Practice Makes Perfect – with Prachi Deshpande

And Prachi Deshpande’s advice to aspiring students of Veda recitation is to “take your time to ensure you recite each mantra correctly and understand its meaning…” 

By Sophia Ann French

“If it is a mind, it can be liberated. It doesn’t matter what gender, race or nationality the mind belongs to,” said a senior teacher at the Sivananda Ashram in Uttarkashi when a foreign student asked if Indic Knowledge Systems can be applied to non-Indians. I lived in that Ashram for a month and this anecdote remains ingrained in my consciousness. The Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme proves that Indic Knowledge Systems can benefit and transform the practitioner as long as the practitioner practices. We’re a group of students from across the world and we’re constantly learning from each other, helping each other regardless of our nationality and we all have strengths and weaknesses that we celebrate with equal measure. Ayurveda Practitioner and a recent graduate of the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme, Prachi Deshpande, echoed this sentiment when she shared how her study group from the TTC was the most memorable part of her experience and also the reason why so many students were able to progress in their Veda recitation practise. “The biggest highlight of the TTC for me was the study group and the extended Veda Community. We came together and practiced and I don’t think I would have advanced so much without that support. We corrected each other on the smallest mistakes, and we continue to study together. I think that as teachers in training, that’s what we need — a set of people with whom you can communicate and discuss your practice,” says Prachi. 

Born and raised in India, Prachi moved to Paris after marrying a Frenchman and worked in fashion and costume design for theatre for 10 years. The couple then moved to Switzerland and that’s when Prachi decided to pursue Ayurveda — she is an Ayurveda Practitioner and Consultant. “Spirituality has always been a part of my life. My family is not particularly religious but I have always been drawn to these practices and when we moved to Switzerland, I decided to pursue these studies. I have an Ayurveda Consultancy and work mostly with women. My approach to health is to encourage people to focus on lifestyle and food choices as I feel that is 80% of what contributes to well-being. I also encourage my clients to be open to various healing practices and that is part of the reason why I decided to study and teach Veda,” explains Prachi. Read on for excerpts from the interview…

Finding and Practising Veda

Prachi Deshpande: I have always been interested in chanting but I never quite felt right when I chanted in the past. Something felt wrong. Then, I heard the Challakere Brothers on YouTube, and I connected with their way of chanting, I would even listen and repeat… I remember listening to a lecture by Dr Robert Svoboda and he mentioned Veda Studies so I looked it up online. It took me two years before I did the Foundation Course. Veda recitation is now a daily practice like my morning prayers. The vibrations it creates affect the mind and it is a very subtle transformation that happens gradually and gently. For me, it’s about inner transformation — the mind gains clarity and one starts to see things as they should be. Veda requires focus — you can’t chant a mantra and have your mind wander because you have to be attentive and mindful of the rules so that is where the mind starts getting trained to focus. I believe in taking small steps without expecting too much. Practise slowly and steadily and you will notice that in six months, you are in a very different place than you were in the past. You keep growing with the practice. The inner transformation that comes from reciting Veda helps us to use our sense organs correctly. That’s what we are trying to do with these practices, right? Inner transformation only comes when you have the clarity and the capacity of discernment that allows you to correctly use your sense organs.

A Stickler for Svara

Prachi Deshpande: I have been studying Sanskrit on and off and have been more regular in the past year or two so I don’t find the pronunciation difficult. But, I did struggle with svara. I have no musical background and I started studying with the mindset that I was not good with svara. I needed to change that mindset first. That became possible with my study group. The more I practised with them, the better I got and I realised that all we need to recite correctly is a dedicated practice. I also do 40-day challenges where I take one Sūktam and focus on refining it over 40 days of sādhanā.

Harmonising Theory with Practice

Prachi Deshpande: We are controlling the mind through chanting and while the practical aspect helps us to regulate the mind, I think theory instigates self-reflection and contemplation. Even with theory, you need a teacher to guide you through it so you can understand its nuanced meanings. I think it is very important to study theory and practice simultaneously because the practice purifies the mind and theory allows the mind to reflect on what each mantra means. That enables us to connect with the mantra. But, I will also say, that before you get to the theory, you have to ensure that your mind is in the right condition to receive. A mind which is all over the place is not prepared to listen or absorb the essence of Veda. But, when we practice regularly, the practice is preparing the mind to receive the deeper, subtle meaning of the mantra and this creates a fertile ground on which these practices can grow and flourish. 

Pearls of Wisdom

Prachi Deshpande: Take your time! Take as much time as you need to practise and refine each mantra. Do not rush your practice. I did this and took on so much to study only to realise that I was struggling to do everything. So I took a step back to focus on refining what I already know. To practice Veda correctly takes time and repetition. And always, study with a good teacher. I would recommend starting with the Veda Studies Foundation Course as it gives you a good base to begin. It also gives you a good idea of what it takes and what is involved in the study of Veda. 

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