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Music and Yoga for Relaxation

Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self control. Energy within and energy without.  ~Ymber Delecto

Yoga, the Sanskrit word means 'union', the way to unite the individual with the divine means. Practice of this 5000 year old science has been continuing for centuries which was actually originated from Hindu philosophy. According to Patanjali, the ancient compiler of the Yoga Sutras, Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind. The sage also said, "In deep meditation the flow of concentration is continuous like the flow of oil." Yoga helps to develop harmony between the mind, soul and body by uniting, yoking, joining and putting together these three elements of human being. Kundalini Yoga is a spiritual practice in the world of yoga, which awakes our senses to attain the ultimate peace in life. So proper yoga practice with exercise, meditation and asanas can help to relax the mind, body and soul.

Yoga musicYoga, the greatest antidote to stress, ensures complete relaxation if practiced regularly. When paired with music, yoga becomes much more effective than ever. While performing yoga, Meditation music creates the right mood. Even relaxing yoga music and soothing sounds can be a great aid to sleep. Yoga helps to develop a peaceful mind. The soothing Yoga music helps to relax, calm the mind, and thus create a balance within. Many stress-relaxing techniques included in Yoga enforce relaxation in this stressful life of the present time. At the end of each Yoga session, corpse pose or Savasana is compulsory. This asana gets one back into the real or mundane world from the world of eternity, feeling more refreshed and relaxed, armed with the weapons to fight off the stress from the daily life.

Yoga helps to bring down stress and enhance relaxation. And music has the universal appeal to soothe the inner-self of anyone and everyone. Music creates a harmony in the mind which also leads to increased power of concentration. Nowadays, gradually, people can understand this aspect or benefit of Yoga practicing for which many spiritual music companies offer particular Yoga DVDs and CDs containing hymns and chants which soothe the mind by creating a calm atmosphere around. These enchanting hymns and mantras of Yoga music enter the deepest sense of human mind and blend with his or her original self.

Spirit Voyage is one such online record label company that guides you through the journey of a spiritual insight. With its huge collection of Meditation music, CDs and DVDs, the company helps to entice the feeling of ultimate relaxation to both your body and soul. So listen to this range of devotional music and dip into the river of melody. Experience the blissful calmness and delightful soothing inner self with the Kundalini Yoga Music offered by Spirit Voyage. Spirit Voyage Yoga DVDs are the greatest way of developing a deep spiritual connection with the divine power. To wipe away all the negative vibes and tensions from the mind which is very much common and normal in today's perspective, Spirit Voyage is there ensuring you a relaxed and refreshed life.

Now, you can get peace with yoga, meditation and relaxing music. So heal the anxiety through the practice of Yoga. With this relaxing music let the tensions go away permanently from your life and regenerate your soul and rejuvenate the flow of energy with the soothing tunes.

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Benefits of listening to Yoga Music

Kundalini YogaYoga can be termed as a scientific system of physical and mental practices, that help a human being to gain emotional stability and clarity of mind. Yoga refers to a spiritual discipline that focuses on the development and maintenance of the natural balance between the mind, body and the soul. It helps an individual to achieve the highest potential and thus guides him to experience a healthy and blissful life. Practicing yoga through set of body movements, different postures, relaxation and meditation, establishes a balance between the mind, body and the spirit. There are many styles and patterns of yoga like Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Viniyoga, Kundalini Yoga, etc. Each of the styles are different ways of achieving the same divine goal which is better health and understanding of the self. Yoga connects the practitioner to the supreme or the ultimate creator and the individual attains the knowledge of spiritual insight.

Yoga MusicSince ages, music and yoga practice have been inseparable. Music was used in yogic training since time immemorial. Every tone and sound of the music have a particular effect on the human energy system. Music inhibit the wandering mind, lifts up the spirit, soothes and relaxes the body. Music is used to express as well as induce different states of mind like moods, feelings, impressions and thoughts. Just like Yoga, music and sounds have the power to influence and change many bodily and mental aspects and processes in a human being. Music, coupled with tone and rhythm, are highly energetic and they have strong effect on the mind. Today, music is not only used for commercial purposes but also plays the role of soothing and calming the mind. Through Yoga Music and Mantras one can seek deep in the hidden aspects of their own being. Music relaxes the body and mind and essentially creates an apt background for practicing Asanas and Pranayama.

