UK, WESTON-SUPER-MARE - Kirtan Workshop with Tim Chalice, Tim Chalice, Parklands Educate Together Primary School, Russell Road, Locking, Weston-super-Mare, 14 Apr 2024
In this workshop, you will learn about the roots and the meaning of this ancient type of yoga practice, called Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of the Heart, which is practised not by doing asana and breath work but by singing mantras.
Tim will explain the Sanskrit terms used in the mantras and we will break them down, practice them and understand their meaning before singing them. The mantras are very short - usually only one line which is repeated to an uplifting melody and they are sung in repetition for about 10 - 15 minutes to produce a meditative effect. The singing is accompanied by musical instruments, usually harmonium and tabla. Kirtan is incredibly simple and accessible, yet the results can be utterly transformative and profound.
Chanting is so powerful as it affects us physically as well as spiritually. We breathe more deeply and slowly. The sound vibrations resonate throughout our bodies creating an internal massage, our brainwave patterns are altered evoking states of relaxation and our blood pressure and heart rate decreases. Regular practice can elicit a relaxation response, reduce stress, sharpen mental clarity and help support our overall health and wellness.
Tim Chalice is a highly experienced bhakti yogi and kirtan wallah who has been bringing joy through kirtan for two decades.
"Kirtan is for all people. There are no experts, no beginners. The practice itself is the teacher, guiding us to ourselves. Kirtan allows us to enter into a world where all the logic of our minds, and all of the conditioning are left aside. With Kirtan, we create a temple inside the altar of our hearts, a place of refuge, a place of love, and a place of just being." - Jai Uttal
**** Please bring a cushion/ blanket to sit on. There will also be chairs available if you prefer ***
