Manish Vyas

Manish Vyas is a professional musician, composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist from Gujarat, India. He has learned and played Indian music since childhood, and later focused on sacred and devotional music: mantras, kirtan and other expressions from the ancient Indian tradition. His main focus is the intrinsic power of sound, known as naad yoga. He also plays tabla and harmonium, and he describes himself as a teacher, conductor, podcaster, publisher, blogger, film-maker and presenter of Indian culture.

His music draws on ragas, the structures of Indian music whose name means "that which charms" or "that which colors". He uses them to set texts, poems, mantras and lyrics from the tradition. His catalogue includes collections such as Vedic Invocations, Yoga of Chanting, Healing Ragas and Sufi Splendor. Press voices describe music that ranges from dance-floor beats to relaxation, always rooted in Indian spirituality. Prem Joshua of Germany praised his gift for rhythm and melody. Spuren Magazine in Switzerland noted his tabla playing, his voice and his mantras.

He leads retreats that combine mantra, kirtan, pranayama, meditation, light yoga and stories from India. These have been held in Switzerland, France, Holland, Spain, the UK and the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in the Bahamas. He says that after 20 years of following his Master, he was told, "you are ready to conduct retreats and share what was passed to you". He sees himself as a humble postman passing on what he received. He also plays concerts and teaches workshops and lessons. His clients and hosts include yoga festivals, cultural associations, temples and centres across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

He has also taken part in a documentary, True World of Mantra, filmed across India by an independent filmmaker. The film explores the science of authentic sound and argues for its cultural preservation. His stated aim is for the arts and sciences of India to be shared with grace and authenticity.