Workshops & Series
Foundations in Veda Chanting - online series
February 22 - March 21
5 Thursdays 4:30-5:45 pm CT $150
Experience, in this introductory series, the embodied wisdom of the Vedas, the earliest scriptures of ancient India. A collection of poetic hymns and chants considered to be divinely revealed to the ancient Ṛṣi-s, the Vedas can most authentically be experienced through applying the rules of Veda chanting–more accurately known as recitation.
In this 5-week live online series, you will learn some of the basics of Veda chanting, including proper pronunciation, Svara, (tonal notes), and fundamentals of Vedic phonetics and grammar. Individual feedback will be given to support each student’s learning. Through the traditional “adhyayanam” method, in which the teacher recites/chants a portion of the text once and the students repeat it twice immediately afterward, you will learn these mantras in the Mysore Sampradāya tradition.
Lots of resources will be given, including PDFs, with both the transliteration and the Devanāgarī scripts. Zoom recordings will be shared, as well as audio recordings for home practice.
Five weeks of 1.25-hour classes. Mantra-s presented include Gaṇapati & Sarasvati prārthana-s, Sahanāvavatu (mantra for student & teacher); and
Pūrṇamadaḥ.
Students may, as homework, submit up to 4 recordings for personal feedback.
Shraddhā Sūktam -
online series
Wednesdays March 6 - 27
10-11:15 am CT
$130
A beautiful hymn or sūktam from the Ṛg Veda, recommended as the first sūktam to learn as one embarks upon Veda chanting. Shraddhā is an attitude of devoted commitment, a key ingredient for any discipline.
Through the traditional “adhyayanam” method, in which the teacher recites/chants a portion of the text once and the students repeat it twice immediately afterward, you will learn these mantras in the Mysore Sampradāya tradition.
Lots of resources will be given, including PDFs, with both the transliteration and the Devanāgarī scripts. Zoom recordings will be shared, as well as audio recordings for home practice.
It is recommended that you first attend Foundations in Veda Chanting or “12 Gāyatrī Mantra-s with me before attending this series.
Students may, as homework, submit up to 4 recordings to me for personal feedback.
12 Gayatri Mantras
Vedic Chanting
Details coming soon!
These 12 Gāyatrī mantras from the Mahānārāyaṇa Upanisat are luminous and concise “short forms” for meditation, prayer and japa. Addressing various deities, these mantras have long been a part of devotional spiritual practice. Cast in the 24-syllable Gāyatrī meter, these mantras are accessible to beginning chanters, and also of interest for those who know of the famous Gāyatrī mantra addressed to Savitṛ, otherwise known as the Sāvitrī Mantra.
In this six-week online “applied Sanskrit” course, we will use these mantras, two in each session, as a vehicle to learn some fundamentals of Vedic chanting, with a focus on accurate pronunciation. No prior chanting experience is required. Materials will be presented in transliteration, although Devanagari versions will be available. Through the traditional “adhyayanam” method, in which the teacher recites/chants a portion of the text once and the students repeat it twice immediately afterwards, you will learn these mantras in the Mysore Sampradāya tradition.
Participants will receive audio recordings, handouts and Zoom recordings (which may be kept for two months).
Contact me with questions, and to register: jenny.tumas@gmail.com or 920-858-1078.
