New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World: Recent Episodes

Kitzie Stern

Kirtan, one of the oldest sacred music traditions of the world, helps the mind to become quiet and open to the experience of peace. We bring you a new 60-minute satsang session each week, featuring music by talented new western kirtan artists.

Welcome back to New World Kirtan. I’m so glad you’re here.

For the first episode of our new season, I sat down with the extraordinary Saul David Raye — musician, teacher, and devoted practitioner of yoga and sacred world music.

We talked about what community means in today’s world, how kirtan opens the heart, and what it means to keep showing up for the practice through grief and change. And toward the end, Saul shares his deep conviction that this work is about one thing: turning the world toward love.

My 2013 interview with Saul is here.

Musical selection: Mother I Feel You Under My Feet (Gayatri Mantra)

P.S. Sometimes you’ll hear our Siamese cat Leela in the background. She’s the Queen of the house, and generally has a lot to say.

The post Saul David Raye: Turn The World To Love first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends!

After two years away, the New World Kirtan Podcast is returning. This episode of the podcast will tell you more about the why.

But basically, when we lost our beloved Bhakti brother David Newman — Durga Das — in April of 2024, the heart went out of me to continue producing this podcast. I needed to retreat for a while.

But community has a way of calling you back.

While I was away from the podcast, I was deepening my work here in Corvallis, Oregon. I’ve been producing a kirtan concert series at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship with the talented and generous Johanna Beekman. Watching strangers become friends, month after month, around this music reminded me why this work matters.

And that’s what this new season of the podcast is about: community. I’ll be talking with kirtan artists around the world about what they’re building, how they’re gathering people, and what this practice has to offer a world hungry for connection.

You — our worldwide listeners — are part of this community too. Welcome back! Together, we can turn the world to Love.

Next up, an interview with Saul David Raye.

Subscribe to New World Kirtan wherever you listen to podcasts.

The post The New World Kirtan Podcast Returns – Building Community Through Chant first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends,

I have sad news. On April 18th of this year our Bhakti world lost one of its brightest lights. David Newman left his body after a short illness, and his death sent waves of sadness & grief through the international Bhakti community. He was so young, and had so much left to give. But it was his time, and no one understood that better than David did. We hosted him for a kirtan & a workshop back in the spring of 2018, and he was a delight — deeply spiritual and also funny with a wicked sense of humor. Over the years I’ve seen David offer kirtan at many different festivals, but perhaps my favorite was when he wore the cheese hat at Bhakti Fest Midwest. That set is linked in the show notes, and I’ll also post the link to a GoFundMe for Mira and Tulsi, David’s wife and daughter. Please contribute if David’s music has moved you in any way.

Last month we hosted Shantala here in Corvallis, and at the end of the kirtan Benjy & Heather offered their cover of ‘Tulsi’s Bliss’, from David’s CD ‘Stars’. Benji & Heather have led several pilgrimages to India with David, and they were close. When David got sick they composed the chant you’re about to hear and sent it to him, hoping it would lift his spirits. They performed this as the last chant of their kirtan here in Corvallis, and are accompanied by Jared May on bass and Johanna Beekman on vocals. It moved us to tears. I hope you also are moved by it.

Link to Fundraiser for Mira and TulsiSo … getting back to the New World Kirtan podcast, I have been thinking so much about the path forward, and have come to the conclusion that it may be the time for a podcast that features mostly music has come and gone. I’m running into copyright issues, and the artists make money when I post playlists that feature their music on Spotify, but not when I play it on the podcast. This conclusion makes me so sad, because I have loved producing the New World Kirtan podcast for you. We started in 2008, when no one knew what a podcast was, and now there are so many that claim our attention. I want to thank each and every one of you who have listed to these offerings of kirtan music and interviews with kirtan artists over the years. Many of you continue to download the NWK podcast, and I’m always astonished at the weekly download numbers. We’ve been on a journey together over all these years, together through all the years of the great festivals with live recordings & artist interviews, We’ve gone through my mother’s death together, and two elections and learning about the kirtan scene in China, and when Kirtan went to the Grammy Awards. We were together during all the health stuff that happened to me and don’t think for a minute I didn’t feel your prayers. Thank you. Thank you for your emails. Thank you for being such a great audience.

I hope I’ve contributed in some way to making your life better through this magical music. I’ll continue to be here, and I’ll post when something momentous happens in the kirtan world. I loved David Newman, and I couldn’t let his death pass without remembering his beautiful spirit and his music. I interviewed him several years ago, I’ll put the link in the show notes, and I’ll also include some links I’ve recorded of his performances in various festivals over the years. Savor his energy. He was special, and he will be missed.

Your memory is a blessing, dearest David Newman. Travel Well, my friend. Travel Well.

And until next time, dear hearts — Namaste.

A Conversation With David Newman

David Newman Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest

The post Travel Well: A Tribute To David Newman. December 31, 1963 — April 18, 2024 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends,

Happy Autumn!

In this edition we’re featuring artists playing at next week’s Bhakti Love Reunion, October 13-15 in Weldon, CA — that’s near Lake Isabella. Three full days of Yoga, kirtan, music, dancing and great food — doesn’t that sound awesome? I am SO excited to be going, I haven’t been to a festival in such a long time, and many of the artists we all love will be there. Jai Uttal & Donna De Lory are headlining. There’s a lot more detail on the website, here’s the link. And if you enter NWK when you buy your tickets, you’ll receive a 20% discount!

I hope to see you at the Bhakti Love Reunion! Ben Leinbach said it best; “It’s gonna be a great hang.” Indeed!

Enjoy this magical music, dear listeners, and until next time — Namaste.

The Music

Jai Uttal: Dust & Tears; Ode To The Mystics

Ananda Rasa Kirtan: Mulani – Dub Kirtan; Jagadambe Jay Ma Durga (feat. Prajna Vieira)

Radhika Vekaria; Kali

Johanna Beekman & Ben Leinbach: Yoga Soundtracks Vol. 2; Beauty We Love (featuring Girish)

Donna De Lory: Sky Is Open (Mac Quayle_Donna De Lory mix)

Jaya Lakshmi: Live at the Altar of Love; This Is The Day

Kamini Natarajan; Jab Te Mohi

Michael Hathaway: Offering; Servant (featuring Jai Uttal)

Joss Jaffe: Dub Mantra Sangha; Ganesha

Larisa Stow, Soon Soon

Mikey Pauker & Johanna Beekman; Help Us Love

Masood Ali Kahn; Ganesha (featuring Deepak Ramapriyan)

Katie Wise & Bhakti Explosion: Lovolution; Lokah Love

The post The Bhakti Love Reunion! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends, This set is devoted to the Divine Mother, with the exception of one chant, the title track from Shantala’s remarkable new CD ‘Five’. The whole CD is great, but I’m kind of obsessed with this track & have been playing it on loop. Heather Wertheiimer composed the chant over the course of the […]

The post Hello Summer! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m feeling blessed by a lot these days. Those of you who listen to the New World Kirtan Podcast are one of my biggest blessings — this community has enriched my life in ways too numerous to count. Thank you for being here. And we’ve been here together for quite a long time — the first edition of the podcast was posted in 2018 before anyone really knew what a podcast was. I was always trying to explain it! We’ve been through quite a journey together — my mother’s illness & death, my own surgeries & health challenges, several momentous American elections and the COVID-19 pandemic, to name a few. Kirtan & Bhakti Yoga were my anchors through all of it.

To honor our journey, I’m rerunning some of the most downloaded episodes of the NWK Podcast over the years. We’ll begin with Om Shiva from 2013, to celebrate the Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri on February 18. This podcast has been a journal of sorts, and I have to say I loved listening to my 2013 self talking about how I’d like o build a kirtan community here in Corvallis. How far we’ve come!

I’m blessed to have you as a listener, dear one. Until next time. Namaste.

