About my Teachers
I am truly grateful to all my teachers:
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First and foremost, the Divine Force who guides and teaches all of us.
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My father and mothers – all who have taught me by their example. Especially my father whose integrity, generosity and fortitude seems to know no bounds.
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My extraordinary Vedic Chant teacher – Mrs. Desikachar
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My Vaidya who healed me and with that inspired me to learn and share Ayurveda.
I would also like to acknowledge the numerous teachers and students of the Krishnamacharya and Maharishi traditions for sharing their knowledge and support.
About Krishnamacharya
T. Krishnamacharya was an extraordinary man. I was inspired to learn about yoga and Vedic Chant because of him. I saw a picture of him and something in his eyes inspired trust, confidence and faith. As I learned about his life, how he conducted himself; some of the things he did – such as removing the Hindu religious marking from his forehead when teaching a Muslim student – I knew in my heart he was the one to follow.
To the world, he was many things - yogi, healer, linguist, and Vedic scholar. To me, he was someone who opened the doors of Vedic Chanting to everyone regardless of race, gender, occupation, and background. He was the teacher to T.K.V. Desikacher, BKS Iyengar, Indra Devi and Pattabhi Jois- all of whom subsequently became influential in spreading yoga to the West. Much of this website’s information on Vedic Chant is derived from the teachings of Krishnamacharya.
About Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was an Indian guru best known for developing the Transcendental Meditation technique. In addition to promoting meditation, he brought various aspects of Vedic knowledge such as Ayurveda and Vedic astrology to the Western world.
I was inspired by his compassion for humanity as manifested by his unstoppable and unbelievably powerful efforts towards raising human consciousness and alleviating suffering around the globe.
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Much of this website’s information on Ayurveda is derived from the generous teachings of the Vaidyas of Maharishi Ayurveda.
Jai Guru Dev
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Kalpana Shere
For me personally, sound is sacred,
a direct connection to what is Divine.
My name is Kalpana Shere. I am a mother of two boys, married and a physician. As a physician I am trained in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Critical Care Medicine and Integrative Medicine. My interest in Integrative Medicine stemmed from my experiences with yoga and Vedic Chant.
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I have studied yoga and Vedic Chant since 2006 and later became certified in yoga, yoga therapy and Vedic chant. I became interested in Ayurveda in 2015 when I personally experienced the benefits of this ancient health system. I’ve studied Ayurveda in Maharishi Ayurveda tradition since then.
I have been interested in sound for a long time – although I didn’t always know it. As a teenager, I loved to listen to Gregorian chant and American Indian chant. In college when everyone went to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, I went alone to watch the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow – the sounds were so entrancing. Later , I became captivated by Sufi qawwali and Kirtan. I became interested in Vedic Chant in February of 2006 when attending a weekend workshop by TKV Desikachar. I heard Vedic Chant again while doing a month long yoga course at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai. I then completed the Vedic Chant teacher training program in the Krishnamacharya tradition from 2007 to 2009. Since that time, I
continue to study with my teacher – Mrs. Desikachar – on a regular basis.
For me personally, sound is sacred – from Native American Indians to Gregorian Chant to Sufi Qawwali to Vedic Chanting - a direct connection to what is Divine. It is a beautiful, loving and all pervading aspect of Divine that is accessible to anyone of any background.
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The ancient practice of Vedic Chant allows one to do asana, pranayama, meditation and devotion to God in one practice. It is a truly health giving, life changing spiritual practice. I consider my experiences with Vedic chant a privilege and sacred gift – one that I would like to share with others.
No one accomplishes anything entirely on their own. I would like to acknowledge my husband Roger who has never wavered in his support or sacrifices with respect to my endeavors with Vedic chant, yoga and ayurveda. When I thought I can't, he said you can and will. When I said it's not possible, he made it possible.