- LIVE ONLINE PROGRAM
May 2 – June 20, 2021
Japa Meditation: The Power of Mantra Yoga
Rukmini Chaitanya
8 WEEKLY SESSIONS, Sundays, 2:00-4:00pm ET
Course description:
“Mantra Yoga is an exact science. By the constant thinking of Mantra, one is protected and released from the round of births and death. A mantra generates the creative force and bestows eternal Bliss. A mantra, when constantly repeated, awakens the consciousness” – Swami Sivananda, Japa Yoga
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Rukmini Chaitanya has been teaching online courses on various topics. One of the most powerful and transformative courses has been the Japa Meditation Course. This course was designed for all spiritual seekers (both experienced and those new to meditation) who desire to deepen their practice, re-ignite the inspiration, and experience the support of like-minded people.
This course is a beautiful integration of science, art, spiritual practice, and healing practice. It combines Rukmini Chaitanya’s understanding of the spiritual path, and also incorporates guest speakers – scientists, devotional singers, and musicians – that bring in diverse perspectives in order to enhance your understanding of Mantra.
Japa meditation is a method of channeling one’s consciousness from the lowest to the highest level of pure thoughts. Repeated verbally or mentally, a Mantra lifts one into the telepathic stage and beyond to the transcendental.
In this course, you will learn both theory and practice of Japa meditation, with detailed lessons so you will be well-equipped to establish your own home practice. You will learn about the importance of healing both individually and collectively and the means of integrating science with ancient practice, so you may discover your own spiritual teacher within.
Throughout the course, you will learn how to overcome the obstacles in the practice of Japa, how to sustain interest, avoid fatigue, and counteract the monotony that can arise from constant repetition of the same syllables. You will learn the practice of Mantra repetition, while at work and throughout the day, and how to turn the mantra into the background of all of our thoughts and mental activities. We will also explore the practice of Mantra writing, known as Likita Japa and how to incorporate it into your daily sadhana. We will conclude by exploring the practice of Purascharana, concentrated Japa meditation extended over a long period of time.
We will explore the different deities, the meaning of mantras and how the sacred sounds carry our mind from the gross level to the mental, telepathic and transcendental level, where all sounds merge into silence. When you reach that silence, you can fully relax. That silence is bliss, and it happens to be your own true nature.
During the weekly sessions we meditate together and explore the science of mantra, sound and consciousness. Despite the geographical distance, we all feel the magical vibration of our collective meditation which is non-local and transcends geographical boundaries.
Our guest teachers include Swami Hridyananda, a senior Swami and a teacher of yoga, meditation, and chanting. Gaura Vani, renowned kirtan singer and a practitioner of Japa Yoga, Dr. Menas Kafatos, quantum physicist, cosmologist, and teacher of Kashmir Saivism, Dr. John Beaulieu, Naturopathic Doctor and renown sound healer, Silvia Nakkach, a Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and voice-culturist.Ragani, award-winning producer and recording artist, and Vasudha Narayanan, a scholar on Hindu Traditions. These great teachers will share from their knowledge, practice, and experience and will help you to enhance your own practice, expand your mind and experience unity in diversity.
“Approached with faith and devotion, and carried out with perseverance, Japa is the most direct path to God-Realization” – Swami Vishnudevananda, Meditation and Mantras”
What You'll Learn:
- Learn how to channel your consciousness from the lowest to the highest level of pure thought.
- Experience directly the great physical, mental, and spiritual benefits that come from the daily practice of Japa meditation.
- Explore how mantra repetition (verbally or mentally) can lift you into the telepathic stage and beyond to the transcendental.
- Participate in weekly meetings and receive personal support and guidance from Rukmini Chaitanya and other senior teachers to develop a daily practice of Japa meditation.
- Progress in your daily practice and learn how to take your practice to a higher level.
- Learn how to work with Japa mala and counter, how to practice Japa while engaged in activity, how to establish a daily routine of Japa meditation practice, and how to gradually increase the number of daily mantra repetitions.
- Understand the obstacles to the practice of Japa Meditation, how to overcome them, and how to sustain inspiration to continue the practice.
- Discover theory of mantra, sound, and Japa meditation practice based on the teachings of Swami Sivananda in his renowned book Japa Yoga, which contains the most profound knowledge and vast information about Mantra, Japa practice, and the science of sacred sound.
- Be inspired by guest speakers who are experts in sound, science, mantra yoga and nada yoga will also be sharing their knowledge on the subject during select classes.
- Students will be invited to keep a spiritual diary to track their practice. Rukmini Chaitanya will be available throughout the week to review the spiritual diary, offer guidance, answer questions about the practice and share advice about any challenges.
