The Power of Kirtan
Singing is one of the oldest instruments we human beings have. We can sing ourselves to sleep, calm down our kids with lullabies, sing us into euphoria during a sport match, praise with our singing the Lord or the Universe. We can sing for love, for hope, for healing… You name it.
When it comes to singing no wonder it plays such a big role in the modern path of yoga. When we tune in to our heart and sing from there we can hear our innermost heart voice. It is one of the easiest ways to find this authentic voice: by singing.
So imagine someone who trained himself almost his whole life to sing with others devotional songs. This can be like a highway to your heart voice. It can feel like you found the fast track to yourself.
To experience a Kirtan with Krishna Das can be an eye opening experience. It is not only about listening to someone but also listening to being yourself.
Krishna Das’ journey as a devotional bhakti singer and teacher isn’t a story of only love and light (and by the way: who’s story is only love and light?). His interest for spiritual teachings began in the late 1960s, when he met Ram Dass. He followed him and was captivated by Ram Dass’ stories about his Guru Neem Koroli Baba, better known as Maharaj-ji.
So in the 70s Krishna Das went to see Maharaj-ji in India – and stayed with him for two and a half year. Krishna Das went back to the US and Maharaj-ji died six months later. So for Krishna Das singing was also a tribute to his guru. But it didn’t came easy, it took almost twenty years for him to find his way onto the stage and share his experience and journey.
It is hart to explain how to train the heart voice – but once we find it by singing we know that it exists and we can search for it over and over again.
When we hear our authentic voice we automatically recognize it. We know: Oh yes, now I’m singing/talking from my heart. Not from my ego. Or from my brain.
We all know people who talk all the time but it seems like there is still nothing heartfelt or seriously important in their talking. And then we know people who just say one sentence and it feels like they explain the whole world to us.
No wonder a Kirtan with Krishna Das is also full of stories and those important sentences. If you read his book “Chants of a Life Time” or saw the movie “One Track Heart” you know how rare and special the teachings of Krishna Das are.
Krishna Das will be giving a Kirtan & a Post-Conference at the upcoming Barcelona Yogaconference:
Post-Conference Bhakti Yoga with Krishna Das
Source: BYC Blog