THE MUSIC

Ty Burhoe, Krishna Das, Manorama, John Friend & Amy Ippoliti, Invocation: Om Namah Shivaya
Shantala, Jaya: Om Namah Shivaya
Indiajiva, Om Spiritus, Music for a Peaceful Planet: Om Namah Shivaya
Carrie Grossman, Soma-Bandhu: Om Namah Shivaya
Govindas, Yoga Sol: Om Namah Shivaya
Prema Hara, Sweet Surrender: Shiva Appears (Om Namah Shivaya)
Masood Ali Kahn, The Yoga Sessions: Om Namah Shivaya
Betty Roi, La Lumiere Du Son

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Hello friends,

I hope this finds you healthy & doing well.

If the dark days are getting you down, take heart because on Wednesday we celebrated Imbolc, an ancient Celtic holiday that celebrates the beginning of Spring — it was traditionally celebrated by the lighting of fires to honor the sun goddess Brigid. This holiday traditionally marks the midway point between winter solstice & the spring equinox, so the light is coming back big time now. There’s a set to the Divine Mother to celebrate Imbolc up on Spotify at the New World Kirtan page if you’d like to listen. Life is good here, I hope the same for you.

This edition of the podcast is an interview with Dave Stringer, Madi Das & Sean Johnson about the very exciting news that Madi & Dave’s CD ’Mantra Americana’ has been nominated for a Grammy award!

Dave, Madi & Sean will tell you about the process behind getting the Grammy’s New Age category renamed to include chant for the very first time, how the pandemic helped with that process & led to the birth of the Auricle Collective — as you probably recall, I’ve been telling you about that project in the last several podcasts. Then we’ll hear about the mashup of musical influences that gave birth to this extraordinary album ‘Mantra Americana’, and how Dave & Madi feel about going to the Grammys for the second time. The music so rich musically, I know you’re going to love it!

Now it’s Saturday, and the Grammys are tomorrow night, so let’s send the guys all our love and best wishes. And if you have a minute, don’t forget to give the New World Kirtan podcast a rating on iTunes, it will help more people to find us. Until next time, my friends — Namaste.

MANTRA AMERICANA

Hey Gopinath
Boro Sukher
Om Namoh Bhagavate
Maha Mantra Americana
Shri Guru

The post Kirtan Goes To The Grammy Awards! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It has been a glorious summer & fall here, one of the most beautiful I can remember. But now the rains have started, and the leaves are falling. The Corvallis kirtan community continues to grow, and we’ll be starting live kirtan concerts again in December. It feels good to be returning to this magical practice. […]

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OK, guys — time is running out! Let’s all come together and support the Auricle Collective by clicking on this link. I hope you all enjoy more new music from the talented artists of the Auricle Collective. Be well, enjoy the summer, and until next time — Namaste. THE MUSIC: Sean Johnson & the Wild […]

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Hello dear friends, I hope life is good for you as we head into midsummer. If you recall, back in April, I told you about the Auricle Collective. This community of more than 100 musicians is rooted in singing, chanting & music as art and spiritual practice. It includes the musicians that fuel our Bhakti […]

The post Fresh Tracks From the Auricle Collective! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Several weeks ago I was on a Zoom call with over 50 kirtan artists to hear more about something called the Auricle Collective — this is a project spearheaded by Dave Stringer, Seán Johnson and several other Kirtan artists. Singing kirtan connects us by the thread of sacred music as a spiritual path. The goal […]

The post For Ukraine first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello dear friends, This week we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a kirtan set devoted to LOVE. Enjoy! THE MUSIC:

Miten, Temple at Midnight: Inescapable Love
Deva Premal & Miten, 21-Day Mantra Meditation Journey: Day 4 – I Am Love
Radharani, Just One Drop: Higher Love
Krishna Das, Heart As Wide As The World: Narayana/For Your Love
Ananda Yogjiji and Jaya Lakshmi, Live at the Altar of Love~Disc 2: Divine Lover’s Maha Mantra
Shantala, Sri: Om Namo Bhagavte Invocation
Shantala, Sri: Om Namo Bhagavate/ Because The One I I Love
Johanna Beekman, Beyond Love: Soothing Songs For The Soul: Beyond Love
Ashley Wynn, Love Is the Answer Jai Ma: Namaste (God in Me) feat. Saul David Raye
Katie Wise & Bhakti Explosion, Lovolution, Lokha Love

Until next time. Namaste

The post Love Is All You Need first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello dear friends, Imbolc is the ancient Celtic holiday that marks the beginning of Spring. The holiday was traditionally celebrated by the lighting of fires to honor the sun goddess Brigid. Imbolc this year was February 1, so our set this week honors the Divine Mother, the source of the life force behind the awakening of Spring. For more chants to honor the Divine Mother, here’s a link to ‘The Fires of Imbolc’, a New World Kirtan Podcast from February 2020.

THE MUSIC:

Shimshai, True Heart: Jai Ma
Mukti, Light of the Sun: Jai Jai Ma
Kristin Luna Ray, One Shared Heart: He Ma Durga
Blue Spirit Wheel, Darkness To Light: Om Tara Ma (Kitzie sings in the chorus!)
Jaya Lakshmi, Sublime: Jai Ma
Daphne Tse, Mata 2009: Saraswati Mata
Edo & Jo, Bliss: Narayani Om (Abundance)
Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band, Calling the Spirits: Jai Ma
Saul David Raye & the Atma Recording Project, 10,000 Suns. Music for Healing Peace & Awakening: Mother I Feel You (Gayatri Mantra) Feat. Sukhdev Jackson & Johanna Beekman
Carrie Grossman, Pranam: Lokah (Peace On Earth)

Until next time! Namaste.

The post Chants For Imbolc first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Ahh … sometimes all you want is to sink down into music that will release your mind & relax your body. I hope this set will do it for you — chanting along turned me into a puddle after we played it for our Friday Satsang several weeks ago.

Bill’s & my pandemic life has a rhythm that is familiar & comforting. Nonetheless, I’ll be glad to get back to something more normal — whatever that might look like. Omicron is peaking now in Oregon — we’re surrounded by a lot of illness & death. I’m so grateful that recovery from the hip dislocation & nerve injury is progressing — my strength is coming back. And we’re planning a renovation of our garden that has been fun to dream about. Construction starts next month, I’ll post pictures!

A lot of our journey together here has been about illness & pain, but I think I’ve turned a corner health-wise. I’m filled with hope for the future. We’ve been in the same storm but in different boats, my friends. Let’s all visualize that we’re now heading into calm seas & sunny weather. Wherever your boat is moored, I hope this podcast finds you healthy & surrounded by people you love.

Enjoy the set, and until next time — Namaste.

THE MUSIC

Luna Ray, Shining Through: Breathing Gate Gate
Blue Spirit Wheel, Tridevi: Om Shantih
Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda, Lakshmi Dreams | Part 1: Lakshmi Ashtakam | Guru Devi Ma (For Abundance, Vitality, & Awakening)
Tim Jordan Kirtan, Heart & Spirit: Asatoma
Tina Malia, Anahata: Moola Mantra
Jai Chand + Grayson, The Space Between, Humee Hum
Diane Arkenstone, The Best of Diane Arkenstone: Om Shanti
Shantala, The Love Window: Purnamadah
Ashana, The Infinite Heart: Om Tare
Jane Winther, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, May All Beings Be Happy: Om Shanti

The post An Hour of Peace first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends,

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who are celebrating this week!

I’ve become so aware lately of how much I have to be grateful for — sometimes it takes something bad happening in your life to get you radically present to how beautiful life is, and how fortunate you are. That’s where I am at the moment — thankful, grateful, blessed describes it perfectly.

This week the music in the set is all about expressing gratitude to the Divine for our many blessings. Last Friday we sang the chants at the beginning of the set, and when we got to ‘Ang Sang Wahe Guru’ we focused on the heart chakra opening to the infinite stream of gratitude to the Divine — it was really powerful. There’s a 40-Day Sadhana led by Mirabai Ceiba that goes more deeply into this, here’s the link to the meditation.

