Kirtan Elevator Speech

Even without science, the health benefits of singing and chanting are well known.  These healing qualities occur through its influence on the health of the Vegas nerve thought to be the most important nerve in the human body. The Vegas nerve runs through the neck and services many major organs in the body such as the heart, intestines, intestinal track, back muscles, and also the lungs. By engaging in song or through chant you can imagine the stimulation on the Vegas nerve and the rippling effects to your major organs.  Often considered the first step in preparing your body for meditation, chanting focuses on an easy to remember phrase and melody and is repeated over and over.  The repetition sets the stage for quieting the mind and when the mind is less active the body calms. Additionally, the pumping of the diaphragm massages the internal organs, and the lengthened exhalation with its effective exchange of oxygen, changes the physiology in the body sending signals to the brain “all is well”.

Chanting provides a limited amount of mind activity allowing the mind to focus on a particular thought vs. singing which can require the mind to remember quite a few lyrics in order to complete a song.   According to the French Doctor Alfred A. Tomatis, (who has pioneered research in the neurophysiologic effects of Chant on the minds and bodies of listeners) there are two kinds of sound: Discharge Sounds and Charged Sounds. Discharge sounds are those which make the listener feel fatigued or drained. And charged sounds are those which give the listener energy, life and health.

Kitzie Stern has organized an amazingly beautiful selection of music, including the Kirtan Elevator Speech  to play from her site. Quite honestly, I have downloaded all of her podcasts through iTunes and haven’t been able to listen to any other music.  Kirtan, as Kitzie explains, is a very different kind of music.  Based on ancient chants, it has the ability to quiet the mind if listened to with intention.  Everyone experiences kirtan differently, and it doesn’t have to be a religious experience.  You can think of it as a sing-along.  A kirtan concert is not your typical concert either.  Everyone sits on the floor, although chairs are usually available.  The performers are accessible, in fact there’s not much of a distinction between performers & audience.  The wallah (leader) sings the mantra, and the audience sings it back.  A single chant can go on for up to forty minutes.  As you sing with each other you experience a deep connection with the musicians, the other audience members and yourself.  And when the music stops, your mind is quiet.

Deby

This entry was posted on 16. October 2009 at 16:02 and is filed under Groovy Tunes and Yoga. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.