Community Kirtan

Kirtan is people coming together to chant mantra collectively. Finding a powerful emotional and spirit energy boost. The positive energy found in chanting mantra is amplified exponentially in the vibration of voices shared, in devotion, and with open hearts. Kirtan is a path of yoga, called Bhakti Yoga. Which is the yoga of devotion and the heart. In Bhakti Yoga, we chant devotional songs to connect to a space of Grace.

Just bring your voice, an open mind, and an open heart. Optionally, feel free to leave your ego, negative self-consciousness, and your inhibitions behind. Or you might even be able to slowly let them go, as we go along together.

As together we join in group chanting and finding the collective heart. Opening pathways for self-realization, peace, fun, and joy. By simply sharing sound and devotion with others.

Kirtan is Nada Yoga, which is the yoga of sound. Nada (नाद) coming from Sanskrit, means “sound”. We will be using the most powerful, accessible, and healing sound vibration available to humans- our own voice. Collectively bringing voices together, chanting ancient sacred sounds, is an opportunity to step out of ego and self-judgment. Singing manta in a group is a beautiful opportunity to put down fear, doubt, and pride. We sing together, not to “know”, but to FEEL the wisdom of ancient yogis, sages, and the great beings that have come come before us. And is an amazing opportunity to expand your heart, compassion, and your own humanity.

AND, you do NOT need to “be able to sing”!

The yoga of sound is only about making sound, not performing or coming from any training or experience. The Kirtan opportunity at Yoga Together, will be led and facilitated by someone who has told themself for a lifetime- “I can not sing” or “do not have a good voice”.

Thus, all are welcome and ALL can feel comfortable in this space. The more curious the better. Great importance is given to kirtan as a practice that is suitable and accessible to ALL. Kirtans require no previous experience.  All are welcome.

Kirtan is a simple and meditative traditional sadhana (spiritual practice.) The practice itself involves repetitive call and response singing between a leader and a group, where what is being sung back and forth is mantra, sacred names, or names for the Divine. Kirtan awakens Bhakti, a kind of reverential and loving understanding within the heart.

As well as awakening our hearts and our Bhakti via chanted mantra, this will be a guided community study of the Hanuman Chalisa. The Chalisa is a devotional hymn of forty verses, composed in the 16th century by Tulsīdās. We sing the Chālīsā to remind Hanumān of who he is, and in the very last verse, we ask him to come live in our hearts.

There will be a brief reading from the Chalisa or inspirational text about the Chalisa followed by one round of singing the Hanuman Chalisa. Which then will be followed by general kirtan, chanting together a variety of mantra and devotional verse.

“Chanting just hits you and you want to be a part of it. That’s what cuts through all the stuff, you get lit up. You don’t have to know what it means.”

“Keep singing. It uncovers the love The love of who we truly are.”

“If we plant the seeds of JOY and COMPASSION, then those things will fill our lives more.”

(-Krsihna Das)

“Maharajji said, “Repeat the name, whether you feel good, bad, whether you have devotion or not, whether you’re tired, whether you’re angry, keep

repeating the name.” The Name will save you. It’s not your feelings that will save you. It’s the Name that will save you. There’s a big difference, and we don’t even know what that difference is because we are what we are. But Maharajji, when he was leaving the temple for the last time, said, “I only know two things, ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma.’”

Those two syllables can wipe the destiny from your forehead. This is what we’re talking about. You’re talking about becoming liberated from suffering, free of our ideas about who we think we are, finding out who and what we really are…” (- Krishna Das)

“Hanuman is the very “Breath of Ram” (Divine Intelligence). Ram lives and breathes in all beings as their true nature, and Hanuman is that breath, bringing life to our hearts. Hanuman is the Prāna in the body. When the Prāna is identified with the soul, it only wants to serve the Supreme soul, Paramatma. When the Prāna is identified with the pure Consciousness, which is beyond attributes, there is no difference between the two.”  (- Dr. Robert Svoboda)

Taking the pollen-like dust of my Guru’s lotus feet to polish the mirror of my heart, I can now sing the pure splendor of Sri Ram. I don’t know anything, so I remember you, (Hanuman) Son of the Wind. Grant me strength, intelligence, and wisdom. And remove my sorrows.

(Opening verse of the Hanuman Chalisa)