One of the many things I’m grateful for is the community around this podcast. If you’re reading this, I’m grateful for you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for one of the deepest blessings of my life. Until next time, dear hearts — Namaste.

THE MUSIC

Miten, The Jungle Sessions: Rain of Blessings
Wade Imre Morrisette: Maha Moha: The Great Delusion, Burn It In The Fire
The Bhakti House Band, Akasha Blue Sky [Disc 1]: Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam
Tina Turner, Regula Curti & Dechen Shak-Dagsay, Children Beyond: Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu
Gypsy Tears, Make Chantings: Om Namo Lakshmi
Edo & Jo, Bliss: Narayani Om (Abundance)
Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda, Lakshmi Dreams | Part 1: Lakshmi Ashtakam | Guru Devi Ma (For Abundance, Vitality, & Awakening)
Deva Premal & Miten, Deva Premal – the Essential Collection: Sarveshaam Mantra (feat. Manose) [Prabhu Edit]
Mirabai Ceiba, Sacred Love Meditations: Ang Sang Wahe Guru – Touching Infinity
Carrie Grossman, Pranam: Lokah (Peace On Earth)

The post A Thankful Heart first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Children Beyond

Hello friends,

Our Satsang loved this set last Friday night — it put us into a space where no one wanted to break the silence at the end. I hope you enjoy it too.

Big news here — some feeling is starting to return to my foot! My goal is to stay in the ‘Believing’ place ALL THE TIME.

Thanks for listening to the podcast, and until next time — Namaste

THE MUSIC:

Snatam Kaur, Celebrate Peace: People of Love
Luna Ray, Shining Through: Breathing Gate Gate
Mirabai Ceiba, Humee Hum – The Other is You: Sacred Love Meditations
Tina Malia, Yoga Music Mantras & Chants, Vol. 2 – Sanskrit Chants for Yoga Class: Sarva Mangala
Felicia Rose, Raise the Vibration: Green Tara (Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha)
Lana Sugarman, Reverence: Shivo Ham
Deva Premal, Love Is Space: Om Mani Padme Hum
Bhakta & Darpan, Songs of Tara: Om Tara (Rainforest Mix)
Daphne Tse, Mata 2009: Om Shanti
Shiva Rea, [Disc 2] Yoga Chant – Meditative Sadhana: Inner Sanctum Of The Heart: Meditation
Will Blunderfield, Hallelujah: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

The post The People of Love first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Shiva Rea: Daily Energy - Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Hello friends,

I always look forward to the sets Sky puts together for our Friday Satsang — she’s doing a set for us every month now. I love that she points me to artists & chants I may not have discovered on my own, and I think this set might be one of my favorites. You can find all of Sky’s sets on Spotify, search for Corvallis Satsang.

The Music:

Jahnavi Harrison, Mantra Lounge, Vol. 2: May all be Blessed

Wah!, Kirtan, The Bhakti Yoga of Chanting Mantras: Shyam Bolo Jai

Radharani with Ishwari, Just One Drop: Hari Bol

Ananda Monet, Dawn of Freedom: Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Tina Malia, Anahata: Moola Mantra

Shantala, Jahnavi Harrison, Todd Boston, Jaya Jaya Ram: Jaya Jaya Ram

Krishna Kaur, Kundalini Chillout, Liquid Mantra Remixes: Har Gobinda

Ben Leinbach, Jaya Lakshmi, Yoga Music Mantras & Chants: Tantroktam Devi Suktam

Jai Uttal, Roots, Rock, Rama!: Echo of Mercy (Ong Namo Narayana)

Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda, Lakshmi Dreams Pt. 1: Lakshmi Ashtakam

Shiva’s Garden, Shree Krishna Chaintanya

Luna Ray, Lokaha

Thanks for listening to the podcast, and until next time — Namaste.

The post Sky’s ‘May All Be Blessed’ first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’ve been listening to Miten’s new CD ‘The Jungle Sessions” lately. It was recorded in Costa Rica during lockdown, and what a delight it is! ‘Never Give Up On Love’ beautifully expresses where I’m at just now, but all the tracks are great, you should check it out.

I’m still coming at you from the couch, but there have been some positive developments. I started physical therapy last week, and have made appointments for MRIs, with the neurologist, etc. Everyone is booking into December, so this is yet another invitation for me to cool my jets and be patient. But I made it down the steps to the basement yesterday & was able to also come back up — that was a big accomplishment! I’m mostly just hanging out with Bill & the cats and doing lots of spiritual work. The injury sucks, but it is also blessing me with an opportunity to dive deep. The recovery process has become a spiritual journey, and I’m taking advantage of it.

Kitzie’s words of wisdom for the week? Please, please .. live your life as much as possible in Unity Consciousness. This consciousness manifests as a sense of oneness, compassion, love & respect, both for human beings and for nature. You can foster & encourage unity consciousness through meditation. Global solidarity — all of us united in Love, in this consciousness, will change our world.

Thanks for listening to the podcast, dear hearts, and until next time —Namaste

THE SET:

Miten, The Jungle Session; Never Give Up On Love
Deva Premal & Miten, Om Namo Bhagavate/Oneness: Omega Ecstatic Chant
Suzin Green & Daniel Johnson, Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra: Daughter of the Mountain: The Mantra Project, Vol. One: Daughter of the Mountain
SatKirin Kaur Khalsa, Lightness Of Being: Magic Mantra – Ek Ong Kaar Sat Gur Prasaad
Deva Premal & Miten, Spirit of Mantra: Hanuman Mantra
Lauren Monroe: Oneness Chant – Single
Maneesh De Moor, Signatures On Water: Om
Carrie Grossman, Pranam: Lokah (Peace On Earth)

The post Reaching For Light first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Over the years you guys have been through a lot with me & I’ve told you how chanting has helped. I’ve produced the podcast through my Mom’s illness & death, dealing with the fear before the surgery to remove the spinal tumor. two hip replacement surgeries, and one hip dislocation.

Last Monday my left hip dislocated again, this time accompanied by nerve damage. And I’m left with the question WHY? Why did this happen just as I was starting to get my life back? I’ll go into more detail about this in the introduction to the podcast, but I think the Divine needed to get my attention. By diving into that, convalescence has transformed into a journey filled with Grace.

The prognosis for the nerve traction injury is good, thank God. It will just take time. Once again, chanting has literally been a Godsend, ‘This Is The Day’ by Jaya Lakshmi is my guiding light — it’s about releasing into the hands of the Divine. The rest of the chants in the set are about healing & releasing fear, I’ve been listening & chanting to them on a daily basis since the injury.

I’ll post updates as I get more information. I would sure appreciate prayers, grace, reiki — just beam all that healing energy right to my left leg & hip. It is so greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listening to the podcast, dear hearts. Be present to the beauty of your life & until next time. Namaste.

This Week’s Set

Jane Winther, Om: Mantra
Jaya Lakshmi, Live At the Altar of Love: This is the Day
Deva Premal & Miten: Spirit of Mantra, Day 4 – Radiant Health
Deva Premal: Spirit of Mantra: Maha Mrityunjaya
Johanna Beekman, Mantra Sangha: Health & Healing (feat. Ankush Vimawala, Krishna Das, Nina Rao, Hans Christian, Sherrie Howard, Mark Kelso, Myriam Turenne, Jim Beckwith, Noelle Whittington, Karen Seva, Girish, Kavita Kat Macmillan, Danny Solomon, Masood Ali Khan, Sianna S
Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda, Lakshmi Dreams, Pt. 1 – Single: Hanuman Chalisa Lullaby (feat. Ananda, Ananda Yogiji & Jaya Lakshmi)
Ananda Rasa Kirtan, Mulani – Dub Kirtan; Jagadambe Jay Ma Durga (feat. Prajna Vieira)
Deva Premal, Mantras for Precarious Times: Om Shree Dhanvantre Namaha (Healing)
Tina Malia, Anahata; Hey Ma Durga
Ajeet & Maneesh De Moor, Darshan; Dance of Ganesha
Indiajiva, Om Spiritus – Music for a Peaceful Planet; Lokah

The post Releasing Into the Divine first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Mantra

Our set for this edition of the podcast is a bit unusual. The chants are specifically used in several religious traditions to help the soul rise from the heavier earth vibrations into a higher plane during the transition of leaving the body. One of our oldest & dearest Satsang members left her body this summer — the Friday after she passed we sang this set for her.

