Śrī gurubhyo namaḥ
Śrī gurubhyo namaḥ – Salutations to all the teachers.
Welcome to the Sarasvati School of Vedic Chanting. This school is dedicated to the preservation and transmission of precious teachings in the form of Vedic mantras.
Through this initiative I would like to show my deep gratitude to my teachers, and to the teachers that came before them. I am especially grateful to Mrs Menaka Desikachar, who has been my Vedic Chanting teacher since 2014. Without her generosity, guidance and support, this offering would not exist.
What is Vedic Chanting?
Vedic Chanting is the time-honoured practice of reciting sacred teachings from the Vedas. These teachings are presented in the form of Sanskrit mantras, or chants. The rhythm, the structure and flow of the mantras helps us to learn, remember and recite them. The fact that they have been recited in the same way for generations means that the teachings they convey have been preserved.
Initially, the practice of Vedic Chanting involves listening to a teacher reciting the mantras and then doing your best to repeat the sounds exactly as you heard them. This process is often referred to as adhyayanam, meaning ‘that which takes you inside’. This term comes from the words adhi (inside, the light in the heart) and ayanam (to move towards). It is a form of svādhyaya, the process of developing self-awareness and understanding. This process hones your ability to listen in a subtle way, to the teacher and to yourself. As both teacher and student listen closely to each other, it also builds connection and trust.
Since 2008, Vedic chanting has been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
I believe Vedic chanting is the perfect practice for these turbulent and uncertain times. As the modern world speeds up around us it can rob us of our ability to be present in the moment. Finding a sense of calm, and focusing on one thing at a time can feel challenging to say the least. The practice of adhyayanam helps us to slow down. It helps us to breathe deeply. It creates space and produces positive vibrations in the chanter as well as the listener. And as you begin to find your voice, your posture will naturally improve, in order to accommodate the sound that is moving through you. To learn more about the benefits of adhyayanam, please read the ‘Reasons to chant’ page.
About me
Namaste. My name is Lynda Henneveld. I have been teaching yoga in Wellington, Aotearoa NZ, since the mid 1990’s. My journey has taken me through numerous teacher trainings and workshops, and eventually led me to the Viniyoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya and his son TKV Desikachar. I initially discovered Vedic Chanting as a tool of yoga in 2010, when I entered into a Viniyoga teacher training programme led by Ruth Diggins, here in Aotearoa. This was unlike any training I had previously experienced.
It was deeply rooted in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and encompassed all the tools of yoga, including chanting, in a way that felt simultaneously broad and deep. The chanting of simple mantras during āsana and prānāyāma practices were surprisingly revealing. As one of my students at the time said: ‘…aligning for sound changes everything!’
Between 2014 and 2017 I traveled to Chennai multiple times, to take part in a Viniyoga Therapy Training, led by Dr Kausthub Desikachar. During that time I learned more about the therapeutic application of mantra for healing on all levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Over time, I came to see Vedic Chanting as a powerful, stand alone practice. I enrolled in the Vedic Chant Teacher Training with Mrs Menaka Desikachar, which began in 2018 in Chennai. The travel restrictions of 2020 meant that the course was completed online. Since then, I have also completed the Advanced Vedic Chant Teacher Training online, and I continue to learn from Mrs Menaka online on a regular basis.
I feel exceptionally fortunate to have found this practice, and I am passionate about helping others to discover the benefits of chanting. I have written about some of these benefits on this website in the hope that you will feel inspired to give it a try, but who knows, you may discover benefits that I have yet to uncover!
Apart from teaching Vedic Chanting as a separate practice, I also incorporate mantra chanting into all my yoga and yoga therapy sessions. My work with yantras in the ayurvedic astrology readings also includes various mantras. For more about these offerings, please visit freed-om-yoga.com
Testimonials
I would love to hear from you!