Radhika Das on Mantra Meditation, Sacred Sound, Spirituality & Finding Peace Through Music

[00:00:00] Welcome to Plot Twist Radio, the show where creativity, storytelling and the unpredictable path of the creative life all collide. I'm your host Erin Egnatz. Hello and welcome to Plot Twist Radio. Before we get going, can you introduce yourself to the audience? Radhika Das Hi everyone, my name is Radhika Das. I'm a Mantra artist and Bhakti Yoga teacher and someone who's trying to figure out the way back, coming back to spirituality.

[00:00:25] Love it. Love it. You talk a lot about the transformative power of sound. Was there a specific moment in your life where you personally felt that transformation? Many times. One that comes to the top of my head is probably the most poignant and one that I write about in my book, where I went through a breakup over phone, over text message.

[00:00:47] My girlfriend at the time, she decided to send me a message while I was away on my, one of the first experiences of spiritual, you know, spiritual community and practice. I went to a ashram in Spain, in the mountains of Brihueda. And while I was there, I got invited to attend the kirtan, the mantra chanting session that was happening at the end of the evening.

[00:01:14] And while I was sitting there, my phone starts buzzing and I look up at it and it's my girlfriend and she's saying, look, it's not working out and we need to end this. And I remember thinking, oh, but text message, like, is this really the way they're going to do this? But as I tried to text her back, I wasn't getting any signal. There was no 3G or any other sort at that time. I wasn't receiving any signal on my phone. And so I decided, OK, look, I've got two options.

[00:01:40] One is I either put my phone face down and I join these chanting souls. Or I go to my room and I cry and I throw things around because, you know, I need to be cathartic and let it out. And thankfully for me, put the phone face down. I started chanting with these incredible people and I felt, yes, it was a cathartic release, but also something more. I felt deeply connected to a higher purpose. I felt I felt at peace with the world, at peace with myself.

[00:02:09] I felt connected and joyful. And I just remember thinking, OK, I don't quite know the science about what went on then. Maybe it's because I'm going through this breakup that I'm feeling like this, but I want to delve a little bit deeper. And that took me on a huge journey meeting my spiritual teacher and tons of other teachers alike. And finding that this is a way in which, yes, I find my connection to divinity, to the supreme, to humanity, to the world, but also something that I want to share with others.

[00:02:39] And that's become my life. But now anyway. Yeah, that's like, you know, mountain out of a molehill type thing, because a lot of us would have done the opposite. We would have went to our room and cried it out. Definitely. I know I would have. Yeah, for sure. We learn more from rock bottom than we do from mountain tops. And I think in the moments where we're really down and out, what we do in those moments count. And they really do define our character and our path. So I'm grateful to young me for choosing what I did.

[00:03:06] Absolutely. So for people hearing the term mantra meditation for the first time, how would you describe it to them? Yeah. Mantra meditation is the chanting of sacred sound that takes a minute to learn and makes you feel good just as fast. It's a collection of ancient sound vibrations that fall upon deities that symbolize and also embody peace and love and all the good stuff, basically.

[00:03:35] All the stuff that we're looking for in our life, they come through in these sacred, sacred chants. And so, yeah, it takes a minute to learn and makes you feel good just as fast. Gotcha. So you kind of touched on this already, but did your path into it feel gradual or was it more of this breakup and here we are type thing? I think it's a bit of both is I met the monks of the Bhakti tradition when I was, I can't remember exactly.

[00:04:04] It must have been 17, 18, 19 and around that time. And I thought they were cool and charismatic and they had a good message, but I just didn't feel like it translated into the world that I lived in. And so I kept going back and forth. Like I go and attend a session of chanting or wisdom, Bhakti wisdom, Kirtan wisdom. And I remember just going, well, yeah, that's cool. But I still want to also go out on a Friday night and I still want to also, you know, let loose and do all that.

[00:04:29] And I think it came to a point where I felt like I had one foot in one boat, one foot in another, and they're both going in different directions and I was getting split down the middle. I think that happens when you kind of find something that's really healing and really out of the ordinary at the same time. Because I felt like I didn't want to share what I was going through in the public. It felt a little bit too weird and a little bit too woo woo. And, you know, what would people think if I told them I was chanting mantras? And so I did definitely go through a period of back and forth.

[00:04:58] But I think the the moments where I felt that this was a real solution, not just a patch up, but a real solution to things that were going on in my life. That was when I started committing more. And I think that's very natural. You take each step as it comes and then you feel like, hey, this is really working for me. And then further to that, I feel like I can help share this with others.

[00:05:17] And now that I'm living this life, I feel committed and I feel that yes, I've made a real, yeah, solid decision to make this my part. Yes. And it seems to have worked out very nicely. You've led gatherings everywhere from London to Mumbai to New York. Do people respond differently depending on the culture or city? In one sense, yes, because in some places I'll be more familiar with the chants.

