For those of you who are new to this practice, Japa is the repetition of a mantra which changes your physiology and has a deep effect on your psyche. The mind is an extremely powerful tool which does an impressive job at generating thoughts – millions of thoughts a day! But for most of us, the mind takes over our lives, directing our actions from a place that is not aligned with our soul. The beauty of Japa meditation is that it works on our most recurring thought patterns, and this allows new impulses and inspirations to arise. Japa meditation can be seen as a process of cleaning the ‘hard drive’ of the mind so that we can function more clearly and consciously.

Many people come out of this experience feeling something huge has transformed for them.

The event will take place at Sheldon Retreat Centre, Exeter EX6 7YT

How is is possible to meditate for 40 hrs? I am worried I won’t be able to do it!

The schedule once the Japa starts is two hours on, two hours off during the day, and four hours on, four hours off during the night. This means there is time to rest between sessions.  As the meditation progresses you will notice you have increased energy and you are able to sit with less resistance for longer stretches of time.

How do I learn the mantra?

We will send you the mantra six weeks before the retreat starts. You can begin listening to it and learning the sounds.  Once the Japa starts you will pick up the mantra’s rhythm very fast,  so even if you don’t know it by heart before you arrive, you soon will.

Do I need to sit all the time?

Absolutely not.  This is why Japa meditations are so beautiful. Because you are working with a mantra you can stand and move while you are meditating. The sound current will permeate though you which ever position you are in.

Can we eat/drink while the Japa is on?

You can bring water into the meditation space, but not food. You will have time to refuel during the breaks. We will be providing three delicious vegan meals a day during your mediation retreat.

How do I prepare for the Japa?

It’s a really good idea to purify the body as much as you can before the Japa begins. Reducing or cutting out sugar/caffine/alcohol/processed foods will help your body and your mind settle into the process more quickly. If you don’t already have a regular mindful practice like yoga or breath work we suggest you start increasing these activities in the lead-up to the retreat.

How long will the effect of the Japa last?

Quite simply – a lifetime and beyond.

To register for the retreat, make payment via one of the options below.

Martha Chester

Sound has always been profoundly emotive to me. Yet it took at least a decade of dedicated yoga practice before I truly felt the subtle and powerful effects of mantra. Since that awakening moment, I have immersed myself in many disciplined practices using sound, including 1,500 days of So Purkh, 11,000 repetitions of Reyman Shabd, nine months of Guru Gyatri Mantra, 40 hours of the Mool Mantra (this will be my third experience), and 40 hours of Ajai Alai.

On reflection, I recognize that mantra is an embodied experience that transcends the finite practice itself. The vibration doesn’t end when the chanting stops—it continues to work through the body, mind, and spirit long after the final sound in chanted.

Working with sound—with Shabd Guru—has been one of the most profound experiences of my spiritual development. It has shown me, so beautifully and gently, the intricate layers of my mind and the deep wounds I carry from childhood. Through the steady repetition and sacred vibration, what was hidden has slowly revealed itself, not with force or trauma, but with a tender precision that only sound seems to offer.

The power of chanting in community is particularly profound. I firmly believe that healing is a collective experience. When voices join together in sacred sound, something alchemical occurs—individual pain transforms into shared wisdom, isolation dissolves into connection, and the boundaries between self and other begin to soften. We hold each other in the container of sound, and in that holding, profound transformation becomes possible.

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Preet Kaur
Preet is a sound healer and kundalini yoga teacher dedicated to helping people find deep rest, balance, peace and inner harmony. With many years of teaching experience, Preet also trains new gong practitioners and leads kundalini yoga teacher trainings, sharing her passion and knowledge with the next generation of teachers and sound healers. Her work extends to 1-to-1 sound healing sessions with the monochord sound healing table and personal mentoring, offering a safe, nurturing space for healing, growth and self-discovery.