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Who is in

this personal self,


And who is in

the sun...


It is only one.


~Taittiriya Upanisad

Sanskrit: The Language of Yoga

Yoga in the west is widely practiced as a gentle and effective form of fitness training. The deeper philosophical foundations of yoga are found in the ancient writings of the Vedas, Upanishads, and other spiritual texts of India in the form of Sanskrit mantras. The ancient art of Sanskrit chanting transmits the deepest experience of yoga, or union, through sound and vibration.


Sanskrit mantras dissolve duality, or the seer/seen distinction. They bring us into the experience of being interconnected with all and eventually to the truth of our oneness with all. They transmit the experience of our wholeness.


It is a language of light,

A language of awakening,

A language of Grace.


The mantras are vibrations of pure consciousness and energy. The words and sounds are the vibrations of the objects and states of being that they represent. When one chants a mantra the energy of what is being spoken becomes manifest. For example, when one chants "Shanti" the Sanskrit word for peace, the vibration of peace is created in one's whole being and ripples out into the world, touching the land, the people, and the animals in all directions.


The esoteric literature describes the human body as a cosmic resonator. Each sound of the Sanskrit alphabet is a vibration that resonates with the natural pulses and energies of the body. Within one's energy system exist vortices referred to as "chakras" in Sanskrit. Think of each chakra as a lotus, and printed upon each petal is one letter of the Sanskrit alphabet. An energy vibration is activated within the physical and subtle bodies when the sound of the letter is made aloud or silently. Thus, unfolding the petals of our consciousness, and transmitting healing energy to the body.


It is a great pleasure and honor for me to share and teach Sanskrit. I teach it the way I learned, as a spiritual practice, not just as a scholarly study. I learned in the ancient tradition of transmission from teacher to student by living and studying together over many years. It is a study and practice that is never finished. 

Class Offerings: 

Contact Caprina for class schedules and class openings, or to invite her to teach at your venue.

1) Classes in Sanskrit, Mantra, and Yoga texts for Yoga Teacher training programs.


2)Individual/small group instruction in Sanskrit chant, script and grammar. 

3) Unfolding the Petals Workshops:

This is an immersive experience in the sound and script of one of the world's oldest mystic languages. In this 2 hour workshop you will learn to chant the Sanskrit alphabet and become familiar with each letter in the Devanagari script. You will also learn to chant simple, yet beautiful Sanskrit verses and learn the philosophy and meaning behind them. You will also learn how the language and mantras affect your chakras and energy system in a very healing and rejuvenating way.

Workshop includes instructional handouts and a an opportunity to record the chanting on your device for practice. I recommend this class for yoga students, yoga teachers and trainees, Ayurveda students and practitioners, meditation practitioners, lovers of kirtan, healers....and most importantly anyone who is drawn to it.

What does Durgayatanam mean?

Durgayatanam is a combination of two Sanskrit words: Durga and Ayatanam. Ayatanam means abode. Durga is the archetypal energy of the Divine Feminine. She is the reliever of all difficulties, the energy that reveals the true nature of our being. She has been called the Mother of the Universe, the continuous unfoldment of all realms of creation from the central source.


Together these words mean "Abode of Durga" or "Where the universal creative energy dwells." This energy flows out from the central source within each of us and is the true healer within.

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