Additional Information:
Offered as 8 weekly sessions on Sundays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 June 6, 13, 20 2:00-4:00pm ET
This program is offered live through Zoom webinar with the availability for students to interact through Q&A with the presenter.
For enrolled students, a video recording will be available after each class in the event you miss a class or would like to review the content.
It is possible to register and take the course at any time. You can catch up on any classes you miss with the recordings.
Requirements and Recommendations:
- No experience necessary. This program is open to beginners as well as advanced practitioners.
- Viewing Device: Desktop or laptop computer will provide the best experience, although you can also connect via a tablet or smartphone.
- Internet connection: High-speed broadband wired or wireless is best.
- Video: Download Zoom to your computer, or install the Zoom app to your device. For interactive group sessions, a webcam or integrated camera will allow others to feel more connected with you.
- Audio: Headphone speakers are recommended. If you wish to participate vocally, a headset with a microphone will be ideal.
Course Includes:
- 16 hours of on-demand video
- Course Manual
Rukmini Chaitanya
Rukmini Chaitanya is a senior staff member of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas, and the personal assistant to Swami Swaroopananda, the Acharya, or spiritual director of the Ashram. She regularly teaches the Bhagavad Gita during the Sivananda Yoga Teacher training as well as other courses on the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, positive thinking, meditation, and yoga philosophy.
Rukmini Chaitanya is known for her enthusiastic and inspiring teaching style as well as for her devotion to the lineage and the scriptures. She is dedicated to each of her students and has an innate desire to share knowledge with them. She brings a great deal of clarity to every topic and is highly appreciated for her capacity to unfold complicated topics and present them in a coherent and pure way.
Guest Presenters:
Vasudha Narayanan
Vasudha Narayanan is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida and director of the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions at the University of Florida. Educated at the Universities of Madras and Bombay in India and at Harvard University, she is author or editor of several books including The Vernacular Veda, Hinduism, and The Life of Hinduism and has received grants and fellowships from several institutions, including the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Dr John Beaulieu
John Beaulieu, ND, PhD, is a naturopathic doctor, counseling psychologist, board-certified polarity therapist, composer, pianist, and sound therapist. His career spans over 40 years of creative arts, healing arts, and martial arts. A world leader in the use of integrative energy medicine for healing, Dr. Beaulieu is the author of four books including Human Tuning, and Music and Sound in the Healing Arts. He is an instructor of sound science and sound therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Silvia Nakkach
Silvia Nakkach, MA, MMT, is a Grammy-nominated musician, award-winning composer, and voice-culturist. A former psychotherapist and academic programs consultant, she is an accredited authority within the fields of sound in yoga and transformation of consciousness.
For more than 35 years, Silvia has studied and performed the ragas and North Indian classical music under the guidance of the late maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and other renowned masters. She teaches raga singing in retreats and universities throughout the world, as well as in her international school, Vox Mundi School of the Voice. Her most recent book is Free Your Voice.
Gaura Vani
Gaura Vani started studying sacred music in Vrindavan, India, at the age of six. Today, he shares the magic he received and performs extensively with his kirtan ensemble throughout the world. His albums include Ten Million Moons and Nectar of Devotion.
Swami Hridyananda
Swami Hridyananda is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and senior staff at the Yoga Retreat. She has spent over 35 years teaching different aspects of yoga, as well as teaching in Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses. She also teaches meditation, thought power, chanting, and supports individuals on their inner transformative journey.
Dr. Menas Kafatos
Menas Kafatos, PhD, is a quantum physicist, cosmologist, and climate-change researcher who works extensively on consciousness. He has 44 years of experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching and research, and he holds seminars and workshops for individuals and organizations on the natural laws that apply everywhere and are the foundations of the universe.
Menas is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics and Director of the Center of Excellence of Earth Systems Modeling and Observations at Chapman University in California. He is an international scholar with the Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering also serving as an advisor on the BK21 Plus Eco-Leader Education Center at Korea University in Seoul, Korea as well as an affiliated researcher at the National Observatory of Athens, Greece.
Ragani
At age eight, Ragani met the legendary yoga master, Swami Rama, former Shankaracharya of India, who personally trained her in yoga sciences, meditation, and eastern music, and she served and traveled with him as his personal assistant for eleven years. Named as “100 Milwaukeeans You Need to Know”, Ragani’s award-winning music has touched the hearts of the world for over 35 years. She has written music for film & TV, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, and has been featured in numerous publications (Recording Magazine, Yoga: Mastering the Basics, Kirtan!: Chanting as a Spiritual Path, The Yoga of Kirtan). With a doctorate in psychology, she works as a transformational mentor and acupuncturist, and she is known for her wit and down-to-earth style, through which she gracefully shares the timeless wisdom of the Himalayan lineage through her music, her teachings, and her healing practices. Find her at www.RaganiWorld.com.