Kirtan may be thought of as sacred chanting of mantras. Kirtan is also simply singing of God with feeling. As such, the Christian hymns and even popular music like devotional Reggae are Kirtan. Kirtan is part of the larger practice of “Bhakti Yoga” or devotional yoga. This yoga practice is concerned with achieving a conscious contact with a higher power that begins, continues and ends with Love. This practice of yoga is seen as important if not more so than the other yoga practices that have more to do with exercise, proper diet, relaxation and so on(e.g. Asanas, Pranayama, etc.). The strategy of Kirtan is to access and release this Love with sound or vibration. I’ve even read that music is the Yoga of sound, with notes and intervals corresponding to specific energy channels. In general, the Kirtan type of “intentional” singing is soothing to the body and mind. It is an excellent, effective method of calming frenzied nerves; of directing scattered emotions to a positive goal. It can also be quite exhilarating and energizing. It is quite natural to end a Kirtan class “blissed out.” A Kirtan class typically takes one to one-and-a-half hours to complete though extended “jams” are not unheard of. The present goal is to hold a monthly Kirtan at the Rolling Hills Estates location in Palos Verdes and add dates and locations from there. Stay up-to-date through the RoXo BLOG. Click here for more information about musicians and/or leaders, dates and locations. Classes are donation-based. Suggested donations are $10-20 and there is sometimes merchandise such as CD’s available for purchase.