[00:05:46] I'll be more familiar with the music in one sense. But in another sense, the experience that people feel of joy, of calm, of connection, that I think is quite universal. And that's been really amazing for me to see, because, you know, looking at my stuff on YouTube or Instagram, you think it's Hindu song and dance, almost karaoke-esque. And it's hard to pinpoint what's really going on.

[00:06:11] But anyone that's been to a live experience, you know, I really do try my best to make it accessible and relevant and explain what's happening. But at the same time, I allow the music and the chant to really, yeah, to penetrate the heart of the people where they're at. And I think that that happens nine out of ten times. I mean, there's always that one out of ten that was coming and didn't really want to come, but was dragged along and went out with the same feeling they went in with.

[00:06:35] But if you can enter that space with an open heart and open mind as to what could be, this could be like we've tried so many weird and wonderful things there and to get happy in this world. And to come across a practice that could potentially be it. I think it's really amazing that you have this universal experience of, wow, OK, that really opened something. It revealed something to me. It connected me to something higher. And that's been really amazing.

[00:07:02] Cross culture, cross country, cross language, cross age. People coming from all different age ranges. Incredible. It is. It's a beautiful thing. We need more of that. For sure. For sure. So what I find fascinating with chanting and communal singing is that so many traditions around the world have it and they connect through the sound. Why do you think humans are so deeply wired to connect through that sound?

[00:07:27] Yeah, I think that, you know, if you were to read, there's a book by a dear friend, T.J. Power. He's written about how the collective chanting brings about a feeling of endorphins rising. The collective chanting brings about a sense of community. People love singing football chants or you call it soccer here. Soccer chants or, you know, NFL chants at games. There is a joy to be had in that collective experience.

[00:07:56] And I think that that's very rudimentary. It's a very on the human level. It's very rewarding and very joyous to be in that kind of situation. But what we are experiencing in this chanting community is, yes, you get a sense of community and you get a sense of calm. But then there's also a feeling of something higher, something higher, moving the heart, something higher, shaping our consciousness.

[00:08:22] And I think that that's, yeah, both on the human level, if you just come into a fine community, great. If you are open to it, there's something higher there for you, too. So you kind of you were talking about how there's always that one out of 10. But how about the others? Have you ever watched someone come into one of your gatherings skeptical or guarded and leave completely changed? 100%.

[00:08:46] It happens almost every time, you know, that people will come to me and say that they were not expecting what just happened. And they've kind of seen, you know, what can a video really do? It can give you some sense of the experience. But I think a lot of it is, yeah, it's lived and in person. And that's the reason why when I do share is not done in a structured format in one sense that, you know, okay, fine. I'll have the mantras in mind and I have the melodies in mind, but I'm not playing to a click track.

[00:09:16] I'm not playing to a bathroom track. Everything that you hear is being played live in that moment there and then. I'm hearing what the audience almost is speaking without saying it. And that intuition has allowed the offering to really, I think, become an organic and, yeah, deeply moving experience. You know, you're feeling what everyone else is feeling in the room. It's not synthetic.

[00:09:41] It's not kind of done in a way that is artificial. And that's really something magical. Really something magical. I can imagine. For someone who's listening who thinks I could never do that. I feel too awkward. What would you say to them? Um, what would I say to someone that feels awkward about coming? I completely understand you because I can appreciate that. It is a, uh, very alien experience.

[00:10:11] A very, um, it's in one sense, completely out of this world experience. You're chanting sound vibration that you probably never even heard of before. You're, you're, you're permitting to being at an event where there's going to be music that you probably don't recognize, even though I'm trying to include instruments that are recognizable. And to people that are coming out feeling awkward, I would say, I get you, I feel you and I understand you because that was me once. But also to know that, you know, we've tried some really wacky things in our lifetimes to get happy.

[00:10:40] And if I was to ask you, you know, something that you've done in your life that you thought was going to bring happiness. But you know, on hindsight, in hindsight, you've realized that was really not what I was asking for. Um, I think that we, we are in a search. Human beings are in a search to try different things, to try and find their connection, their calm, their joy. And, um, kirtan is just another opportunity. Mantra and chanting and meditation is just another opportunity for that. And so I'd, I'd encourage you if you're listening to this right now and you're like, oh, I don't know, I'm still on the fence.

[00:11:10] I'm trying my best. I put my British accent on show. I'm trying to make things accessible and relevant. The mantras are joyous and are going to bring you to a place of calm connection. Um, you've tried so many wacky things. Give me a try. Give us a try. Give the mantra a try. Give the sound a try. I agree. And I was listening to your YouTube, um, selection and it's very calming. It's, I could not imagine how it feels in person because just listening to it around the house as I was preparing for the interview, I was like, you know, this is really gone.

[00:11:40] Aw, thanks, Erin. Yeah. It's not me. It's, it's, I mean, I can take some credit with the band, but I give full credit to the practice. I think that there's something there. And, uh, yes, you know, my latest EP, I am trying to make it more contemporary. I'm trying to bring sounds that are familiar to the modern ear. Um, but you know, there is some, something about this that goes above and beyond what we thought was possible with the human consciousness.