Meditation MusicMeditation requires the mind to fix its focus on a single point. Creating an atmosphere that is peaceful, tranquil and calm is an utmost necessity. Meditation Music and Mantras tune the mind and soul and helps an individual to attain a spiritual insight and consciousness. These can invoke strong moods and influence the subtle energy fields to direct the consciousness towards higher realms. Music for meditation helps the practitioner to merge himself into a harmonious waking state. Meditation improves mental and physical health and relieves stress. Listening to music while meditating helps one to concentrate, withdrawing all attentions from other worldly thoughts. The sounds of bells or gongs will subtly influence the nervous systems and the energetic frequencies evolving from these music are ideal for practicing meditation.

Yoga DVDsYoga music is soothing and relaxing. With people deriving more and more benefits from the yoga practices, the yoga music is also gaining immense popularity. Yoga Music balances the mind and prevent the mind from getting distracted. Today, many companies offer Yoga DVDs and CDs and Spirit Voyage is one of them. Spirit Voyage is one of the renowned record label company, represented by several artistes who have a deep spiritual connection with their music. The different Yoga DVDs and Cds offered by Spirit Voyage contains hymns and chants that are intensely accelerating and intensifying. Spiritual chants and pieces by artistes like Snatam Kaur, Dev Suroop Kaur Khalsa, Deva Premal, Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa, Bachan Kaur, Wah will guide the listener to reach a state of enlightenment. These chants and music shall have a direct influence on the individual's body and his/her physiology. The Yoga Music shall create a peaceful ambiance and thus shall help to relax the mind and the body of the individual and will enhance his/her ability to concentrate and meditate. Choose from the Kundalini Yoga Music CDs, General Yoga Music DVDs, Sanskrit Mantra collection, New Age Celtic Music, Buddhist chants and many more and help yourself to connect to the higher spheres of spirituality and holiness. Elevate your mind through Bhakti and religious music or Meditation Music offered by Spirit Voyage.

Spirit Voyage is also engaged in offering different kinds of Yoga accessories like yoga rugs, yoga mats, yoga cushions, malas and jeweleries. Yoga books for Kundalini Yoga, books on general Yoga, Health and Wellness Books are also available which contain in-depth instruction, information and images to practice yoga with utmost perfection. Spirit Voyage, with these collection of yoga Cds and DVDs, books, yoga clothing and accessories aims to infuse devotional thoughts within an individual and let him/her experience the bliss and delight to sooth his/her inner self.

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Use of Mantras in Yogic Chanting

Sanskrit MantrasThe word Mantra is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mananat Trayate". The word Mantra contains two words- "man" which means "to think" and "Tra" which means tool. The literal translation of the word Mantra refers "instrument of thought". Originated in India from the Vedic period, mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words, capable of creating spiritual transformation. Today, chanting of mantras is a customary practice in all religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Mantras form an integral part of all spiritual movements. OM is the most commonly used mantra in all religions. Chanting of the mantra OM helps one to rejuvenate his senses and create a feeling of ease and calmness.

The practice of yoga and meditation involves chanting of mantras that creates a higher energy level for the practitioner. Chanting of mantras increases the concentration and self-awareness level of the individual. In realms of yoga or meditation, mantra helps to transcend the mind and emotions. With chanting of different mantras, the super-consciousness of the practitioner is clearly revealed and experienced. In yoga, Mantra leads a devotee to attain the state of Pratyahara. Pratyahara is a stage in Ashtanga yoga in which a practitioner sacrifice the worldly attractions and withdraw himself from external material objects. The Mantras have the capability of producing a powerful vibration and rhythm which corresponds to a specific spiritual energy frequency. Thus, use of Mantra in yoga practice helps an individual to free themselves from the grasp of material consciousness and direct his senses towards inner edification. The sounds produced by mantras guide a wandering mind and fixes it to the specific spiritual focus.