It contains several versions of the haunting Kundalini chant ‘Akal’, translated as deathless, immortal & timeless. This chant reminds the soul of its basic nature. We’ll also sing the mighty ‘Maha Mritunjaya’ mantra to Shiva, a chant that takes away our fear of death, and ‘Asato Ma Sadgamaya’ — ‘lead me from darkness into light, lead me from death to immortality.

You can use this set to help someone achieve peace as they transition, it’s very soothing if played in the background. If you know someone who has died in the pandemic, you can sing it for them or sing it for all the souls we’ve lost to COVID.

This week’s set:

Jane Winther, Mantra: Om
David Newman, Travel Well: Travel Well
Ravi Shankar, Chants of India: Mahaa Mrityunjaya
Snatam Kaur, Spirit Voyage: Akal – Undying
Deva Premal, Into Light: The Meditation Music Of Deva Premal: Maha Mrityunjaya
Simrit Kaur, The Sweetest Nectar Akal…Deathless
Edo & Jo, Kirtan Alive: Asatoma
Deva Premal, Deva Premal – the Essential Collection: Om Asatoma (Ben Leinbach Mix) [Prabhu Edit]
Daphne Tse, Mata: Om Shanti

Our Friday Satsang starts up again on Friday, October 1 so I’ll be posting podcasts regularly again. Stay safe out there, dear hearts & until next time. Namaste.

The post Chants For Transition first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Om

Hello my friends, and welcome to this edition of the New World Kirtan Podcast. I haven’t posted in a while as I needed to take a break for various reasons, but everything is well here. The weather has been mostly spectacular, and we’ve had so many visitors — son David, son Jesse & his fiancee, my brother Michael, and up next is a trip to Cape Cod to visit Bill’s family. How incredible it has been to give people hugs after this long, long drought. I’m loving being back in the garden, able to work without pain. New hips were one gift of the pandemic, a killer recipe for gluten-free wholegrain sourdough bread was another. But seeing people dying all over the world from this virus helped me realize once again that life is short. Anything can happen at any time. And it has me questioning how I want to spend my time in the hopefully many years I have left. Those of you who know me know I’m not exactly built like Tinkerbelle, my weight has been a lifelong obsession. So another gift of the pandemic for me was realizing I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a fat person — I have a chance for a reset with the new hips, and I’ve decided to go for it. I’ve lost 30 lbs and feel like a new person. In many ways I am.

Now I’m going to brag on some developments in my VoiceOver career — I’ve been nominated for an award in documentary narration! It’s for ‘The History of Las Vegas: the Early Years’. We’ve completed three of a five-part series, the first three parts are up on YouTube. I’m pretty pleased to tell you that Part 1 has had over 4 million views, here’s the link.

Our Friday Satsang is on hiatus until the end of September, but there are a lot of sets backed up that I’ll be releasing as podcasts over the next several weeks. We just subscribed to Apple Music — what a rich trove of kirtan awaits me there, and hopefully some fresh tracks for the new season of our Kirtan Satsang.

So probably like most of you, I’ve been going through some things. The state of the world has me feeling sad & discouraged, maybe you too? And I’ve noticed something. Since being on hiatus from the Friday Satsang, the protective layer that usually surrounds me is diminishing. Things are getting to me, and I’m guessing it’s because that center of calmness isn’t being reinforced on a regular basis by singing a kirtan set every week. So I’ve renewed my commitment to regularly put these sets out for your practice, and for mine. This week I’m pleased to present another set by Sky, ‘Revealing Our True Self’.

Stay safe out there, dear hearts & until next time. Namaste.

This week’s set:

Om Hari Om/Sharanam Ganesha(Refuge) – Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band

Shivoham (Live) – GuruGanesha Singh, Manish Vyas, Ram Dass, Snatam Kaur

Om Asatoma – Deva Premal

Har Mukanday – Mirabai Ceiba

Adi Shakti – Matthew Schoenng, Nirinjan Kaur, Ram Dass

Surya Namaskar Mantras: Agni Mix (feat Nina Rao) – Daniel Johnson, Nina Rao, Suzin Green

Om Purman – Jaya Lakshmi

Om Guru (Trust Within) – Edo and Jo

Har Ji – Mirabai Ceiba

Diamonds in the sun – Girish

The post ‘Revealing Our True Self’ from Sky first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

From Within

This week we continue our journey into mantra with Day 3 of Deva Premal & Miten’s 21-Day Mantra Meditation Journey. This week we’ll explore Lord Ganesha, one of the most loved Gods in Hinduism. In most households in India, a new task begins with a prayer to Lord Ganesh. His name has become synonymous with beginnings, and he is also known as the remover of all obstacles. As the god of beginnings, he is invoked at the start of every enterprise, rite or ceremony. Our set this week has wisdom from Deva & Miten followed by lots of Ganesha chants from various kirtan artists.

This week’s set:

Deva Premal & Miten, 21-Day Mantra Meditation, Day 3 – New Beginnings
Kristin Luna Ray, Shining Through: Ganapataye
Adam Bauer, Wonderville: Pranam (Om Ganesha)
Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda, Kirtronica: Jai Ganesha
Wah!, Love Holding Love, Ganesha (Album Version)
Devi 2000, Prepare Your Soul To Dance: Ganesha Sharanam (Preston vs Kenny Remix)
Ena Vie, Heart of Devotion – EP: Ganesha
Ajeet, Darshan: Dance of Ganesha:
Manorama, ‘In All Beings’ Sarva-Bhuteshu: Invocation to Lord Ganesha
Katie Wise & Bhakti Explosion, Lovolution: Lokha Love

The post New Beginnings first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week we continue our journey into mantra with Day 2 of Deval Premal & Miten’s 21-Day Mantra Meditation Journey. This beautiful program features 21 specially selected mantras with guided meditations by Deva & Miten into their meaning & essential energetic properties. If you’re curious about chanting & the meaning of the various mantras, this is the series for you.

The mantra we’ll be exploring this week is ‘Om Shanti’ which translates as ‘peace in body, peace in mind, peace in speech & spirit’. Then we’ll sing the ‘Om Shanti’ mantra with lots of different kirtan artists. Our Satsang really loved this set last Friday night, I hope you will too. Until next time! Namaste.

