Mystery School Update: August 2026

This month, as we return to Singing As Medicine, I would like to invite each student to choose a singing project that develops their devotional voice. I especially recommend Bhaja Govindam so that we can create another tapestry project together, although you are, of course, free to choose any piece that inspires you. You might find something that touches you in the Singing For God, Kirtan Masterclasses or Singing As Meditation modules.

However, we also introduce something new, which is consciously integrating the Kundalini experience into our Singing As Medicine journey. With that in mind, we will begin introducing the chakras into our work by drawing from our Chakra Immersion. We will also begin integrating the Tantric path through The Mystery of Ganesha, gradually weaving these dimensions into our singing process.

We meet for both Singing As Medicine and the Creative Collective on August 15. Since everyone is quite involved with developing their 60-day Mantra Practice, I suggest limiting your preparation to connecting your Raga exercises with tuning our chakras if you need something to practice spiritually until the 15th. Once we meet on Zoom, we will use the session as a springboard for discovering what naturally wants to unfold for us as a kula.

A RECAP OF WHAT WE DID LAST MONTH: JULY

In the month of July, our Mantra Master Class established a template for engaging all three mantra streams while introducing a 60-Day Mantra Practice. For those interested, this practice can also include a mantra recording project to deepen and enrich the experience.

Our Creative Collective focused on developing everyone's understanding of the audio recording process, particularly project organization, saving, and file sharing, so students can easily share their work with me as well as develop their personal projects, their 60-Day Mantra Practice and our collaborative community tapestries. It has been wonderful to see this collaborative process begin so robustly. Following Tim's presentation on Self-Actualization, we now have Kathryn's Shanti Mantras Project.

These pieces involve considerable courage and effort and are a testament to their dedication and commitment. Kathryn has a genuine love for Sanskrit chanting and has devoted herself to refining her practice over many years. Audio technology, however, has never been her natural interest. Nevertheless, in just six weeks, she embraced the challenge of learning the recording process and, through steady persistence, has produced mantra recordings that are both spiritually compelling and technically impressive. 

UPDATES ON SOME OF THE PROCESSES WE SHARE

The Bhrigu Valli of the Taittiriya Upanishad continues with a new set of lessons covering the chanting of verses 7–9. Today I also added the translations for these verses, which you will find on page two of the module. Some students have already mastered the first six verses, which is wonderful to see. Because the Bhrigu Valli is a prose Upanishad with recurring patterns, it is relatively easy to learn and memorize through regular practice. This text culminates the Shiksha Valli and Ananda Valli that many of us have successfully completed from the Taittiriya Upanishad.

I have also been quietly posting short articles on the 60-Day Mantra Practice, many of which have emerged from insights shared during private coaching sessions. These articles are designed to bring greater clarity and perspective to our daily core mantra practice. As a result, many students now have a much clearer sense of direction and the application of technique. My invitation is to anchor your journey in a core mantra and discover the value of using it as a counterweight to whatever mantra text, stotra, or upāsanā you choose to explore for your 60-Day Mantra Practice.

In One Spirit,

Russill