If you can support some of my labor in all of this, I’d appreciate it. 6 workshops plus a workbook plus several 1:1 interactions is generally more than $100. Again, those of you who have already paid me for chanting, please realize the call isn’t for you:). Thank you. Karin's PayPal
Monday December 4
Suggested practice: if there are lines that are still tripping you up, continue to use the smaller recording to work on them even as you move toward a repetition of the full mantra several times a day. After a couple of weeks of full mantra every day, it begins to take on some of the boldness, loudness, no hesitation. Keep building on that, alternating between singing along with and singing on your own.
Victoria asked a great question in 1:1; why is this one slower? A: I was taught it slower by Radha Sundararajan. There is always the concept of application in the answers of why’s: what is the purpose and usage of a thing? This chant is part of the Taitirriya Upanishad, the part in particular where students and teachers are learning together and how to pedagogy is laid out. There are a whole collection of śāntiḥ mantras from that section (almost any śāntiḥ mantra you have come across is probably this same provenance). In that context, the mantraḥs are serving the function and are taught as settling the student and teacher so that the delicate and vital processes of learning and transmitting can occur without disturbance or projection. In sādhana context, this mantraḥ is often applied when there is outer disturbance. It is given to students as a comfort, a lullaby, a talisman for finding and creating śāntiḥ in the midst. Form always equals function - so this mantra is often leaning into the slow, sibilant, long vowels in a way that lands differently than the fast, clipped, brahamana energetics of other mantra.
However, I think the ‘uplift’ and brave and go energies are still in there. They come through as you get to full mantra and repeat. So long as you repeat LOUD and confidently. Radha said: don’t whisper peace.
Monday November 27. The steadier we can get with sadhana, the more kriya yoga just happens. It’s easier. The mantra shows up. We make connections. We have resources. We tap hope. But don’t let go of sadhana because of kriya yoga. Do sadhana to support your life/activism/poetry/family life/work.
okay. You are at the point of ‘familiarity’ with each of the lines, parts, sounds. If there are parts that are still tricky (breath through the long lines, etc), keep working on that bit. But as you get to the point of knowing/familiar with each, now start to practice the whole thing, every day, LOUD. Like Kavacaya Hum loud. There is an aspect of this mantra in particular that challenges soothing with challenging. Don’t whisper about peace. Don’t hesitate your way to blessing. Get LOUD and STEADY (but careful and attentive!).
Monday November 20: this week notice the effect of sadhana (personal, small practice) on your state day to day. And day to day, well, just be brave and let go of the outcome (she says, like that’s easy).
Monday November 13
Medhā transliteration with phonetics (I want to hold off on the workbook and encourage you to focus on the practice).
We will meet Monday mornings 7 am CST beginning November 6, ending for a holy days break December 18th. We can chat at our first meeting; would you like to learn the Sarva Śāntiḥ or the Medhā Sūktam? Personally, i’m finding the Sarva Śāntiḥ very helpful these days.
This song calls on the power of memory - and develops our understanding of the role memory, sensation, and learning play in our understanding of who we are. Medhā is an aspect of Goddess Sarasvati. This ticks back to many yogic teachings about the process of healing and transformation and we’ll reflect on them as we learn this song.
We’ll also review the rules of Vedic chanting and lines from chants you have already learned, as a part of deep memory is a capacity to recall and ever deepen our understanding, to never forget the eternal truths we have taught ourselves.
It’s a shorter mantra, often sung along with the śraddhā sūktam, as both are intrinsic requirements of the yogic path and things we need to develop. When śraddhā, agni, and medhā sūktam are combined we come to understand much of the yogic process. (We’ll learn the Agni sūktam beginning in January.)