The Setlist

Jane Winther, Mantra: Om
Deva Premal & Miten, 21-Day Mantra Meditation, Day 2 – Om Shanti
Wah!, Shanti: Maa
Edo & Jo, Kirtan Alive: Om Shanti
Michael H. Cohen, Illumination: Soundtrack For The Satya Yuga: Om Shanti Om
Brenda McMorrow, Igniting The Beauty: Loka Samastha / Om Shanti
Blue Spirit Wheel, Tridevi: Om Shantih
Johanna OneHeart, Heart Beats One: Om Shanti (Peace In Our Hearts)
Sheila Chandra, Roots and Wings: Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
Diane Arkenstone, The Best of Diane Arkenstone: Om Shanti
Daphne Tse, Mata 2009: Om Shanti

The post Om Shanti first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Flame carriers of a 5,000-year-old tradition, Deva Premal & Miten are at the forefront of the burgeoning worldwide chant phenomenon. The two have been travelling the world since 1992, and with more than a dozen albums & a fan base that includes both Cher and the Dalai Lama, they are the Johnny & June Cash of […]

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This week’s set is brought to you by our dear Friday Satsang member Sky. You can find Sky’s other sets for us on Spotify under ‘Corvallis Satsang‘. Enjoy! Setlist: Jane Winther, Mantra: Om Ty Burhoe, Invocation: Indian Chill Out Wade Imre Morissette, Mahadeva Shambo: Sargam Scales of Music Jai Uttal, Kirtan! The Art & Practice […]

The post Sky’s Divine Grace first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Rob and Melissa are husband & wife kirtan musicians from the Seattle area, but they travel extensively, leading kirtans, workshops and retreats around the world. They have shared their music at numerous yoga festivals in the US, including Bhakti Fest, Prana Fest, Samsara Fest, and the Northwest Yoga Feast. They’ve been to Corvallis several times […]

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Hi everyone, Sometimes all you really need is a good night’s sleep, right? This week’s set is all about soothing you into a deep slumber, so prepare your space & get comfy — pajamas are optional but encouraged! SETLIST Jane Winther, Mantra: Om Miten, Devotee: Dance When You Walk Snatam Kaur, Prem: Aad Guray […]

The post Pajama Party! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Our world is changing. Spring is here, and so are the vaccines. What will the world be like when we’re all released from our homes? I’ve written a blog post called ‘The View From My Lockdown’ for my voiceover site, and in it, I talk about what has been getting me through over a year […]

The post Surprise Package! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Happy 2021 dear friends! This is the set I played on New Years Day for our Corvallis Satsang. To harness the energy of new beginnings, the music is focused on chants to Ganesha, the destroyer of all obstacles. Ganesha is probably the most beloved of the Hindu deities, and in India he is invoked before […]

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Winter Solstice occurs on Monday, December 21 this year. For many cultures around the world, the winter solstice marks an important milestone. It’s the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year, and signals a powerful transition point between seasons. The Solstice is believed to hold a powerful energy for regeneration, […]

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This time last week most of the country was gripped with anxiety about the election, and by the end of the week, my nerves were just jangling. I felt a very deep need for a soothing kirtan set, and this playlist has the chants to the Divine Mother I played for our Satsang last Friday […]

The post Rest In The Arms Of The Divine Mother first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This edition of the podcast is a rerun of a show I produced 4-years ago after Hillary Clinton lost the election for President. I can hear the sadness & discouragement I was feeling in my voice — it was a bad time. Now we’re at the point of electing a new President, and it seems […]

The post Be A Lighthouse first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week climate change became very personal for our family. The picture at the top of the blog is Oregon’s Willamette Valley — that’s where we live. Because of the wildfires, hundreds of families have lost their homes in Oregon & tens of thousands more are preparing to evacuate. Millions of acres have burned. Evacuees […]

The post Oregon Burning first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I played this set last Friday night for our group & songs from it kept popping into my brain all week so I figured it was a good one. We are having the most exquisite summer weather here and I wanted the music in the set to reflect that summer feeling in some way, so […]

The post One For The Sun first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This edition of the New World Kirtan Podcast marks a change. I’ve been producing the podcast for over ten years, mostly following the same format. This week I’m trying something different, focusing on just one chant. You’ll have to let me know how you like it! There are a lot of well-worn ruts in my […]

The post I Am Healthy! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Sometimes on Friday night, I like to do a Surprise Package set — that just means a set of songs that we’re pretty familiar with and like to sing but there’s no particular theme. This is a set I played several weeks ago for our Satsang, with music by Kristin Luna Ray, David Newman & […]

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In this week’s set, the New World Kirtan Podcast features another branch of the kirtan music scene with a focus on Kundalini artists. The best-known chant from this tradition is the Kirtan Kriya, Sa Ta Na Ma, so powerful for Alzheimer’s patients & their caregivers. This week you’ll hear a lovely version of that chant […]

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I try not to talk much about politics on the New World Kirtan Podcast. But most of you know we live in Oregon, and this week I’d like to address the protests happening in Portland. We’re about an hour and a half south of Portland & have friends & family members living there, so what’s […]

The post Chants To The Indweller first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The ‘Great Invocation’ is a World Prayer, an invocation for light and love. It’s an ancient formula for the use of mankind to invoke the energies which will change our world. Originally written in 1945, it has been translated into many languages & is used daily by millions of people. There are several versions which have […]

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I played this week’s set several weeks ago for our Friday virtual Satsang — it’s dedicated to Hanuman, and it’s one I’ve been using a lot in the process of healing my body after hip replacement surgery. In difficult situations, it helps me if I remember to turn things over to a higher power, and […]

The post Hanuman; A River Of Grace first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I got some very good news this week — my hip replacement surgery has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 13 — that’s tomorrow! So I’ve been gearing back up — listening to chants for healing & guided meditations for surgery. I’ll be taking a break for a few weeks while I recover. But before I […]

The post Chants To Help You Sleep first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is one I played for our Friday Satsang a week ago, and it’s a collection of Shanti Mantras, Hindu prayers for peace found in the Upanishads. A Friday Satsang set always begins with Jane Winther’s Om chant from her CD Mantra. Then we have Dharma study with Deva Premal & Miten from […]

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Well, we’re all having a moment together, aren’t we? Everyone listening to this all over the world is slowed down, sheltering in place. It’s really quite remarkable, our world is having a pause and reset, and a much-needed change in perspective. In some very good ways, we will never be the same. And on some […]

The post Chants For Divine Healing first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s finally coming on spring here, the daffodils are starting to come up, and the hip replacement surgery is also coming up — it’s on March 18! Last month we had a beautiful kirtan here led by Johanna Beekman — it was so sweet. She’s about to set out on another tour & also has […]

The post Chants To Open Your Heart first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The latest edition of the New World Kirtan Podcast is the set played at the Corvallis Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for our kirtan/meditation circle last Friday night to celebrate Imbolc, the ancient Celtic holiday that marks the beginning of Spring. The holiday was traditionally celebrated by the lighting of fires to honor the sun goddess Brigid. […]

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Over Easter weekend last April, Dave Stringer came to Corvallis to play a kirtan for our community — it was such a sweet experience for everyone involved, and the following month he was headed to China. Dave has been to China several times to play kirtan, and over Easter weekend we talked a lot about […]

The post Kirtan In China! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This podcast is very special to me. I had the pleasure of interviewing Miten back in September the day before Deva Premal, Manose and the gang were about to leave on tour. The interview was to be about the music on his new CD ‘Devotee’, and it turned into a conversation about healing journeys after […]

The post ‘Devotee’, A Conversation With Miten first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This repeat podcast is from January 2017, and it’s one of the most downloaded ever in our 11-year history. The intro tells the story of how an MRI found an unexpected tumor in my spine and my mental process of dealing with the fear & preparing for the spinal surgery. There are lots of healing […]

The post Blast From The Past: The One About Being A Bison first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Most of you know we have a kirtan & meditation circle that meets here every Friday night, and when we don’t have a live group playing for us I put together a set of chants from CDs for the satsang. This edition of the podcast is one of those sets in its entirety — it […]

The post The Deva Premal & Miten Set/Friday Kirtan & Meditation Circle first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Reading the news these days can be so discouraging. Probably like you, I feel the need to be informed, but the energy of the news is toxic and fear-inducing. What can we do to stay centered & positive? The Mahamantra chants in this edition of the New World Kirtan Podcast will help you to do […]

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Five years ago Dave Stringer was one of the first kirtan artists to visit Corvallis, and last month over Easter weekend he came back to town for an incredible weekend of kirtan. His band had a stellar lineup of musicians & they were mostly from Oregon — Johanna Beekman was featured on harmonium & vocals […]

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We have a strong kirtan scene here in Corvallis, and it’s been so gratifying to watch it grow. We’re a small town & there’s not a lot of live kirtan, so on the weeks we don’t have live music I put together a set for our Friday satsang. Over the years we’ve become fond of […]

