Had a great evening of kirtan chant at Heartwood Yoga in Birmingham last night with Shantala (Benjy and Heather Wertheimer) and Jacqueline Westhead who's with them for this leg of their tour.
So, what's kirtan chant? One definition that seems to describe my experience best, says "Kirtan is the chanting of sound syllables, and is an active meditation that may precede a period of silence. It is often in Sanskrit, but may be in any language. Kirtan can be practiced alone, or in a group... Chanting the mantra sounds of kirtan elicits a feeling of well-being, calmness and harmony. Instruments for kirtan include the harmonium, rhythm instruments, and others, or just voices." Since for some it is also, or particularly, about a part of their spiritual practice, I thought it appropriate to include another definition that seems to fairly describe my beginning of that understanding "The yogic practice of kirtan chanting brings together devotional bhakti yoga, powerful mantra yoga, and profound jnana yoga, along with pranayama breath yoga, yogic posture asana, as well as the crown jewel of raja yoga..."
I went because I enjoy both plainsong and anglican chant, and because Heartwood is where I receive instruction in my yoga practice and I want to support them. The two plus hours of mostly call and response chant was way for me to begin to connect with that part of the yogic tradition. The challenge for me in the kirtan are the textual references to the divine spark within or of god dwelling within us. This is a bit gnostic for me, which is a heresy that can be seductive because it is based in part on a knowledge of transcendence that is arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means.
Of course, I know that the translations of the Sanskrit are being offered are from the translator's point of view. Though I don't anticipate learning Sanskrit to delve into the subtler and deeper understandings of the source material, I find that I do mentally edit in my own understandings of other possible translations. That instead of a divine spark or god within, it may be that, as in the gesture of Namaste, we are acknowledging the soul in one by the soul in another in a place of connection and timelessness that is free from the bonds of ego. I think that there's some truth in the understanding that we are all one when we live from the heart.
For me, the kirtan was great but the highlight was Jacqueline Westhead leading us in K’riyah, a chant in Call and Response form where one uses the breath and silence between chants to guide us. Every exhale is a practice in humility and every inhale is an act of receiving. From the silence we can know what it is to hear and respond from an authentic space in the heart. As Jacqueline writes,"Listening and Love are at the center of Jewish prayer. The Shema with the call to listen, and the embracing of divine oneness, followed by the V’ahavta with a declaration to love.
"Devotional chant is a path of love and listening. Through chanting, the Love that is present in everyone’s heart is awakened and one can realize their innate connection to the Divine.
"Devotion is the act of deep, steady affection or faithfulness and the path of devotion is one of the most direct routes to an inner experience of G-d."
So, you can probably tell, I liked the kirtan but loved the K’riyah.
Tonight I was reminded again that chant opens our hearts to a natural flow of devotion that can be an aid for us on our journey to seek understandings. Devotional chant such as kirtan, K’riyah or Taize seem to exist in the simple acts of devotion, surrender, and intention. The combination of these allows us to clear our hearts and minds to receive and transform. This practice asks you to show up with a desire to open, listen, and love.
Namaste
