Huffington Post’s Marcia Hootman has posted an article called Mantras From the Womb: A Portrait of Deva Premal and Miten.
It’s been nearly two decades since Deva Premal and Miten launched their global mission to deliver the message of chanting mantras. A mantra is a sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, such as a syllable or portion of scripture (believed to contain) mystical potentialities. It’s been said that a mantra is best described as a cross between poetry and magical incantations and that chanting certain sounds and syllables can bring about peace and healing.
German-born musician Deva Premal was destined to spread the gospel of mantras when her father would chant the “Gayatri Mantra,” one of the most sacred mantras of Hinduism, as she was growing in her mother’s womb. It was also the lullaby that put her to sleep each night.
Deva writes:
When my mother was pregnant with me, their welcome was to sing the Gayatri Mantra throughout the pregnancy. As I grew up we continued to chant the Gayatri Mantra together regularly before sleep. I didn’t really know what I was singing… and why. I just did it because I was told to! It wasn’t until much later that I came to appreciate these precious times and what my parents wanted to give me.
Miten was a successful London song writer, musician during the rock and roll ’60s but felt the need for something more lasting and substantial in his life. He found that something after reading a book on the philosophy of Zen.