There are many methods of chanting mantras. They are Baikhari (Audible), Upanshu (whispering) and Manasik (Mental). Mantras which are chanted aloud are known as Baikhari mantras. The Upanshu mantras are chanted in low voice or just by whispering so that only practitioner can listen. Manasik mantra refers repeating the mantra without whispering or pronouncing it aloud. Like yoga practice, chanting mantras have positive impact on the mental and psychological aspect of a human being. Through the energy based sounds that vibrate through the body, mantras help to for remove the negative tendencies of mind and re-vitalize the entire thinking process of a person. The synthesis of Mantra and yoga collaborates to create a deeper and subtle surrounding which, in the process, purifies the collective conscious mind. When a Mantra is chanted, a particular combination is repeated which in turn, leads to awakening powerful inner force. Thus chanting mantra in proper ways, will lead to ultimate salvation or union with super conscious.

There are mantras for every kind of Yoga and meditation practice, which leads an individual towards the path of ultimate truth. There are specific mantras for different types of yoga practice. Like in Kundalini Yoga practice mantras elevate or modify consciousness through their meaning and rhythmical repetition. The practice of Mantra Yoga helps one to reach the state of Samadhi. Samadhi is the state of full meditative absorption. The mind is fully concentrated and one transcends the limitations of the conscious state and gets the vision of Truth or Illumination.

Yoga MusicToday, with the recognition of benefits of yoga and meditation worldwide, there are many companies offering instrumental CDs and Yoga DVDs. These CDs contain sacred chants, hymns and mantras. Spirit Voyage offers a wide range of CDs and DVDs featuring instrumental pieces, chants and mantras. These yoga music, hymns and chants will help you in your daily yoga and meditation practice. With Spirit Voyage yoga and meditation music, a practitioner can feel the divine union with the Supreme. The company also offers different Kundalini Yoga books and music CDS and various kinds of yoga accessories like yoga mats, yoga rugs, malas and jeweleries and many more.

Kundalini Sadhan MusicChant the sacred mantras contained in the Yoga DVDs and entice your senses. Heal yourself with Kundalini Sadhana music or New Age Celtic Music, Buddhist Chants or High Energy Yoga Grooves. Spirit Voyage has a collection Sanskrit Mantras, chants, and Kirtan which are ideal for yoga practice. These music are ideal to combat the stress of daily life and guide you towards the path of eternal bliss. Music and mantras are the integral part in practice of meditation. Spirit Voyage offers a variety of meditation music like the sounds of bells, gongs and bowls. The energetic frequencies that comes from the metal and crystal stirs an spiritual sensation within the practitioner, as well as enable him to concentrate fully on a fixed focus.

The use of Mantras in Yogic chants helps an individual to achieve ultimate salvation. The mantra chants keep the individual away from the material barriers of the world. With Spirit Voyage's yoga music and different mantra chants, the listening mind will be drawn to a deeper insight. The music from Spirit Voyage will focus the mind and the soul and stimulate the energy level during yogic practice.

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Yoga, Music & Yogi Tea - a way to entice your senses

Yoga is the union of the body, mind and soul. It is an ancient system, which includes breathing practices, physical exercises and postures that paves the way for an individual to attain union with the divine. Yoga practice promotes the control of the body and the mind. Yoga practice through meditation and asanas, cleanses the mind and prepares the practitioner for attaining the knowledge of the self.

Today, in the world of immense competition, human beings are easily subjected to anxiety and stress more than often. Yoga practice eliminates all negative vibes and in the process, enlighten the soul of the individual. As the organs, muscles and nervous systems of the body is harmonized, the individual is liberated from the veils of ignorance and reaches a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. Yoga is beneficial to health and body and thus it is of utmost importance that one maintains a healthy routine to attain maximum benefit from yoga practice. Spirit Voyage is a company which is into offering Yoga DVDsyoga music and meditation music CDs, yoga clothing and different yoga accessories like yoga rugs, yoga mats, yoga cushions and malas and jeweleries, to aptly complement your yoga practice. The yoga books from Spirit Voyage contains detailed information about different types of yoga including Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Sivananda Yoga.

