By Shannon Sexton & Anna Dubrovsky — 2011
An American kirtan revolution turns chanting God's name into something hip as well as holy.
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CLEAR ALL
Krishna Das leads kirtan (chants invoking the name of God) all over the world. After meeting Ram Dass in 1968, he went on to the life-altering epiphany of being with their guru, Neem Karoli Baba, Maharaj-ji.
As yoga has become increasingly popular in the United States, so has the ancient practice of kirtan (KEER-tahn), or yogic chanting. The call-and-response format of chanting is a type of yoga in itself and has many of the mind-calming benefits of a yoga class or sitting meditation.
Across the country and around the world, yoga practitioners are chanting in foreign tongues, including Sanskrit, Hindi, and Gurmukhi. They’re even chanting in English.
“Scientific studies have found that chanting can decrease stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as increase positive mood, feelings of relaxation and focused attention,” Perry says.
The following article contains information about three short and powerful mantras—sacred sounds that may effectively be used individually or in groups for transformation: “OM”, “AH” and “HU”. These mantras are particularly useful sounds for projecting specific intentions.