Kirtan
I have always loved to sing. As far back as I can remember, I have been at my most joyful when immersed in music. So, I guess it is no surprise that I am powerfully attracted to Kirtan. I first started hearing this kind of music when I started doing Yoga a couple of years ago. I didn’t understand the words, but the emotion and the meaning of the music were clear as a bell anyway. It begs the listener to sing along. The Sanskrit is inherently poetic in a way no other language is. At some point, singing Mantras transforms the singer into a living, pulsating, overwhelming, poetic being. Then the real magic begins to happen. In the space created by the chant, the space where the Monkey Mind usually resides, a quiet, still place, surrounded by absolute joy comes into being. In that space, healing, unexpected insights, self-actualization and personal, intimate contact with the Divine all become realized. It is a profoundly emotional and transformative experience only hinted at by listening to Mantra. It is an experience that exists independent of any religion or philosophy. It is totally individualized for each participant, yet the power of the group uplifts all who participate. In Kirtan, religious people who have been observant all their lives sometimes have their first true, personal experience of that which inspires all religions. People who have no religion at all, likewise touch an inner truth and sustain that contact in a way that is completely consistent with their world view, yet usually lacking in their experience of life. Kirtan is one practice of Bhakti Yoga, or the Yoga of devotion. Like all forms of Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, invites the participant to bring body, mind and spirit to the experience. Like all forms of Yoga, you need believe nothing not experienced directly by you. Yoga is about experiencing truth directly and creating a space that allows anyone to do so. Is there any wonder that I’m still walking on air after doing Bhakti Yoga all day Sunday? I think not.
Namaste’
Scott