yoga accesoriesThere are many pre-requisites for the practice of yoga. Wearing the right kind of apparel is a must for yoga practice and meditation. The yoga clothes must be comfortable enough to allow the practitioner perform different asanas with ease. The clothes must preferably be made in natural fabric like cotton and must not cling to the body. Music is one of the prime accelerator that creates an apt ambiance for yoga practice and meditation. With a soothing meditation music in the background, an individual can relax and can concentrate deeply. Music calms the senses of the practitioner and guides him to a deeper spiritual insight. The mystic sounds and music of bells, gongs and bowls can calm the environment, thus guiding the individual into a holistic journey. It is an established fact that music and yoga are non-separable entities since ages. With yoga practices gaining popularity worldwide, there are many companies which offers various yoga music Cds and Yoga DVDs. Spirit Voyage is one of such companies that offer a variety of cds and DVDs of yoga music. These Cds and DVDs contain Sanskrit mantras and hymns, Buddhist Chants, Healing and Massage Therapy Music and many more. These music has the power to influence and change many bodily and mental aspects and processes within the yoga practitioner. Spirit Voyage music collection includes devotional pieces, chants and songs by artistes like Wah, Deuter, Snatam Kaur, Deva Premal, Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa and others. These artistes have a deep spiritual connection with their music that elevates the listener's mind to a deeper mystic high.

Spirit Voyage offers yogi tea which is made up of organic ingredients and is an important addition to a healthy lifestyle. The concept of yogi tea was popularized by Yogi Bhajan, an Indian spiritual teacher. Yogi Bhajan brought Sikh religion to the Western countries and began teaching Kundalini Yoga in America in 1969. After each class, he used to serve a special spice tea to his students and thus the concept of "Yogi Tea" came into being. The yogi tea served by Yogi Bhajan included five traditional Ayurvedic spices as ingredients. It contained cardamom seed, cinnamon bark, clove bud, ginger root and black pepper. In recent times, Yogi tea is supposed as a health-promoting beverage and a tonic for the whole body. The ingredients of the yogi tea are beneficial to the health as it strengthens the nervous system and energizes the body. A sip on yogi tea after yoga practice is both a remedy and preventive measure for colds, allergies, and other illnesses. It helps to cure chronic problems and have positive effects on the health and mind. Breathe in the captivating aroma while gently cleansing and purifying your mind and spirit with Spirit Voyage's Yoga tea.

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Kundalini Yoga for relaxation

Kundalini YogaIn the daily humdrum of life, human beings face innumerable problems and lead a stressful life. Busy affairs of the modern world pose difficulties that create stress on the brain. Kundalini Yoga, is one of the most effective styles of yoga to relieve external and internal stresses of the body. Practicing this ancient form of yoga, one finds extreme solace of body, mind and spirit. Kundalini means awakening of oneself. It is a divine state of mind that leads to self actualization. Awakening the Kundalini has a general purifying effect on the body and mind.

Kundalini is nothing but energy inside our body. Once the kundalini is awakened , we feel enhanced energy within us. Kundalini yoga is a system of healing and purification of the mind. It is a combination of asanas or body postures, breathing exercises, prayers and chants, visualizations and meditation. With the practice of Kundalini yoga the mind and the body fuses to lead to a state of peacefulness of the mind helping  one to  relax and manage stress and anxiety. Kundalini yoga and many other forms of relaxation exercises is often enhanced by listening to yoga music. Music and rythm has always been said to be a medium of relieving stress. Different forms of yoga music are extremely helpful to relax the mind and meditate and purify the innerself. Kundalini yoga is not just about performing yogic excercises, it also incorporates  the habit of leading a healthy and balanced life, serving the poor, conscious parenting and partnering. Kundalini yoga  and meditation music helps in shedding out the impurities and tiredness of the mind and releases the body of all its toxins.

Kundalini Yoga for relaxationSpirit Voyage is a company whole heartedly dedicated to spreading awareness about kundalini yoga worldwide. With its huge collection of yoga dvd, yoga music CDs , spirit voyage is a complete knowledge bank for enhancing knowledge about different forms of yoga and the benefits reaped from them. The songs and music created by some of the famous artists like Snatam Kaur , Guru Ganesha Singh,Deva Premal and Krishna Das are self rejuvenating in itself. They provide the hearer with the power to elevate oneself away from the mundane world and thus help in relieving stress and providing relaxation. The yoga classes are a learning insight, with gurus sharing their experiences of self awakening. These yoga sessions teach to incorporate yogic lifestyle to improve life and health.

