In collaboration with INDICA, we have been running a Chanting teacher training program, the first of which will soon be coming to an end. We will announce the next program starting January 2024.
Learning to teach mantras from both the Veda as well as the daily prayer Hindu tradition in South India, a strong focus on cultural context, theory, memorisation & refinement in chanting, getting organised and skilled to lead chanting classes are some of the key elements of this training.
Being a lineage-based teaching, the eligibility for this program is very specific and therefore, an information session will be offered on Saturday 18 March, so we can meet, discuss, and clarify any doubts. I hope this early information will help potential participants be well prepared for this intense training.
TEACHER TRAINING INFO SESSION >>
What makes this training intense?
There are many unique aspects to this program. It is the only one offering such a comprehensive theoretical study underpinning this practice. The collaboration with INDICA offers a platform for teachers to be supported by an organization with expertise in the preservation and dissemination of Indic knowledge systems and access to the best scholars in their respective fields.
The theoretical elements include overviews of the Indic knowledge systems with a deeper dive into understanding the Veda, its nomenclature and special emphasis on Śikṣā – the Vedaṅga that informs the rules of pronunciation and recitation of the Veda.
Being a student of The Challakere Brothers, I was taught the sūtras of the Taittirīya Pratiśākhyā in oral tradition, over a number of years (continuing to this day!), involving a vast range of texts which I have been taught to recite. This knowledge has not been easily accessible in the past and it is a great privilege and responsibility to make this available to our teacher community with clarity and depth. THIS is the knowledge that allows one to learn and teach chanting with great clarity and based on scripture and aligned with a lineage.
The most challenging part of this program is the selection process and helping participants understand the significance of lineage based teaching. In this methodology, the teacher needs to know the student, their practice, their learning ability, and be assured about their commitment to the study. The only way this can be established is by following the study path, as a bare minimum. The more one has studied prior to the program, the more likely their ease of study and eventual success in this program.
Even if you hold extensive experience with chanting, if this happens to be from another tradition, it may not always translate to a seamless learning in this lineage.
Even though the path above shows the self-study route – the LIVE path is highly recommended so that students receive feedback on their chanting right from the start. “Svara” competency is a non-negotiable in the program and participants must have established this to a high level before joining the Teacher program.
The information session will talk through all the other details of the program, the month by month themes of the teaching, dates, requirements etc! In case you’re reading this after the 18 of March, you can always request us for a recording of this class.
My first group of students from the teacher training will be completing their program soon and I am thrilled to see them start to share their gifts. Immense gratitude to INDICA for hosting them on their platform and for helping this program! Our student group consists of Sanskrit teachers, Yoga teachers, students of Vedanta & Indology, meditation teachers, Chanting teachers, students of Ayurveda and Jyotiṣa, temple board members and purohits! A diverse group but so focussed and committed to honour the lineage and tradition, we have been spending a lot of time together online. Here are some links to what some of them have been up to! This is not a complete list by far, we hope to share more with you in the future!
