Sing your Way to Meditation

Among many benefits, mantra meditation brings deep joy to our hearts, and one of the most blissful experiences I’ve had since I began to practice it is kirtan. Playing different instruments, a group of people sing together the maha-mantra, putting all their focus and intention just as if they would be meditating by themselves; but the collective endeavor creates an even more powerful and accessible experience of the mantra.

From the Sanskrit “praise”, kirtan is music in the form of call and response between the kirtan leader and the audience that creates an atmosphere of immersion in the mantra. Singing with others increases the sound vibration, amplifying the power and depth of our experience. Moreover, in a kirtan everyone is sharing a collective experience and simultaneously having a very personal one. The music allows for emotions to flow and it becomes easier to let go of any internal barriers. Many of those who attend a kirtan session say that they felt uplifted, freed from tension and worry, anxiety or any other negative feeling they had been experiencing. More than that, they often affirm that it was an incredibly joyful moment, and it is not rare to see a whole room of people quietly sitting down become a roaring party by the end of the kirtan! It can last as long as the group wants, and it’s actually hard to stop once we are tasting the joy that the maha-mantra offers.

This joy is within us, and the kirtan brings it out by connecting us to our true, spiritual selves, a part and parcel of the Supreme who is full of unlimited joy. By singing the maha-mantra collectively, we also experience the connection we share with others as spiritual entities and our relationships are improved by this practice. There is much more to say about kirtan, but the best way to understand it is to experience it yourself.

Please check our kirtan section to have a taste of the kirtan experience!