[00:12:05] And, you know, there's plenty of studies out there done by incredible professors and universities that show the power of sound and its ability to shift consciousness, shift awareness. Like, let me put it in more layman's terms. We got a playlist when we go for a job. We've got a playlist when we are cooking.

[00:12:26] Maybe we've got a playlist for when we're on a long drive. We've got a playlist for when we're in the, we've got a playlist for everything, but we don't necessarily associate music that much in my opinion with spirituality. And I think that that's really what I'm calling for that. Yes, we can find higher awareness through the medium of sound.

[00:12:48] And, uh, yes, people will say, okay, it's sounding Indian and Hindu and it's feeling too, uh, alien for me, but we travel across the world to taste different cultures, to try and find our happiness. Don't we? We try different cuisines. We try having relationships with different cultures, people in different cultures and traditions. And this is just another, another one of those that I think should be and could be the solution. Absolutely. Well said. Well said. Thank you.

[00:13:16] So, uh, let's pivot a little bit. You've worked with people from all walks of life. Have you noticed that people are ultimately searching for the same thing underneath it all? Yeah. Mother Teresa, she says it really beautifully. She said that we are all innately looking for love and to love.

[00:13:36] The innermost desire of the human being is to receive love from another, whether that's the human platform or the spiritual, and also to be able to give love. And I know that that's difficult because we are in a society in the modern age where it's all about love me, love me, say that you love me. But to express love and to share and to give, it is also very fulfilling. And I think that that needs to be reminded of us quite often. And so I think in essence, yes, we are looking for the same thing.

[00:14:06] We're looking to fill that God-shaped hole in our heart in different ways. But how we go about it can differ. And I'm not going to be closed minded here and say my way is the only way, it's the highway. But, um, you know, when you are in love, you want to shout about it from the top of any skyscraper. You want to tell people in any way you can. You want to express it to others because you're feeling it. And I think that's what I'm feeling. I feel, I feel I found my love and I feel like I'm receiving a reciprocal relationship with that love.

[00:14:35] And I want that to be expanded and extended into the hearts of others. And so that's why I'm so passionate about my practice and I want to share it with so many. But I also appreciate, yes, you're looking for the same thing and you might need to find it a different way. So how do you personally stay grounded when your own life becomes chaotic or overwhelming, especially with touring all over? Yeah, well, contrary to common belief, I'm also a human being. And I like watching soccer. I like going on long walks.

[00:15:05] I like listening to different genres of music. I love spending time with family and my kids. My wife and my kids are my rock, my everything. And I love tasting good vegetarian and vegan cuisine. I'm a veggie vegan. You know, anything. I just found a place in New York that serves Ethiopian vegan cuisine. I'm all about it. So I'm, I'm a big foodie.

[00:15:29] And I guess on the more spiritual platform, I don't start my day without first and foremost spending a couple of hours, which I've just come off of just now. Because I woke up late this morning after such a busy tour. But I spent a couple of hours this morning just reading and chanting and being in front of my sacred altar and, yeah, connecting to source. Because I'm a big believer that if every one hour that I'm a sharer, I need to spend two hours away from that microphone going deep. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:15:59] And I, I love the, um, the vegan vegetarian thing I am too. So I'm always looking for nice places and it's turned me ever since I became one. I'm like you, I've become like a foodie. I don't know why. Yeah. It's just so much better now. I don't know why. Yeah. Yeah. Well, if you're ever in New York, then drop me a message and I'll send you a bunch of places. You can maybe put it in the comment section. Perfect. That sounds good. So, um, where can the audience find you? Yeah.

[00:16:24] Well, the easiest place is probably going to be via my website, www.readycadas.com. And there's an event section which is constantly being filled because I'm a big believer in trying to be an ambassador for peace and love in a way that's active and accessible. So we just completed the U.S tour and then we've got a European tour coming up in October, which includes an incredibly big show happening at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, where there's going to be about three and a half thousand people. Um, yeah.

[00:16:54] I mean, stay in touch online, in person, workshops, retreats. It's all up there on on readycadas.com. Perfect. Yes. And, um, you said the tour is coming up. You said you have retreats on your website. Yeah, we've got retreats. I like to take people to India being from an Indian descent. Um, and also having been born in London, studied in London, you know, married and kids are in London. Uh, I understand both cultures relatively well.

[00:17:19] I can speak Hindi and I can also understand the American English slang too. And so that gives me a unique opportunity to be able to bring people to the source of where my learnings and teachings come from. Um, we get about 700 signups for each retreat and we choose 70, 50 to 70 people that come in person. And so it's quite selective.

[00:17:42] But at the same time, we're really trying to make sure that it's not just a money grab situation, but we're really serving the people that are coming and that the people feel that this is the right stage for them. And this is the right offering for them. And so, yeah, going to India can be quite chaotic and overwhelming and bewildering. But, uh, my team and I are really focused on trying to share the spiritual essence in a container which is safe and secure and well managed. And at the same time, gives you a flavor of the chaotic at the same time.

[00:18:12] I love that. Love it. Well, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you, Aaron. I really appreciate the time.