Mantra as Medicine — With Eunice Cu

Philippines-based Paediatrician, Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and Veda Recitation practitioner, Eunice Cu, prescribes Veda recitation to maintain good health in our gross and subtle bodies…

By Sophia Ann French

“I found spirituality accidentally,” says Philippines-based Paediatrician, Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and Veda Recitation practitioner, Eunice Cu. While she may have found the path to spirituality accidentally, her journey on that path has been measured and purposeful. What she started in her teens has become a lifetime of practice and learning. Eunice found Ashtanga Yoga when she was living in New York in 1995 and saw people walking to a yoga class carrying mats. She followed one of the students, leading her to Eddie Stern’s shala in New York. “That’s how I got into Ashtanga yoga, and when I moved back to the Philippines, there was only one person teaching yoga there. I practised yoga even in med school, but only once a month, so it wasn’t regular. After my residency, I developed a regular practice when I had more time. I was practising medicine and practising Ashtanga regularly. I decided to attend a teacher training and started teaching yoga. When I moved to Ireland with my husband, I couldn’t practice medicine there, so I just taught yoga. I have been teaching for ten years,” says Eunice. 

Sophia: How did you develop an interest in Veda recitation?

Eunice: When I taught in Ireland, we had a lovely little yoga community forming, and I guess it is natural to explore spirituality further after āsana. I remember hearing the Yoga Sutras first on a CD by Dr M.A. Jayashree, which inspired me to learn the Yoga Sutras. That is how I found Veda Studies. The first course I bought from Veda Studies was the Yoga Sutras. Then, I took the free essentials course, signed up for the Foundation Course, and took many self-paced courses. Finally, Shantala encouraged me to sign up for the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme. 

Sophia: You practised Indic spiritual systems before you began reciting Veda. How has reciting Veda influenced or enhanced your existing sādhanā?

Eunice: Studying Veda has opened up all these Indic Knowledge Systems for me. When you study āsana, you are stuck with just the physical part of yoga. Unless you integrate subtler practices with your āsana, the āsana practice is just exercise. Studying Veda has opened up an entire box of knowledge, which is fantastic. I love it because I love to study. I was so happy when I first saw Shantala’s Indic Knowledge Systems chart because we get to study such a vast body of knowledge. Studying Veda feels like studying the basis of all Indic practices. 

It even affects me on a subtle level. Before I signed up for Veda classes, I read many studies on its effects on memory, concentration, and attentiveness. It was also personal for me because my grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and this is a genetic condition, so I am all the more careful about keeping my mind sharp and attentive. Reciting Veda has improved my concentration levels, and to reaffirm this, I recommend reading Shreeraksha Sreenivasan’s study on The Impact of Vedic Chanting Intervention on Sustained Attention and Working Memory.

Sophia: How did you adapt to Sanskrit phonetics? Did you find it challenging?

Eunice: I think Filipinos are mimics (laughs). We love to copy, and I like to copy people. When I moved to Ireland, I sounded Irish; I like mimicking sounds. I didn’t have much of a problem with Sanskrit phonetics, and I think the Filipino language lends itself to Sanskrit. I struggled with the retroflex sounds because they are only found in Sanskrit. Of course, it also helps to practise a lot, and equally important is to have a study group. For example, in our study group, every member specialises in one aspect of Veda recitation. Prachi is the Sanskrit specialist, Krupa is the svara police, and I’m the conjunct police… Each of us watches out for specifics, and we get better together. 

Sophia: Tell us about the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme and how you plan to use it in your teaching. 

Eunice: I’m teaching a little bit already. The yoga community I built in Ireland follows me online, and I already teach them the Yoga Sutras. So, I asked Shantala if I could teach them simple mantras. I started teaching the invocation prayers and small śānti mantras. There aren’t a lot of people in the Philippines who are open to Veda recitation, but I am starting slow and small, and I hope to grow a community eventually. Even Marco from our TTC class is based in the Philippines, so two of us are here to develop the practice. I’m super happy I did this TTC. I feel like it has taken my chanting to a different level. I don’t think I would have been able to chant correctly if I only did the self-paced courses. This experience has been so good for me, mainly because I experienced many changes this year, and the TTC experience has kept me grounded. I feel much more confident about sharing or teaching mantras to my students. 

Sophia: Why do you think it’s important for spiritual practitioners to study both practice and theory?

Eunice: I love theory; it gives context to your practice. A balance of theory and its practical application is ideal because I come from a science background, so I understand the importance. In science, when we have an idea in theory, we conduct experiments to prove that theory. We have to put theory into practice, and I feel it is the same with spiritual practices. The two are complimentary. 

Sophia: You said you found spirituality by accident. So when did this accidental experience turn into a purposeful, mindful practice?

Eunice: I don’t practice any religion but I always felt there’s something greater out there. Honestly, I love the science behind Indic Knowledge Systems, and I also love that they are mystical. It is the perfect blend of science and mysticism. I didn’t have a single point in my journey that made me want to practise and explore more. It has been a gradual process. 

Sophia: Which mantras resonate most with you, and why?

Eunice: They all do. Shantala always says she loves the mantra she is studying, and I feel that way with each new mantra I study. But, I have to say, there is something deeply joyful about the Gaṇapati Atharvaśīrṣopaniṣat. It feels so uplifting to me. 

Sophia: What does spirituality mean to you, and what advice would you give to people who want to study Veda?

Eunice: If I could describe spirituality in one word, that word would be ‘everything.’ I think everyone is spiritual in some way. Spirituality is everywhere and all around us. It is what makes life meaningful and worth living. My advice to people who want to study Veda is to go ahead and do it. It is a beautiful and meaningful practice that opens up much for the practitioner. 

To get in touch with Eunice, email her at [email protected]