The post Our Favorite Chants to Hanuman first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

As I sit in my basement studio & look outside with today’s forecast calling for freezing rain, the title of this podcast seems appropriate. ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ is a melancholy & evocative 19th century Christmas carol, and the title just seemed to fit the dark & cold of late January. This is also a […]

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In his edition of the New World Kirtan Podcast, we feature live cuts from a few of the artists who played at the Midwest Yoga & Kirtan Fest. What an incredible time we had together! I hope you can get a sense of the Spirit & the Love that was present — it was so, […]

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Thanks to our elected leaders we’ve had one hell of a few weeks here in the United States. The Supreme Court fight was a watershed moment for a lot of people, women and men — triggering for many women and brutal for everyone. Last Friday I really just wanted to chant a LOT to get […]

The post Healing first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

In this edition of the podcast, we feature an interview with San Diego’s Pilgrimage of the Heart kirtan band, followed by the kirtan they played that night for their sweet community. You’ll hear Tom Warner, Sita Rose, Fast Heart Mart & the owner of the Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga studio Sujantra. The trip was […]

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This edition of the podcast is the second to feature chants from the soundtrack of the wonderful movie ‘Mantra; Sounds Into Silence’ — if it comes to your community please support it, or be a movie captain so YOU can be the one who brings it to your community! Get the details at their website. […]

The post Chants from ‘Mantra: Sounds Into Silence’, Part 2 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

In this edition of the podcast, we feature music from the soundtrack of ‘Mantra: Sounds Into Silence’ — there are so many beautiful chants we’ll have two podcasts devoted to the music we heard in the movie. If you have the opportunity to see this wonderful movie in your town, please support it. We had […]

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April was quite the month for sacred music here in Corvallis! It began with a great weekend with David Newman — on Saturday night the Unitarian Church was full for his kirtan, and his band — which included Bejny & Heather Wertheimer of Shantala, Sean Frenette & Johanna Beekman — was a tight, high energy […]

The post David Newman Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest 2013 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m just back from Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band’s Bhakti Immersion in New Orleans, and what a wonderful & transformative experience it was! I spent it with 40 beautiful people, most of them Yoga teachers, who wanted to bring more Bhakti Yoga into their classes & their lives. The whole retreat was permeated […]

The post A Day in New Orleans: Sean Johnson’s Bhakti Immersion! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

“It seems appropriate to start the New Year with a Fresh Tracks set”, said I back in January when this podcast was taking shape and before the totally nasty sinus infection descended. Yuk, glad that’s over, thank you antibiotics. And now … it’s Valentine’s Day! So Happy Valentine’s Day dear listeners, and for you here […]

The post Fresh Tracks 35 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The dark and cold of winter lends itself to introspection, and lately I’ve been thinking about this past year & the changes it brought to my life. Last December I had just been diagnosed with a large spinal tumor, and had the surgery to remove it was in January. Now it seems with every day […]

The post Dark Days — Chants for Winter Solstice first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The use of chanting and spiritual music for awakening has a long history, and in this week’s podcast we have chants from many different religious traditions. We’ll begin with a chant from the Sufi tradition with HuDost, then a Gregorian chant from Thomas Barquee, then we’re on to Kundalini chanting with Snatam Kaur, another short […]

The post Interfaith Voices first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is for those of you who don’t play an instrument but would like to gather in satsang to sing kirtan. It’s structured much like our Friday night kirtan here in Corvallis, and the chants are ones we love to sing in our satsang. You could get a few of your friends together […]

The post Songs For The Soul first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I really loved doing this interview with Jen Canfield of the Call & Response Foundation & Ian Boccio of the Atlanta kirtan community & the kirtan band Blue Spirit Wheel, and it kicks off a new direction for the podcast. I’ve felt deeply drawn to creating community lately because I feel community is what will […]

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This edition of the podcast is a rich Fresh Tracks set, and as it worked out several of the artists featured in the set will be playing at Omega Fall Ecstatic Chant this weekend, so I’m happy to give them a shout-out! We start with the Hanumen’s ‘Invocation’, the Chaitanya mantra from the CD ‘Acoustic […]

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This week’s set is based on one released in 2013 that is by far the most downloaded of our podcasts over at Soundcloud — it also came from a desire I had to create a setlist that affirms power & prosperity. The chants in the set are from the incredibly rich Kundalini tradition. It starts […]

The post More Mantras For Prosperity first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m still glowing from the beautiful experience of seeing Deva Premal & Miten with Manose in Portland last week. Several members of our satsang were there, including the two friends who won the tickets in the giveaway. We were admitted to the hall early to hear their soundcheck and this interview was recorded backstage at […]

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Our set this week is based on one our satsang group loved several weeks ago. The selections are from a group of chants called Shanti Mantras or Peace Mantras, the Hindu prayers for Peace (Shanti) found in the Upanishads. The chants this week are only a few of them, and they’re potent. We have offerings […]

The post The Shanti Mantras first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

In this week’s episode I’ll tell you all about my current obsessions — physical therapy & narrating the beautiful book ‘Sid’ by Zen master Anita Feng. I’ll also let you know about my big idea of featuring stories of local kirtan communities on the podcast! As you all know, community is the heart of kirtan, […]

The post Jai Uttal and The Story of Hanuman first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is to honor the Divine Mother, the force behind the new life bursting forth all around us as Earth returns to the light. I can also feel this force re-awakening in me as I recover from spinal surgery — it’s as though my body is coming back to life. I’m so trying […]

The post It’s Spring. Jai Ma! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

About two months ago I stepped away from the podcast for surgery to remove a tumor from my spine. I’m happy to be back with the best possible news — the tumor was benign and I didn’t lose any nerve function. In the introduction to this edition of the podcast I’ll tell you about the […]

The post Fresh Tracks, Fresh Start first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

In the essay “Be the Bison” from Gopi Kallayil’s wonderful book “From the Internet to the Inner-net’ he writes that “when the swift & brutal winter storms strike in the valleys & mountains of Montana, the wind starts howling & heavy snow covers the ground. All the wild animals flee before the storm — except […]

The post The One About Being A Bison first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It took me a while to get to a place where felt I could do this podcast. Two weeks ago many of us thought we would be electing the first woman president and … we didn’t. That was bad, but would have been bearable except for the large uptick of cruel remarks and racial incidents […]

The post Be The Lighthouse first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I don’t know about you but at this point in our election I feel like I need a psychic shower. The toxicity is stressing us out, and there’s nowhere to escape the election because everyone is talking about it. This week’s podcast will help you to accomplish both the psychic clearing and (with headphones) the […]

The post The 2016 Election Care Package first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I so totally love Miten’s new CD ‘Temple at Midnight’ — we sang several of the chants this year at Fall Omega Ecstatic Chant, and I’ve had the CD on repeat prior to this week’s interview. It was hard to pick a favorite song, so I’m glad I was able to feature a good number […]

The post A Conversation With Miten first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week I’m back from a wonderful vacation on the East coast where I was blessed to attend the first Lovelight Yoga & Arts Festival in Darlington, MD and Omega Fall Ecstatic Chant in Rhinebeck, NY. The events were very different, and I loved them both — I’ll tell you about it in this week’s […]

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In the last podcast I shared that I was suffering through another back spasm, and since then many of you have written about back spasms with your stories and suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to share these with me — so many people suffer from this ailment. I thought I’d share with you […]

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This episode is a Fresh Tracks set, but it should be called The Return of the Back Spasm … Ugh. Although it’s been going on for several weeks the spasm hasn’t been as bad this time and I learned a few things from the last one — I’ll tell you about the journey in this […]

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This week’s podcast is an interview with Wynne Paris, director & producer of the Lovelight Yoga & Arts Festival, held in Darlington, Maryland August 26-28. There’s lots going on, and the kirtan lineup is stellar, starting with Krishna Das and Trevor Hall. The venue also sounds amazing, and it’s going to be a great weekend […]

