Chalisa Workshop

with Keli Reddy

Keli Lalita Reddy, MA   ERYT-1000, Certified CE Provider, Owner of Mantralogy Records.

Keli was first introduced to yoga at age seven by her mother who studied with the disciples of Sri Rama Krishna at the Vivikananda Vedanta Vihar, an ashram in the foothills of the Catskill mountains, and continued her study with Shiva Rea. She has been teaching yoga asana for a 21 years, though, her dedicated study of Bhakti Yoga began when she was still a teenager. Keli is a student of Ayurvedic Body Work at Kripalu. She is a PhD Student in Cultural Anthropology studying Yoga in Modernity under the direction of Edwin Bryant, PhD, translator of Yoga Sutras, and Professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University. She has lead and assisted retreats here in the US, in Costa Rica, Greece, Mexico and in India, including retreats with Nina Rao, Robert Thurman and Krishna das.

1. Opening + Welcome (10 min)

• overview of workshop

2. Hanuman + Chalisa Origins (15 min)

• Who is Hanuman?

• Brief Ramayana context

• Tulsidas + devotional intention

• Why chant the Chalisa

3. Full Chant (10 min)

• Handouts given

• Slow call-and-response chant of the full Chalisa

4. Verse Exploration (40 min)

• Focus on 8–10 key verses

• Chant each + review meaning, symbolism, reflection

5. Stretch Break (10 min)

• Optional 3–5 min guided movement

• Water/tea break

6. Chanting Practice (45–50 min)

• Group chanting of full Chalisa 2–3 times

• Emphasis on rhythm + devotional repetition

7. Closing Circle (10–15 min)

• Group reflection

• Suggestions for home practice

Sunday December 7th

3pm-5:30pm

$50