Meditation MusicAt Spirit Voyage , yoga and meditation music finds a new meaning. The teachings of great saints, compiled in Yoga music Cds and recitations provides extreme enlightment and takes one to a stage of realization and calmness. Daily hearing and performing of pranayama and asanas generate immense energy and provides balance and freshness in life. It helps to relax and strengthen the nerves , helps in restoration of peace and mental tranquility.

Awakening the Kundalini has a purifying effect on the body and mind. General health  improves,one feels light and energetic; the mind becomes restful. Happiness is felt from ones within. So come lets join hands and start our journey of health and wellness through practise of kundalini yoga, listening to meditation music, chanting of prayers and leading a simple and balanced life on earth.

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Meditation music for Kundalini Yoga

Meditation is an important part of Yoga practices. Meditation or Dhyana is the seventh limb of the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Meditation helps an individual reach a state of tranquility and the practitioner is rejuvenated with ultimate serenity. Through meditation, one can experience a calm and relaxed state of mind. Highest joy is realized as the practitioner experience the oneness with their own center of consciousness, the Atma.

Kundalini Yoga is a powerful yoga form that focuses on awakening of the Kundalini, the energy of consciousness. Kundalini energy is visualized as a snake coiled up in the first chakra found at the base of the spine (Muladhara chakra). Kundalini energy is one's potential spiritual energy. As an individual starts Kundalini Yoga, the Kundalini energy rises up the Nadi (Kundalini channels) helping the mortal to surpass the external material pleasure and help him/her achieve a consciousness that brings freedom from illusion (Maya).

Kundalini YogaMusic has always been the best communicator of feelings, thoughts and ideas. In the realm of yoga, music is considered to be the concentrator or an accelerator of the mind. The intimate touch of sound and music has the divine charisma of penetrating the whole being and revitalizing every sense of the listener. Music heals the pain and helps to relax the senses from within. Different music has the ability to create different ambiance and in meditation, the best music is one that brings greater harmony. Meditation is only possible when the ambiance is calm and relaxed. Thus, Meditation Music must contain tranquil and soothing sounds that will incite peace and relaxation. Spirit Voyage also offers multiple yoga accessories like yoga mats, malas and jeweleries, yoga books, yoga tea and many more. The collection of CDs and DVDs that Spirit Voyage offers contain sacred music and chants that will take anyone to a spiritual high. Choose from the  collection of World Sacred Music which includes New Age Christian and Jewish music albums, New Age Celtic Music, Buddhist Chants and many others. Enliven your inner self and let it merge with the supreme as you refresh your body, mind and soul with High Energy Yoga Grooves or Instrumental Yoga Music. Spirit Voyage brings collection of Yoga Music CDs for kids.

With the expansion of the practice of meditation, there are music CDs and DVDs available that help an individual to guide their soul to reach a level of unearthly peace and composure. Spirit Voyage brings you a collection of Yoga DVDs and CDs that will help you attain a healthy mind, body and soul. The different CDs will help an individual learn and pronounce different mantras, chanting which will connect him/her to the boundless peace of life and evoke the feeling of ecstasy within them. With Spirit Voyage's meditation and yoga music, the duality of the mind vanishes and a state is reached when the individual feels great connection with infinity.

Yoga MusicBreathing, Sound and Meditation are inseparable parts of Kundalini Yoga. The yoga music for Kundalini Sadhana will help you to improve your concentration and enhance your ability to meditate by obstructing the distant noises. Spirit Voyage's collection of meditation music for Kundalini yoga shall create an apt atmosphere to bring all the senses of the practitioner into a line that will help for a great yoga workout. Furthermore, the sacred chants and hymns which will help one connect himself/herself to divinity. The meditation music for Kundalini Yoga shall create a tone that will subtly produce a tender and refreshing mood and take the senses to a mystic height. Kundalini Yoga Music will help to awaken prana or the life force.

