Mantra, Chant, Kirtan? II by munificent Blog entry

Blog: Yoga Path
by munificent

Mantra, Chant, Kirtan? II

I always am smiling while I sing/chant at Sadhana...I am beat to shit and happy- I like the release of the physical and the joy of that release. Build it up and then flake out..listiening to gentle, beautiful men chant and sing...what could be better ladies? Sadhana, in my case, built the ancient muscle, then dissolved me. No two ways about it, the ancient muscle needed to be flexed before I could be demolished! Meanwhile my Car's warning lights are on and my alt is bad(I think) nothing like self demolishing and having the beast demolish itself at the same time! hahah perhaps we both need grounding!Or more beautiful men singing With us!

Date: 9/25/2005 11:37:44 AM ( 19 y ) ... viewed 1322 times

While I was organizing a concert for Snatam in Calgary, their publicist, gave me this write up to use in order to educate the public about kirtan. It's a little more diverse, perhaps, then the traditional definition of kirtan? You can see it at the bottom of my message in quotations.

I believe all forms of kirtan have a place and a purpose and what we "call it", probably isn't anywhere near as important as.... giving ourselves the "experience" of practicing it. That's where the understanding of it flows from essentially.

When I first began KY, my teacher never introduced music of any kind into our classes...I didn't even know it was a possibility to have music playing during a class, never mind to sing along to it...or to do your meditation by singing along to a CD. It wasn't until I visited Gurmukh's studio in LA that I had this kind of experience, where we sang during exercises and also as a meditation.

So prior to that I had a strong experience of chanted meditation and after visiting LA, then I focused strongly on music/sung mantras and experiencing that (at the same time as continuing a strong chant practice).

After that I began travelling around visiting different places where KY was taking place and I discovered that it was more of the norm to sing meditations along with a CD, rather than to chant them without. So at that the time, I asked my teacher, why the singing?

He answered that when YB first introduced mantra/chanting (when he first arrived) it wasn't having much effect, because the heart energy wasn't opened up....so he began to encourage the musicians to put the mantras to their contemporary style of music...because singing opens the heart energy (if you can stir feelings of love while you do it)....so they could begin to have an experience of the mantras. So sometimes, singing mantras can be more effective for beginners.

It's important to note that both chanting and singing (kirtan) can be ineffective, in that it just becomes a ritual if the heart isn't brought into it. In the beginning, I would say it is important to practice whatever you can get your heart into, in order to get an energy flow happening, then from there it's good to branch out and to experience it all.

From my experience, with my practice, what I have found is that chanting stirs more of the shadow for me...it brings my limitations up to the surface to be let go of......with singing, I find that it brings an experience of the light more often, than stirring up the crap....although in the light, the crap begins to burn.

This was the polarity when i first began exploring these two practices, but now as some years have gone by and I am more practiced at it, I find I can have both experiences with either practice and experience transformation of the darkness within....but I am defintely more apt to "bliss out" on kirtan! Ha ha!
All Light,

"Kirtan Music......

A Secret Passage to the Soul

Specific sounds and mantras are collectively chanted to music, guiding the awareness inward. The repetition of these chants (mantras) vitalize the pranic energy (life-force) in the breath, illuminating the passage to the Soul. Experience the transformation of "Sound to Light" - "Breath to Soul".

Kirtan is an intricate combination of sound, mantras, "shabads" (holy scripture), music, rhythm and breath used to create a state of inner meditative awareness. Through devotional and expressive song, the singer and listener transcend, experiencing a state of mindfulness, creating a space of open heartedness toward humanity.

There are several styles of Kirtan which have evolved over time. These include: classical, semi-classical, traditional, folk, contemporary, "jotia" (a call-and-response type) and the repetitive chant style. The ultimate goal of all these styles is to connect the sound with the breath and awaken the mind to inner stillness with the soul.

Like mindful meditation, yoga, affirmations, visualization and other ancient traditions; Kirtan is a unique blend of sound, breath, music and devotion; which exhilarates and transcends the singer and listener into a state of peace and bliss."

This is SO! I have experienced it many times! Amen, Sister, Brother, and God! This is BLISS~ 9thbody