Asheville...driving in the car windows rolled down, breeze blowing, radio off. Mountain air. Energy. Pulsating. Blue sky. Clear mind. No-thought. No time. Boundless. Centered. Just the moment. Chanting. This was one of my earliest experiences of bhakti yoga- each month I'd immerse myself in 3 days of group chanting to my teacher’s guitar sing along … Continue reading Chanting & Altered States
Tag: sound yoga
18 Ways to do Japa Meditation
I used to be very hard on myself with meditation. I put myself through a 10 day silent vipassana retreat, would set my timer for 2 hours a day and suppress my imagination entirely to just sit there hyper-focused on the breath and bodily sensations. I considered meditations that included visuals & sounds to be … Continue reading 18 Ways to do Japa Meditation
Can You OD on Kirtan?
This morning I received a message on social media from a man warning me that several of his friends had 'OD-d' on kirtan & that I needed to be careful and stay balanced. Although it caught me off guard (I'm pretty confident I'm grounded with this devotional stuff) the urgent tone of his message got … Continue reading Can You OD on Kirtan?
Mantra Practice- the Antidote for Ruminating
Mantra is often translated as 'that which liberates, or frees the mind.' Another interesting interpretation is 'that which protects the mind.' This fits with the new spirituality that says we don't have to escape thoughts, that it's ok to have thoughts...it's human to think. To protect the mind means we gently and lovingly feed it … Continue reading Mantra Practice- the Antidote for Ruminating