Kirtan YogaPosted by admin on October 9th, 2009

Unwind and set yourself free with melodious mantra meditation, transported by a dream world of exquisite Indian and world instruments. Kirtan is a meditation in call and response style – the leader sings the mantra and the crowd responds, creating a dynamic, uplifting experience for all.

Come experiment with our homegrown kirtan band – you’ll meet trained bhakti yogis singing soulful with harmonium (Indian organ), funky tambourines and vocals, and experts drawing amazing rhythms out of their traditional kirtan drum, the mridanga, and also sharing his enchanting vocals with us.

No musical experience required! You don’t have to be able to sing in tune either. Just bring a desire to revitalize your mind and awaken your essential self.

What is kirtan?
Ever feel like you can’t shake a downer mood, or something is getting to you and you can’t stop thinking about it? Is life too fast and furious to catch a calm breath and reflect? Or maybe you feel like accessing a deeper level of experience than the daily grind, exploring your untapped unique potential.

Just like there are yoga postures for the body to relax and strengthen and tone, there are mantras (special sound vibrations found in the ancient yoga texts) that act as a revitalizing tonic for the mind. Using these mantras for meditation brings the mind to rest in a space free from stress and anxiety. The word “mantra” literally means to “free the mind”.

If you’re curious to explore more, then the extraordinary practice of mantra meditation can take you deeper still: come explore and taste the realm of consciousness beyond body and mind – mantra meditation is a natural passage to the spiritual dimension where there is joyful relationship between individual spiritual consciousness and Ultimate Consciousness.

The subtle science of sound and its influence on our conscious awareness is a core understanding in the yoga tradition. Sounds have the power to either rejuvenate or deaden our essential life energies. An expert yogi is well versed in the art and science of sonic energy and its effects. The ancient yoga texts teach us to use mantra meditation to uncover our natural blissful state of existence and thereby immunize ourselves against the draining and dulling effects of materialistic sound vibrations.

Example mantras
Some examples of the mantras which we use in mantra meditation:

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Govinda Jaya Jaya
Gopala Jaya Jaya
Radha-ramanahari
Govinda Jaya Jaya

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama
Rama Rama, Hare Hare

What do the mantras mean?
The yogic texts of ancient India recognize that the world we call home, including our own bodies and minds, is made up of many different energies. These energies break down into three categories:

  • Material: solid, liquid, radiant, gaseous and empty space
  • Subtle: mind, intelligence and false sense of ego (thinking ourselves to be entirely composed of material energy)
  • Spiritual: the real self of pure consciousness

The ancient yoga texts also explain that these energies can’t exist without an energetic source. Just as the rays of light which illuminate our days are coming from an energetic source: the sun.

Mantras are the sound representation of this energetic source: by repeating the mantras we connect ourselves with that original reservoir of all energies. The more we establish this connection, the more we become revitalized, empowered and harmonized with our environment and our own self.

Last but not least, we are pleased to offer you a vegan snack to share together after the session. The snack is, of course, prasadam, cooked by our highly qualified yoga chefs (who practice mantra meditation as they cook). It helps lift our body, mind and consciousness to even higher levels.

We look forward to meditating with you!

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