The meditation music from Spirit Voyage is not intrusive rather it is very soothing. The collection of Yoga DVDs and Cds offered by the company include the peaceful voice of Deva Premal, Krishna Das, Deuter, Snatam Kaur, Shakta Kaur Khalsa, Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa, Bachan Kaur, Wah and many such artistes. Bow to the subtle divine wisdom and to the totality of the harmony with the meditation music for Kundalini sadhana from Spirit Voyage and let your senses fill up with eternal joy-the joy of feeling of oneness with divinity.

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Kundalini music in yoga paradise

Waves lapped against the gentle beach in the darkness as I listened deeply to the ocean, and the lingering exhalations of the other sixty people around me. The moon was rising over the water behind Snatam Kaur, GuruGanesha Singh and Manish Vyas, who watched us silently with light in their eyes as the music slowly faded. They had just finished leading another evening of beautiful kirtan (call and response singing) during their sacred chant retreat in Mexico.

After a few moments, Manish gently broke the silence, “Listen to the waves, and then listen to the space between the waves. Find yourself in that space.” This is where the kirtan had carried us, to this space, this deep silence between the waves. As Manish spoke to us, I could still feel the mantra coursing through my bloodstream with each heartbeat, Snatam’s voice carrying on into the silence. I felt such a sense of joy, my heart wanted to burst. I looked around and saw my emotions mirrored in the expressions of the people surrounding me. And suddenly, there was no space between the person next to me and me. We became so deeply connected by that shared experience, that there was an intimacy created beyond explanation. I did not know these people before we arrived at this kirtan event, but we left as family.

This experience of deep connectedness and community is being expressed by people attending kirtan gatherings and concerts all over the world. For many, kirtan has become their favorite practice of devotion, but for some, kirtan is a completely new experience. The idea of chanting in a group is completely foreign to them.

Akasha, a yoga teacher in Birmingham, Alabama, went to a David Newman (a.k.a. Durga Das) concert earlier this month. “I brought a bunch of my students to the concert,” he said. “They all had strong physical Yoga practices, but had never been to a kirtan event before. We don’t get kirtan artists touring through Birmingham. There were some people who came who had never chanted in their lives. Half-way through the night, I saw them rocking back and forth with their eyes closed, singing their hearts out. My students said that they felt electric afterwards. The experience of devotion towards oneness and towards each other was so strong. It didn’t matter if you could sing or not, everyone was chanting along.” And that’s the thing about kirtan; we are carried by the group energy to an exciting exploration into whom and what we are.

Kirtan is a new kind of concert experience here in the West. It’s not so much a performance as a journey into the self through the practice of listening and singing. And while there might be leaders at a kirtan concert, everyone is a part of the music. In kirtan, everyone sings. Snatam Kaur calls her concerts “coformances” rather than performances because she says the audience is an equal part of the music. Kirtan is a practice that started in India thousands of years ago, but in the last decade has become a phenomenon across the United States and has transformed musically to appeal to the ears of American audiences. Two recent books chronicle this movement and interview and track the evolution of some of the most popular kirtan musicians including Krishna Das, Deva Premal, Bhagavan Das, Snatam Kaur, Ragani, Jau Uttal, Dave Stringer and Wah! Linda Johnsen, author of Daughter of the Goddess and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism, recently released a book called Kirtan! Chanting as a Spiritual Path and Journal of Vaishnava Studies editor Steve Rosen’s (Satyaraja Dasa) The Yoga of Kirtan also includes an audio CD of the music.

There is a theme that runs through the unique stories I hear from people who attend all of these various musicians’ kirtan events. People feel like they become a part of something bigger than themselves. Even after having gone to kirtans for years, I will sometimes find myself in the midst of an entirely new energy at a kirtan concert. The first time I saw Dave Stringer perform, I was seriously blown away by it. It was a packed house, and he carried us with him in the progressively building nature that is the trademark of kirtan. In addition to the deeply peaceful feel of some of the kirtan concerts I had been to, at Dave’s I got up to sing and dance at the back of the room with a group of strangers – and through that experience, we really connected. It was such a different experience of kirtan for me that I realized I wanted to experience them all. I wanted to feel the uniqueness that each kirtan artist brings to the group.

It didn’t matter if you could sing or not, everyone was chanting along. And that’s the thing about kirtan; we are carried by the group energy to an exciting exploration into whom and what we are.

