Meditation & Kirtan
Join us for our nightly meditations, our Sunday services and our bimonthly kirtan chanting sessions. Discover the serenity within that leads to awareness of the ever present Divine Self. These events are open to the public and free of charge.
Meditation is held at Song of the Morning every Tuesday –Saturday from 8:00-9:00pm. Prayer and chants by Paramahansa Yogananda are followed by a period of silent meditation. Basic instruction is incorporated to help newcomers feel welcome. Guests are invited to visit our facilities and walk to our shrines, which are also conducive to personal reflection and meditation.
Meditation increases the mind’s ability to concentrate, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and improves memory. Over time, meditation helps to quiet the mind’s chatter and unite us with our own true nature. Click here to learn the basics of meditation.
Sunday Service takes place every Sunday from 11:00am-12:15pm. The service includes Yogananda’s chants, a service reading taken from the Self Realization Fellowship advanced lessons, and a short meditation. Click here to learn more about the Self Realization Fellowship lessons.
Kirtan is the art of group chanting in the devotional and musical tradition of East India. Often the chants are done in a call-and-response fashion. The musical phrases come from the ragas of Indian music, and the lyrics are usually in Sanskrit or Hindi. The subject matter of the lyrics is devotional in nature, often about Universal Spirit (Bhagavan), Krishna, Rama, Ma (Divine Mother), Ganesha, or Guru. Kirtan has been practiced for hundreds (if not thousands) of years in India.
The sounds and the meanings of the sacred words in Sanskrit or Hindi are said to have multifarious beneficial effects on the mind, body, and spirit. The positive attributes of the kirtan lyrics and the heartfelt singing brings a spirit of joy and a raised consciousness to each participating singer and to the group as a whole. Kirtan can be said to be a kind of pranayama (Yoga technique of breathing and life-force control). The repetitious, deeply felt singing encourages rhythmic breathing, balance, and equanimity. Kirtan is recognized by many eminent spriitual teachers as a helpful devotional practice and can be an enhancement or even an alternative to more exacting forms of spiritual discipline. It’s also a lot of fun!
Our on-site Kirtan band, Whispers of OM, has performed at yoga studios and festivals throug
hout Northern Lower Michigan and here at Song of the Morning. The instruments are those used in traditional Indian music: harmonium, mridanga, tablas, bells and cymbals. The approach used by a kirtan band is not so much performing per se, but rather facilitating the chanting experience for the entire group. A beautiful voice is not essential to kirtan. Kirtan is more about singing from the heart than from the vocal cords. And merely listening attentively to the devotional music may uplift, inspire, and even heal the listener at some level. Krishna Das says, "Chanting is a way of deepening the moment, of deepening our connection with ourselves, the world around us, and other beings -- it opens the inner eye of the heart." Click here to contact Whispers of OM. We hope you’ll join us in raising the energy and collective consciousness.
We offer kirtan every first saturday of the month at 7pm.