good karma to have met this tradition.” She feels that “spirituality is how I communicate in every second of my life — how I think, how I speak, how I act, how I feel. Chanting Veda opens up something profound within. It has made me understand that spirituality is not about feeling some effect. It is about being grounded in the present, living with purpose, feeling protected by the devatās and taking meaningful action.”
To get in touch with Anna, email her at [email protected]