Kirtan & Bhakti
What is Bhakti Yoga?
Long story short, originally yoga was a way to connect to the personality of the Divine… to know and rest in your true nature, to be free from suffering, and to know and experience the Source of all that is.
There are four main paths of yoga, and one of them is bhakti.
The physical practice we think of as “yoga” …the one that takes place on a yoga mat… is a path of yoga that was intended to pair with total renunciation from the material world.
That’s not us, we can’t do that. We have families & homes, jobs and smartphones, and perhaps even a 401k. Bhakti yoga is the yoga that was intended to meet the needs of householders, people like us. The practices are practical and meet you where you are, and as sacred literature states – bhakti yoga is the sweetest of all the yogas and it produces the fastest results.
Bhakti means devotion. Love. Heartfelt connection. The practices of bhakti yoga are devotional experiences that shoot straight to your source with an arrow of bliss and love. These practices include lots of play… singing, prayer, storytelling, and pursuing a personal relationship with the Divine, with whatever archetype of the Divine you hold most dear.
Kirtan & Prasad
Thursdays 7-9p
Kirtan is derived from a Sanskrit root meaning "to call, recite, praise, or glorify." Put simply, kirtan is the use of call and response singing (using sacred mantras and the names of the Divine) to cultivate love and devotion. It is a very active and dynamic form of meditation/worship using improvisational music to allow you to get out of your head and into your heart. Kirtan is a joyous vocal prayer as an offering to the Divine.
We play harmonium (a small hand pumped organ), mridanga (an Indian clay drum), and kartals (hand cymbals). You may come just to receive, although we encourage you to sing and play along... use some of our instruments (drums, rattles, shakers, chimes, ukulele) or bring your own!
After kirtan, we offer prasad, which is a meal that has been first offered to the Divine. Prasad means "grace" ...it is an offering or gift, and in this case, it is also community. The food served is always vegetarian (often vegan & GF), and we always have an assortment of beverages available. If you have food sensitives please let us know you are coming!
This is a relaxed offering, appropriate for all levels, all ages. You do not need to be a singer or a skilled musician; the quality of the kirtan is indicated by the qualities of your heart, not musical proficiency. A love donation ($0) is more than enough to participate and is all that is expected. Financial means are not a barrier on this path of devotion. After your kirtan and prasad, if you feel called to contribute, we will graciously accept, or you may donate in advance and let us know you are coming!