Meenakshi's experience with chanting began in 1988 on her first trip to India to study with Swami Shyam. Her background was in the performing arts,but her Bhakti (devotion) for God came through her experiences of meditation and chanting. She recorded her first Cd of Sanskrit chants in India is July 200 entitled "Prayers". Since then she has been leading kirtan,chanting workshops and classes, meditation,yoga philosophy, Sanskrit and Ashtanga Yoga in Canada and the U.S. Her voice has a sweet, ethereal and open-hearted quality, full of devotion and surrender. She is currently leading Kirtan in Toronto and the U.S. (under the group name "SWAHA") with her partner and keyboardist Ron Reid, co-founder of Downward Dog Yoga Centre. They recently completed their first Cd entitled "Salutations" which is available to order on Cd baby (www.cdbaby.com/swaha) "'Prayers's' by Meenakshi is full of devotion and sweetness. Her open-hearted chanting soothes the heart and frees the spirit" -Krishna Das "Meenakshi's sweet, ethereal voice escorts the listener into the heavenly realms." ~ Robert Svoboda "Meenakshi's splendourous voice, music and rhythms saturate the consciousness of the soul and lead one back Home... Listen [to her music] and be blessed with pure Joy, Truth and Spiritual ecstasy." ~ Dr. Joseph Barry Martin, PhD "'Prayers' unfolds with the stillness and grace of a morning blossom. The fragrance of Meenakshi's voice is intoxicating." ~ Dave Stringer "[Meenakshi's] CD is a blend of traditional Sanskrit chants and Western sounding beats... creating an exotic, melodic sound that can be soothing and uplifting." ~ The Toronto Star, Daphne Gordon