Sunday 03 April
12noon EST | 6pm CET (Brussels)
3 hours workshop
Eddie Stern & Shantala will co-teach this workshop

Introduction:

For countless generations in India, this mantra of Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra is being repeated with an unquestioned faith in the sacred character of the origin and certainty of its efficacy. It forms one part of an elaborate daily practice of Hindus called Sandhyāvandanam. 

My teachers advise that the complete practice of Sandhyāvandanam requires a formal initiation ceremony. However, the core practice of forming a Saṅkalpa (an intention/vow), prāṇāyāma with mental recitation of an extended form of Gāyatrī mantra followed by japa (repetition of mantra for specific counts) is open to all seekers with Śraddhā (devoted commitment) as the main qualification.

Together with the Broome Street Ganesha temple, we bring you this special 3 hour workshop to learn the Gāyatrī Prāṇāyāma practice, complete with all the steps of this core Vedic practice. Students completing this workshop will be able to practice at the temple – in person & online as part of our endeavour to build a global community of Gāyatrī upāsana practitioners.

In this workshop students will learn:

• A short Sūryanamaskāra practice lead by Eddie Stern.
• All the steps to practice samantrika (with mantra) Gāyatrī prāṇāyāma.
• An extended invocation mantra to start the practice.
• Express your Saṅkalpa (your determination/goal) for the practice.
• Learn Gāyatrī mantra correctly along with the Vyāhṛti-s for Prāṇāyāma.

Please note: This is not the practice of Sandhyāvandanam with Nyāsa – this would require a formal initiation and ceremony. I am simply teaching my own daily practice which is the core part of the Sandhyāvandana open to all practitioners without a formal initiation ceremony and as instructed by my teacher (Sri M.S.Sreenivasan of The Challakere Brothers).

Workshop fee:

€49  (Live online workshop + self-paced course + workbook + lifetime access to recordings)
(For students facing financial constraints, please write to us at info@Vedastudies.com for a donation based participation, we will help ALL students!)

Resources students will receive:

• Complete workbook, with steps of practice, mantra text & presentation material for notes.
• Self-paced course on the Veda Studies platform with resources to continue practice after workshop.
• A recorded guided complete practice will be included in the course.
• Full recording of the Zoom workshop will be made available on your course material on Veda Studies.
• Invitations to ongoing morning/evening practice of this Gāyatrī upāsana at the Broome Street temple.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Is this an initiation to the Vedic ritual practiced by Hindus?
   No, this is the core part of the elaborate Vedic ritual called Sandhyāvandanam. This core practice is open to all practitioners without an initiation ceremony. Therefore, this workshop does not cover the practice of Nyāsa.
2. I can’t be there live, can I sign up and receive a recording?
   Yes, absolutely, you can sign up and receive a recording. The entire workshop will also be made available as a self-paced study eventually, but not at the early-bird pricing. So, best to sign up now!
3. If I want to practice this everyday, what is the time commitment?
   This practice can be completed anywhere from 20 minutes to 40 minutes or longer, depending on how you progress your japa. The 20 minute practice is a recommended first step for beginners.