Kirtan Podcast Archive
Fresh Tracks 20
In the introduction to the podcast this week I talk a lot about Ram Das. When I was in my early twenties Be Here Now literally blew the doors of perception open for me, and my life changed because of it. Through his old lectures and the Here And Now podcast curated by...
Sunday Satsang (Blast From the Past)
This episode begins a new series for the podcast called Blasts From the Past. As mentioned last week, I've been trying to figure out the best way to put the older episodes up on SoundCloud, and re-running them seemed a good way to do it. It has been interesting to go...
What Is Bhakti Yoga?
Here's an interesting and informative article about Bhakti Yoga from Teachasana. Bhakti Yoga Part 1 -- What Is It? by Hari-kirtana das for Teachasana It’s wonderful to be able to teach students about Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion, because it adds such a rich and...
The Get Real Set
After what we just went through in the United States with the government shut down, I'm feeling angry -- how about you? Being angry is not a pleasant place to be, so as usual I've been turning to kirtan to change that energy. Chanting the Names always works because...
Feeding Your Demons Meditation
In this special edition of the podcast we have an excerpt from an interview done by the Mindrolling Podcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione. In the course of the interview (which was fascinating) she did a meditation on Feeding Your Demons -- demons defined as anything...
Fresh Tracks 19
The Fresh Tracks sets are some of my favorites. This week's show features a mix of kirtan artists who are new to the scene, and several from old favorites. I hope you enjoy the offering. Here's a link to the Mindrolling podcast mentioned in the show. More on the the...
Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band at Bhakti Fest 2013
Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band played a beautifully moving set at Bhakti Fest West this year. Their music was colored by a terrible family tragedy -- the death of Sean's younger brother Jeremy early in the summer. As I produced the podcast & listened...
The Beginners Guide to Kirtan & Mantra
Posted on September 11th, 2013 by Thrive in Yoga, by Shannon Sexton Across the country and around the world, yoga practitioners are chanting the names of God in foreign tongues including Sanskrit, Hindi, and Gurmukhi. They’re even chanting in English. And they’re...
Bhakti Fest 2013 Wrap Up — The Year It Rained
Every Bhakti Fest I've attended has been special, and each has been unique. Bhakti Fest 2013 was the 5th year celebration, and Mother Nature celebrated with strong winds and a deluge of rain. In this week's show I'll take you through the festival day by day and tell...
A Conversation With Saul David Raye
I know Saul David Raye through his kirtan sets at festivals, but many more people know him for his Yoga classes -- unique because they weave together heart wisdom teachings, dynamic asana, breathwork, meditation, chanting, music, intuitive movement and a variety of...
The Hanuman Chalisa: Entering the Flow of Grace
The Hanuman Chalisa is a devotional hymn to Hanuman, the Hindu deity who is the central character in the Sanskrit epic The Ramayana. It tells of his strength, courage, wisdom and of his devotion to Rama. The Chalisa has 40 verses, and learning it has been my goal for...
Mantras For A Prosperous Life
Prosperity means different things to different people. For me it encompasses more than money -- it's a fullness of love, family, Spirit, community & monetary abundance -- all the things that make for a happy & fulfilled life. These mantras are from the...
A Conversation With GuruGanesha Singh
GuruGanesha Singh is a bright light in the world of devotional chant, and his irrepressible spirit shines through everything he does. He certainly was an interesting guy to have a conversation with. And what a musician -- we heard his new endeavor, The GuruGanesha...
Mantra Alchemy with Vijay Krsna of the Kirtaniyas
On Sunday afternoon at Bhakti Fest Midwest, Vijay Krsna of the Kirtaniyas gave a wonderful workshop on Mantra Alchemy, this week we bring it to you as the last of the podcasts from the Midwest festival. The Kirtaniyas have just released their CD Heart & Soul as a...
Bhakti Fest Midwest Wrap-Up
This week we have more from a beautiful summer weekend in Madison, WI with musical selections from local kirtan bands Maashakti Das & Kirtan Path. Enjoy my friends! Namaste.
David Newman Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest
It was a perfect Saturday afternoon in Madison, WI. The crowd at Bhakti Fest Midwest was high with the joy of dancing, singing & celebrating together as a community and David Newman's music was the perfect accompaniment. This is a sing-along, feel-good set to to...
GuruGanesha Band Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest
The GuruGanesha Band was the breakout for me at this year's Bhakti Fest Midwest -- and from the comments I heard & read I think it's true for most of us who heard them play. Their set was killer, and they seemed to be having so much fun -- it was very engaging....
Bhakti Fest Celebrates Five Years of Festivals
Getting ready for the big 5th year Celebration! By Beth Shaw LA Yoga This year, Bhakti Fest will be lighting five candles on its birthday cake. The inspiration for the event began decades prior, when producer Sridhar Silberfein envisioned a spiritual gathering...
When Choirs Sing, Many Hearts Beat As One
Members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir raise their voices in unison -- and perhaps unify their heart rates, too. by Anna Haensch NPR News ... But what really struck him was that it took almost no time at all for the singers' heart rates to become synchronized. The...
A Conversation With Mike Cohen
I met Mike Cohen a few years ago when he was house sitting in Portland -- we had lunch at a local food cart & spent a lovely afternoon together. He has since settled down in Grand Rapids, MI and has become one of the pillars of Midwest kirtan. We talked about the...