Australia Sound & Mantra Yoga Training

Seven days of sound, Sanskrit mantra and devotional song, held in sixty acres of native Australian bushland. This kirtan retreat invites you to remember what it feels like to be well tuned: heart, mind, body and spirit moving in one rhythmic flow, singing for the pleasure of it rather than for anyone else.

Led by sacred musician and teacher Anandra George, founder of Heart of Sound, the Australia Sound & Mantra Yoga Training gathers at Swami's Yoga Retreat in the Sydney hinterland, NSW. Rooted in Bhakti yoga, the path of devotion through sound, the week weaves rāga-based kīrtan, refined Sanskrit mantra chanting and Indian classical vocal meditation with gentle yogāsana developed for sound-based practice.

Whether you are a chant lover, a sound healer, a mantra yoga teacher or simply someone who feels at home in song, there is room for you. Musicians and non-musicians, introverts and extroverts, and people of all bodies, ages, backgrounds and traditions are welcome.

What to Expect

The days follow a rhythm drawn from traditional sound yoga practice:

- Sunrise: Sāvitrī Gāyatrī mantra meditation with Anandra, beginning at 6:30.
- Morning: A two-hour deep chant session exploring rāga-based kīrtan and refined Sanskrit mantra.
- Mid-day: An experiential lecture with Anandra on core teacher training subjects and advanced leadership, with Q&A. It is optional for those attending as a personal retreat. A vegetarian lunch follows.
- Afternoon: Time for rest, pool time, bushwalks, massage and whatever else your body asks for.
- Late afternoon: Restorative sound journeys with Mukti Mignon, yin yoga, or teacher training buddy practice, as inspired.
- Evening: A kīrtan song circle and open mic jam.

For those on the teacher training path, Anandra delivers a selection of core lectures from the 500-hour Heart of Sound training, updated for 2027, in person for the first time. Topics include her approach to the Tantrik Sanskrit sounds and kīrtan leadership techniques that deepen participants' inner experience, which is distinct from festival-stage performance. The retreat counts toward attendance hours for the 200, 300 and 500-hour Yoga Alliance teacher trainings, and package deals are available for the retreat and training together.

Expect a community of chant lovers, including students who are among Australia's leading sound healing and mantra teachers, and a week that leaves room for play, spaciousness and rest as well as study.

About the Lineup

Anandra George is a kirtan artist and teacher, and the founder of Heart of Sound. She was born into a family rooted in music and spirituality, and her path into kirtan began in childhood, listening to her parents chant and sing devotional songs. Her formative years were spent exploring Indian classical music, which became the foundation for her work in kirtan and spiritual teaching. She is the primary leader of the chant sessions and discussion groups, and her signature method of teaching the Sanskrit sounds has been refined over 15 years of teaching.

Mignon Mukti is a meditation teacher, spiritual activist, transformational musician, and crystal bowl and voice sound healer, as well as a mindfulness meditation teacher. She guides the restorative sound journeys during the late-afternoon sessions.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Swami's Yoga Retreat in the Sydney hinterland, NSW, set within native bushland. The venue offers a pool and bushwalking, and is known for its vibrant vegetarian lunches. Comfortable clothing suited to chanting, yoga and walking in the bush will serve you well. Payment plans are available, along with the teacher training packages mentioned above.