Welcome to Kirtan. Join us the third Sunday of each month from 4-5:30.

Kirtan is one of the paths of Yoga called Nada Yoga. The word Nada means union through sound. It is a path of transformation.

Every tradition has some form of chanting or sacred singing for transformation. Christians have Gregorian Chanting, the chanting of sacred prayers, Tibetan Buddhist have Primal Throat singing, or over tone singing, Native Americans have singing circles where they sing for healing, sing for protection or meditation.

Kirtan or the practice of Nada Yoga is the chanting of sacred sounds and sacred names. It is mostly done call and respond. Many of the chants that we lead are in the language of Sanskrit which is the language of Yoga. Yoga is a path of inclusion rather than exclusion and so we honor all traditions. There are times when we chant or sing in English or from some other tradition. As a matter of fact, we begin by invoking the presence of all traditions.

Chanting has the ability to relax the body, quiet the mind, and open the heart. It in itself is a form of both pranayama (the practice of regulating the breath) and meditation. Did you know that when we chant together after a certain point our hearts start to beat in the same rhythm? It is a way that we connect with each other on a deep level. We are also using a sacred language as well as scared names and sounds and this lifts our vibration and connects us with the universal infinite source. It is meditation in that it focuses the mind on one thing. When the mind becomes focused on one thing it becomes quiet.

Chanting elevates the spirit. It is used to balance emotions like depression and anxiety. It is uplifting and therapeutic. Chanting brings us fully into the present moment, into the body, into the heart, and home to ourselves!