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When I was looking over the results of the recent New World Kirtan listener survey I noticed lots of interest in local kirtan, and several of you expressed an interest in starting a band in your community. This week’s podcast will help you get started. Here’s a link to a songbook with chord charts, it […]

The post Let’s Play Kirtan! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This podcast is the third and last of the series about where Western kirtan is headed, and features the second part of my conversation with Jai Uttal & Ben Leinbach that began in Part 2. We’ll also talk with Nina Rao, and she’ll tell us her view of the current kirtan scene, what happened with […]

The post Where Is Western Kirtan Headed? Conversations With Kirtan Leaders, Part 3. first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The next two podcasts will be released back to back, and they continue the conversation about where Western kirtan is headed. Creative artists today are facing unprecedented challenges, and our kirtan musicians are being deprived of income because of the growth of streaming. How can we turn this around in our kirtan community and support […]

The post Where Is Western Kirtan Headed? Conversations With Kirtan Leaders, Part 2. first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

There’s nothing better than a good blast of Bhakti love, and the Hanuman Festival next weekend would be the perfect place to get you some. It’s happening June 9-12 in Boulder, CO and in this week’s show we talk to David Newman who is headlining. It’s always a pleasure to speak with David, and hope […]

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I don’t repeat podcasts very often, but the Fresh Tracks shows are an exception. Fresh Tracks are podcasts with all new chants, and sometimes I bring them back because so often they deserve another listen. This week’s show posted about a year ago, and it has some of my very favorites. I hope you enjoy […]

The post Fresh Tracks Redux 2 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s show begins a series of interviews on where Western kirtan is headed. The topic is serendipitous, and came about because of a conversation I had several months ago with Dave Stringer & Madi Das — I was interviewing them because their CD ‘Bhakti Without Borders’ was nominated for a Grammy this year. During […]

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This week’s New World Kirtan Podcast explores the deeper meaning of the Gayatri Mantra, one of the oldest & most powerful mantras in existence. Here’s a simple translation: “O Divine Mother, our hearts are filled with darkness. Please make this darkness distant from us and promote illumination within us.” The Gayatri is a prayer to […]

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Last week I found myself waiting for the results of a biopsy. If you’ve been in a similar position you can probably relate — the compulsive checking for THE CALL, waking up at 3AM with mind racing. It was a great lesson to show how much work I have to do to control where my […]

The post Deep Sleep first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I met Reb Drew, the Kirtan Rabbi, several years ago. Chanting in Hebrew was a new experience for me, but to my surprise it took me to the same place chanting in Sanskrit did. Rabbi Hahn travels extensively to bring Hebrew Kirtan, Jewish meditation and Torah learning to Jewish institutions and Yoga studios around the […]

The post A Conversation With The Kirtan Rabbi first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

30 Fresh Tracks sets — that’s some kind of milestone! I love introducing new artists and new offerings from our favorite artists so these sets are special to me — #30 is no exception. The CDs featured in this show had so many great tracks it was really hard to make these choices, but the […]

The post Fresh Tracks 30 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s a pretty special night at the Grammys when members of our kirtan family are nominated! In this edition of the New World Kirtan Podcast artist Madi Das & producer Dave Stringer talk about the vision behind their CD ‘Bhakti Without Borders‘ nominated for a Grammy for best New Age album. A truly international CD, […]

The post Madi Das & Dave Stringer Go to the Grammys first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

About a year ago I was in terrible pain from a back spasm that ultimately became a spiritual journey. I did some of the hardest & deepest work of my life during that back spasm, and many of the chants from this week’s set were on repeat in my playlist this time last year. Since […]

The post Divine Healing first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is based on one we sang with our Kirtan/Meditation Group at Winter Solstice. It’s many variations on the chant “Om Asatoma Sad Gamaya Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.” This means “Lead me from the unreal to the real, Lead me from the darkness to the light, […]

The post Return of the Light first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Winter Solstice is always special to me because it marks the anniversary of the launch of the New World Kirtan Podcast. It hardly seems possible that it has been seven years, and that many of you have been with me since the beginning of this journey. The podcast is produced for you, and it has […]

The post Surprise Package 2 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

One beautiful day last month my son Jesse & I drove up from San Rafael to Ben Leinbach’s studio where Jai Uttal was just beginning work on his next CD. The four of us had such a fun conversation about all kinds of things — what Jai was for Halloween, letting children go, his thoughts […]

The post A Conversation with Jai Uttal & Ben Leinbach first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Our show this week features an interview with Vijay Krsna of the Kirtaniyas. Vijay is a rising star in the kirtan movement, and I loved his stories of ashrams, Krishna & Vrindavan. Here’s a link to the chant “In Vrindavan” he talks about on the podcast. And here’s a link to the wonderfully joyous video […]

The post A Conversation with Vijay Krsna of the Kirtaniyas first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The last few months I’ve been going to the gym a lot — that back spasm last winter scared the beejeezus out of me, so working out has become a priority. But now autumn is coming on and lethargy is setting in. I mostly listen to other people’s podcasts at the gym, but when I […]

The post Best of Dance Dance Evolution first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

In our last podcast I told you about beginning a Community Kirtan here in Corvallis. Our first was on a Friday night two weeks ago — that afternoon yet another mass shooting occurred about 100 miles south of us at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. In this week’s show I’ll tell you what that Friday […]

The post Creating Success With Ganesh first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] This Friday we’re giving something a shot here in Corvallis — something I learned from Chantlanta & have always wanted to try. We’re asking members of our kirtan community who play instruments to bring them on Friday night — we’ll provide the chord charts & everyone will get to play kirtan together! If it […]

The post A Community Kirtan! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m back from vacation with a new Fresh Tracks set! This one features some different offerings — an Island-influenced Krishna chant from the Hanumen, an African chant from Shantala, the beautiful flow of Jahnavi Harrison’s voice, Sufi chanting with HuDost, dance grooves with Donna DeLory, a sweet version of ‘Long Time Sun’ with Tina Malia, […]

The post Fresh Tracks 29 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Several weeks ago I had a really great chat with my sweet friend, Midwest kirtan wallah Ragani. We got to talking about an experience I just had leading kirtan with my band at a local church. I’ve suffered from stage fright most of my life, and to my horror it came up again that day […]

The post The One Where Kitzie & Ragani Talk About Leading Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s show is the next edition on our series on the deities with yoga mantrica Ian Boccio of Blue Spirit Wheel. I learned a lot about Lakshmi & Saraswati, and how they’re related to Ganesha — the three together form a trio that can be helpful in navigating the waters of prosperity & wisdom about […]

The post Lakshmi, Saraswati & Ganesha — The Householders Trinity first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Ahhh, Fresh Tracks sets — how I do love you. I’ve been listening to new kirtan CDs for weeks and as always I’m so impressed by the talent working in the Bhakti Yoga movement. When I was in Bermuda a dear member of their kirtan community introduced me to ‘Kabballah Kirtan’ by Yofiya, and the […]

The post Fresh Tracks 28 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Don’t know why, but every once in a while Krishna Das is the only artist I want on my playlist. I’m in one of those moods now, and thought I’d put a quick setlist of my current favorites together for your 4th of July enjoyment. Our next show is an interview with Ian Boccio about […]

The post Fireworks with Krishna Das first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Lately I’ve been sort of obsessed with the Gayatri Mantra. According to Hindu mythology the Gayatri came into being at the very beginning of the Universe — it’s a prayer to the sun and invokes spiritual light. For thousands of years it was a closely guarded secret, so powerful it was withheld from women & […]

The post Light of the Sun — The Gayatri first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This is the second in our podcast series of Kirtan/Meditation Circles — the idea is you can customize these sets and use them for your own practice or as a kirtan/meditation circle with your friends. These chants are some of our favorites, and we sing them frequently in the Friday Kirtan/Meditation Circle we have here […]

The post Kirtan/Meditation Circle 2 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Have you ever been to Bermuda? I’m back from my first trip to this incredibly beautiful island, and in this week’s show I’ll tell you about my experience attending OM Fest — a weekend of deep loving connection. The Bermuda kirtan community — what a bunch of sweet loving souls they are. Here’s a picture […]

The post Singing Kirtan with Tree Frogs — OM Fest in Bermuda first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

My inbox is absolutely stuffed with new kirtan — good thing I’m taking a trip! This weekend I’ll be in Bermuda for OM Fest with Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band, David Newman & the beautiful sweet souls of the Bermuda kirtan community. I’m staying at Spirit House, and although I won’t be recording […]

The post Fresh Tracks 27 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This one is for the sweet listeners I met at Chantlanta who told me the Dance Dance Evolution sets get them to the gym. Me too! As dance sets go, this one is fairly mellow, but it got me moving today. Hope you like it also. Until next time my friends — Namaste.

