Kirtan: Ecstatic Chant Weekend Retreat at Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY
New York, 2008
New York, 2008
I spent a heavenly Labor Day at the Omega Institute chanting the thousand names of the Lord with hundreds of people. The ‘Ecstatic Chant’ weekend retreat had already started two days before, so when I arrived the energy was high and yes, ecstatic. Some of the best known ‘kirtan wallahs’ in the world were leading the 3 1/2-day retreat, which is one of the most successful that Omega offers. I heard a rumor that there will be two such retreats next year. Yes, please!
Kirtan is today a universal and cross-cultural spiritual practice. It is the chanting together of mantras, names of God and devotional songs in order to open the heart and to awaken its energies to connect and harmonize with the healing forces of the universe. For many, to whom meditation does not come easy, chanting is the gateway to deep states of joy and devotion.
The recent explosion of the kirtan movement is a natural follow up to the growth and popularity of Yoga practice and philosophy in the West. It is the outcome of understanding of the Yogic science of sound combined with the growing interest in the world’s sacred traditions in general.
In India, kirtan, chanting the holy names of God, is the expression of bhakti, love of God. It is an ancient and important practice of the Vaishnavas of India. Of course, the Sikh have their sublime kirtan, and millions of people everywhere in the world are chanting the Name with love, enthusiasm and ecstasy.
Sri Chaitanya Mahapbabhu (1486-1534), who appeared in the region of Gauda (Bengal), imbued the tradition with new vigor. He taught Bhakti Yoga, chanting of holy names in order to connect with God.
In the past 100 years, kirtan was introduced to the Western hemisphere by yoga masters from India. Paramahansa Yogananda translated and composed many 'Cosmic Chants' and in 1926 led the full audience in Carnagie Hall in chanting 'O God Beautiful' for 1 hour and 20 minutes!
Swami Muktananda, Swami Rama, Shri Rajneesh (Osho), Yogi Bhajan, Swami Satchidananda and many others taught kirtan as an important practice. In 1966, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, referred to as Shrila Prabhupada, founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City and popularized the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra in the West in the 1960s and 1970s.
The devotees of Neem Karoli Baba are very prominent in today’s world-sweeping kirtan movement. They are helping to make kirtan a universal, non-denominational and very popular practice worldwide. Pictured below at Omega are Neem Karoli Baba devotees in front of this movement, Jai Uttal , Krishna Das and Shyamdas.
Also at Omega were Deva Premal & Miten, Wah, Snatam Kaur and others.
Sorry, I have no podcast available! You have to come and experience it for yourself next time!
Kirtan is today a universal and cross-cultural spiritual practice. It is the chanting together of mantras, names of God and devotional songs in order to open the heart and to awaken its energies to connect and harmonize with the healing forces of the universe. For many, to whom meditation does not come easy, chanting is the gateway to deep states of joy and devotion.
The recent explosion of the kirtan movement is a natural follow up to the growth and popularity of Yoga practice and philosophy in the West. It is the outcome of understanding of the Yogic science of sound combined with the growing interest in the world’s sacred traditions in general.
In India, kirtan, chanting the holy names of God, is the expression of bhakti, love of God. It is an ancient and important practice of the Vaishnavas of India. Of course, the Sikh have their sublime kirtan, and millions of people everywhere in the world are chanting the Name with love, enthusiasm and ecstasy.
Sri Chaitanya Mahapbabhu (1486-1534), who appeared in the region of Gauda (Bengal), imbued the tradition with new vigor. He taught Bhakti Yoga, chanting of holy names in order to connect with God.
In the past 100 years, kirtan was introduced to the Western hemisphere by yoga masters from India. Paramahansa Yogananda translated and composed many 'Cosmic Chants' and in 1926 led the full audience in Carnagie Hall in chanting 'O God Beautiful' for 1 hour and 20 minutes!
Swami Muktananda, Swami Rama, Shri Rajneesh (Osho), Yogi Bhajan, Swami Satchidananda and many others taught kirtan as an important practice. In 1966, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, referred to as Shrila Prabhupada, founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City and popularized the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra in the West in the 1960s and 1970s.
The devotees of Neem Karoli Baba are very prominent in today’s world-sweeping kirtan movement. They are helping to make kirtan a universal, non-denominational and very popular practice worldwide. Pictured below at Omega are Neem Karoli Baba devotees in front of this movement, Jai Uttal , Krishna Das and Shyamdas.
Also at Omega were Deva Premal & Miten, Wah, Snatam Kaur and others.
Sorry, I have no podcast available! You have to come and experience it for yourself next time!
Got it! A photo of the 'Das Brothers', Jai Uttal, Krishna Das and Shyam Das together!