hanna's nest: VEDIC CHANT TEACHER TRAINING COURSE

Earlier I promised to share what I've been up to this winter/spring, what has been causing the radio silence in my blog so here's a picture diary of a yoga course in Austria, Piesendorf. Couple earlier summer's I've attended Dr. Kausthub Desikachar's yoga seminars in Helsinki and it was there where I hear about this course, vedic chanting arranged by KHYF. Immediately I was fascinated about the course and decided to apply to the program - which in a way was crazy because I've always been shy to sing, to use my voice! I think the reason is the traumas from my childhood when I was laughed at by my teachers, telling me that I can't sing. "You, play some instrument instead!" And I did. Piano, clarinet, drums and such. For years my biggest nightmare was to sing karaoke and it took over twenty years and thousands of kilometers to overcome the fear: I sang in a karaoke for the first time in my life in a small town in Mongolia with some local friends - and I loved it! Suddenly the big Singing Boogieman shrank and felt ridiculous. Why had I been so afraid of singing and expressing myself through voice for so long! Of course due to my earlier work positions and studies I'd held talks in front of an audience but singing, this was a totally different thing.

All the way until the first chanting session I was thinking "You're crazy Hanna, why are you here? Why are you doing this! This is silly and stupid, chanting isn't your thing for sure." This was what my fearful Mind was telling me. But when we started chanting, chanted and chanted through hours for 10 days, it became very clear that it was just the right place for me to be right then. It felt like it wasn't anymore me "singing", chanting but my Heart. This was what my Heart wanted and needed! Sometimes the things you fear the most are the ones you should jump to with your head first, full on! I don't know where that course will take me with my yoga studies and teaching but I know now that I did the right decision and only later I will understand the Why's.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Steve Jobs

For me chanting has been very purifying and healing tool and I hope to add some elements of it to my yoga teachings bit by bit. For me yoga is about connecting my body, mind and soul and chanting mantras has opened a whole new door to it. Can't wait for the next study period in the end this year!