by guest author Madi Das, Kirtan Shakti Courtesy of Integral Yoga® Magazine, Summer 2015 Most days, I go to my regular job, wearing my regular clothes, and I type regular things into my regular computer until it’s time to go home. My co-workers know me as Joe, that guy who has enough light banter to be social, but not so much as to get distracted from his typing. Joe is a good guy. Familiar. Dependable. You know the type. But on Tuesday nights, I trade my collared shirt and GAP slacks … [Read more...]
Kirtan
Kirtan, the mindful and joyous use of music and mantras, is how yogis get high. Here you'll find stories from yogis about why and how they practice Kirtan.
How Yoga Helped Me Find My True Voice and Share it With The World
By Premratna, Premratna Music If I try to imagine what the course of my life would have taken without yoga, I get an image of the movie Life of Pi: a small boat, huge swells, a tiger on board and a lot of fear. Yoga found me while I was doing my ‘big O.E.’; that phase of life where we are typically searching for adventure. I was no exception. In between hiking, skiing, singing and songwriting, I went to a yoga class at the gym in the Canadian Rockies where I was living and working. The … [Read more...]
What does Modern Kirtan Sound Like? The Story of Manika Kaur
By guest author Vinod Gadher Blessed with a voice so pure it permeates your body and washes away your troubles in one soothing note, Manika Kaur is a rare and gifted soul. Her songs are the music of true devotion and her mission is to heal the world with her voice, as Manika says, hers are 'Kirtan for Causes' with all proceeds from her music going to charity. Her recent video “Guru Ram Das Rakho Sarnaee” has received an amazing worldwide response with over 41⁄2 million views on … [Read more...]
Yoga in Life versus Life as Yoga: An interview with the Teacher Training Team at Samyak Yoga
The team from Samyak Yoga interviewed by Kara-Leah Grant. Tell me about Samyak Yoga. When was it established? What inspired it’s creation? Rakesh: Three young teenagers trained in Yoga, Veda, Vedanta and Sanskrit for six long years under the guidance of many scholars, such as Dr. Ramachandra Bhat Kotemane, from an ancient system of educational institution named Veda Vijnana Gurukulam located in Bangalore and graduated from Svyasa Yoga University found that their goals, aspirations and efforts … [Read more...]
Sublime sound meets true love in modern Australian kirtan duo
by guest author Kate Southward, A Yogafied Life Husband and wife team Mischka Prem and Lulu Hogg are two motivated Australian kirtan artists who are so clearly in love, you might wonder if they’ve been fed a love potion. I recently met the pair to discuss their current project, their first self-funded studio album. A grand under taking which they are promoting through Pozible.com to help fundraise the $10,000 needed to get their album on the record and in to a yoga studio near you. Most … [Read more...]
An interview with Kirtan artist and teacher Chakradhyan
By Kara-Leah Grant, author Forty Days of Yoga It's no secret I love kirtan. So I jumped at the chance to do a Skype video interview with Melbourne-based, Kiwi-born Kirtan artist Chakradhyan. He's a Satyananda yogi, and part of the growing Melbourne Kirtan scene. He also helped organise Melbourne Chant Festival in March of this year. Anchored by international Kirtan artist Dave Stringer, this three-day festival attracted the most vibrant of the Australian Kirtan scene, proving that this … [Read more...]
Kirtan CD: A joy-filled experience at your fingertips
Yoga for the Heart CD review Yoga for the Heart: what a great title! It sets the intention behind the CD; alive and joyfilled. Certainly a true reflection of every kirtan session I’ve gone to with Tyag, as his smile reaches into the lyrics, and playful nature pours out as music. On a quiet Saturday, I sat down and listened to the CD, snatching some time to myself before my lunch time guest arrived. Tyag’s low resonant voice filled my room. Very quickly … [Read more...]
Kirtan musician Steve Gold talks about his new album Stoned on Shiva
One of the best things about going to LA for Prana Flow yoga teacher training with Shiva Rea was the inspiring folk I meet along the way. Folk like Steve and Anne-Emillie Gold. They met singing kirtan, and are now expecting their first baby, and their second album. The new album, Stoned on Shiva, is a 'down to the Delta journey through the Mississippi blues and world folk music, merging with the power of Sanskrit mantras of the Ganges'. Having experienced Steve and Anne-Emilie … [Read more...]
Gaura Yoga Bhakti Centre introduces a vinyasa flow class with musicians and kirtan
If you've been reading The Yoga Lunchbox for awhile, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of Kirtan, or call and response chanting. Kirtan is a practice of the Bhakti Yoga path, the path of devotion, and as a heart opening practice it's awesome for challenges we face in the 21st century. We all need to be doing it! So I was super excited when I heard from Gaura Yoga Bhakti Centre in Wellington that they're introduced a regular Thursday night vinyasa class that adds in music and kirtan. What an … [Read more...]
Why kirtan is one of the most powerful yoga practices you’ll ever do
I want to let you in on a secret. Ok, it's not really a secret, because I'm telling you right? But until I actually experienced this for myself I had absolutely no idea of how powerful this particular yoga practice is. It is the most powerful practice I have done. Ever. … [Read more...]