I asked Hargobind, my business partner, about Krishna Das’ last concert. “Krishna Das is hilarious,” he said. “He tells these hysterical stories about India and his Guru and chanting. Through his humor and stories, you feel connected to him, like he’s just a guy you might hang out with. And then he starts singing, and his chants are so rich and upbeat and simple, that you feel relaxed and comfortable enough to join in, and so energized once you start chanting that you are really pulled into it. So you chant, even if you didn’t expect to.”

For a lot of people, this unique experience of feeling comfortable singing in public is in itself a feat. Our western sensibilities have been so tuned to the performance aspect of singing that the act of singing is accompanied by fear. Overcoming this fear alone can be life-changing. And once the fear disappears, the practice of chanting as a group brings with it layers of transformation that unfold the more we chant.

GuruGanesha Singh, a touring kirtan artist and an accomplished guitarist says, “In chanting, there are no bad sounds. In Kirtan, everyone’s voice is nectar.” While sitting in the audience at a kirtan concert, singing along, you can really experience just that: your own voice becomes as beautiful as the performers’. All of the voices merge together to become one voice.

When I asked Mahan Rishi, who has been organizing many kirtan concerts over the last few years in Philadelphia about this experience of community at the events, he said, “Kirtan concerts evoke a sublime, beautiful sense of heart. The kirtan environment creates softness where people can let go and feel a part of a mass flow of compassion. In the 1970s, I went to a Neil Young concert at Madison Square Garden. Neil Young walked off the stage in the middle of the concert and announced, ‘The Vietnam War is over.’ This wave of love went through the stadium. Kirtan is like that. People feel love within themselves that is universal and open when they chant. And the kirtan environment feels so safe and caring that they feel free enough to share it.”

“Each musician holds a different energy. They help to infuse something unique through their own way of chanting,” he continued. “Deva Premal and Miten hold an amazing energy. They know how to really create that inner dance between themselves and the community. There is such a depth that comes from them that it allows people to really connect with the profoundly soulful part of their heart. They combine that with a playfulness that gives it a universality that emanates from their music. Their concert in Philadelphia was unbelievable. We all felt it for weeks afterwards. So many people reached out to us feeling so moved by the event that they wanted to carry that connection forward.”

“The real reason I do these concerts is for Philadelphia: to help build the community consciousness. The kirtan events connect the Yoga centers and the Yoga students and create community in ways that nothing else does. They dissolve the boundaries that can’t be dissolved in other ways. The chanting blends the different Yoga traditions as well and has brought a lot of people beyond the separateness to a much greater state of harmony.” Listening to him, I realized that what kirtan does for the individual, it can also do for groups, bringing communities together.

Manish Vyas, who grew up in India studying classical Indian music, says, “Kirtan in India is a very ancient spiritual phenomenon. It was known as a layman’s way of connecting to the divine. Not everyone is a scholar or has had a chance to practice a path, so the simple men and women had kirtan as a tool to dissolve and merge with the divine. My teacher, Osho, said that kirtan is one of the simplest and most powerful techniques of meditation. It is so effortless and joyful at the same time that the kirtan participants just have to allow the music and rhythm to take over and simply flow with it. What happens next is a huge whirlpool of energy generating from the phenomenon of group singing and dancing. And in a group, one’s separation from the other dissolves. In that space, one is finally ONE, even for a few moments. We use so many methods and techniques to find this union, and through kirtan, it is accessible effortlessly.”

That is the amazing thing about the group chanting experience. It just happens. You feel your voice emerge almost without intent. And it feels perfect.

Markus Sieber, who is half of the band Mirabai Ceiba, says, “Chanting can be like a light in the darkness. You can sing for your pain, for your sadness, and it can transform you. Singing and playing music together is a way of subtle communication beyond words.” When you hear Mirabai Ceiba in concert, you feel all of those things and more. You are sharing those songs of longing with everyone around you and breaking through to a new place together.

Valerie Ortiz, who saw Snatam Kaur’s concert in Virginia last year said, “Snatam’s concerts just open your heart wide open. And then all you are is love.” And in a room full of people, that love has plenty of places to land.

Karan Khalsa is devoted to sharing sacred music and technology through her writing and her business, Spirit Voyage: spiritvoyage.com

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