The post Dance Dance Dance Evolution 3 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This conversation with Sean Johnson was recorded way back in December before Christmas. I’d intended to release it sometime in January, but then came the epic back spasm — and so here we are. But with perfect synchronicity, Sean tells me toward the end of the interview that he & David Newman will be going […]

The post A Conversation with Sean Johnson of the Wild Lotus Band first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]HuDost, a Neo Folk World Rock Ensemble from Montreal and Nashville, is a unique band. I first saw them at Bhakti Fest West last year where they had the distinction of being the first band to bring a Sufi dancer on stage — it was mesmerizing. HuDost’s core musicians are Moksha Sommer and Jemal […]

The post HuDost Live at Chantlanta 2015 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

When Dave Stringer sent me the Radiance Sutra material last year I wondered what would be created musically around these beautiful translations of the Sanskrit text by Lorin Roche. You’ll hear that musical creation in this interview, and the CD Elixer has been released and is now available for sale. It was fun to hear […]

The post Dave Stringer & Donna De Lory Talk Radiance Sutras first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Last month when I interviewed Ian Boccio about the deity Kali, little did I know I was about to have an up-close and personal encounter. Look at the picture — would you like to meet something that looks like that? Kali’s warrior energy uncovers and destroys ego-related nasties that hide deep in your psyche and […]

The post Mata Kali — Back Spasm Warrior Goddess first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We’ve started something new here in Corvallis. Our local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is sponsoring a weekly kirtan/meditation circle that has been drawing upwards of 20-30 people. We usually have a mix of chanting, live and to CDs, a short talk on Bhakti — we’ve been using a lecture Krishna Das did at Bhakti Fest in […]

The post Kirtan/Meditation Circle 1 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s show started out being about the Kali Yuga — otherwise known as the Age of Quarrel — and ended up being about an epic back spasm that, thanks to the work of Dr. John Sarno, took me on an unexpected & deeply emotional ride. It’s a story about the power of the mind, […]

The post Cure Your Kali Yuga Blues first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Shiva has always been a difficult deity energy for me to get my mind around. He is both the creator and the destroyer — what’s that about? After doing this interview with Blue Spirit Wheel’s Ian Boccio, I can now hold this deity in a different place — he’s still elusive but what he represents is […]

The post Shiva’s Dance of Creation & Destruction first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Happy New Year, and welcome 2015 — I hope you all had a beautiful holiday! It’s a favorite time of the year for me, and a highlight this year was our annual Christmas Eve family kirtan, where our band was blessed to play with several of our family members. If you’d like to see pictures […]

The post Fresh Tracks 26 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Tonight is Winter Solstice, and it’s also the 6th anniversary of the launch of the podcast. This has been a beautiful path of seva for me, a joyous circle of giving and receiving. If you’re reading this, or if you’re a listener I want to say thank you. My life has been enriched by you, […]

The post The Great Invocation first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week we continue our ‘Visions of the Deities Through Sacred Chant’ series with Ian Boccio as we explore the energy of Ganesha, the beloved remover of obstacles. The show features Ian & I talking for about a half hour, followed by chants to Ganesha by Kristin Luna Ray & Blue Spirit Wheel. At the […]

The post Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while you know that the kirtan community here in Corvallis started with a group of us singing to CDs — the set lists from those Sunday evening satsangs formed the play list for the first year of the podcast. Fast forward five years and last Saturday […]

The post A Thankful Heart first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week at the top of the podcast we have the recipe for a yummy tulsi chai tea concentrate that you can make either iced or hot — SO good on a cold morning. It’s based on the bulk tulsi teas from Organic India, I use the Tulsi Chai Masala & sometimes the Tulsi Ginger to […]

The post Calling Out to Hungry Hearts, Words & Music by Krishna Das first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Dance Dance Evolution. Because every once in a while you just want to dance your way into the Lightness of Being. Until next week dear friends.

The post Dance Dance Evolution 2 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I met Blue Spirit Wheel’s Ian Boccio when he came through town several years ago setting up the band’s first tour. We had coffee, and have been friends ever since. Based in Atlanta, Ian is the creative director of the annual ChantLanta Sacred Music Festival and a mantra yogin — as such he travels the […]

The post Darshan: Visions of the Deities through Sacred Chant with Ian Boccio first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This is our TWENTY FIFTH Fresh Tracks set. I find that a bit hard to believe, hence the shouting. What a musical feast that number 25 represents! For the artists a cornucopia of hopes, dreams, and development — both spiritual & musical. For us an always changing landscape of Bhakti deliciousness to help expand our […]

The post Fresh Tracks 25 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The ‘Let’s Play Kirtan’ series is for those of you who have an instrument and would like to accompany yourself as you chant. The chants in the sets are ones our band covers, and below you’ll find a link to the charts so you can accompany yourself or put your own kirtan band together. Have […]

The post Let’s Play Kirtan III first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

One of the best things about 5-years of producing the podcast is the huge file I’ve accumulated of my all-time favorite kirtan chants. The show this week features some of these chants — the ones that play in the background as I drive my car or cook dinner, even as I swim. They’re my best […]

The post Surprise Package first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week we have the second of the sets recorded at Bhakti Fest West 2014 — Donna De Lory’s Sunday evening dance party that ended the festival. The mood goes from danceable to exquisite — the duets with Hans Christian — back to danceable then more exquisite — the surprise duet with Krishna Das, and […]

The post Donna De Lory Live at Bhakti Fest West 2014 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m almost finished listening to the recordings made at this year’s Bhakti Fest, and I’m happy to let you know that Donna De Lory’s great set at this year’s festival will be our podcast for next week. As a companion to that show I thought you might enjoy a re-run of a conversation I had […]

The post A Conversation With Donna De Lory first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s podcast is very different from our usual Bhakti Fest wrap-up, and it’s because this year I had a very different experience at the festival. All weekend I recorded live updates from Bhakti Fest for Soul Traveller Radio, an Internet radio station based in Australia playing conscious music 24/7. These updates were featured all […]

The post Memories of Bhakti Fest West 2014 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

At long last the time has come to pack our bags and head to Joshua Tree, CA for Bhakti Fest. For a lot of us who go to the festival it’s an annual pilgrimage, a chance to connect with old friends and make new ones. It has always been a special time for me — […]

The post Bhakti Fest West 2014 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Years ago I was doing Yoga to a CD by Shiva Rea, when I heard a voice on the soundtrack singing words that were unfamiliar to me. The voice was so pure & compelling I had to pause the CD to find out who was singing and what was being sung. The singer was Deva Premal, […]

The post A Conversation with Deva Premal & Miten first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We’ve just gotten back from our annual visit to Cape Cod, and the introduction to this week’s podcast was recorded by the lake at my mother-in-law’s home. The lake has become a source of renewal for me — I look forward to seeing it every year. It gives us a lot of joy, and I’ve […]

The post Fresh Tracks 24 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week we pick up where we left off with Jai Uttal in this second part of our conversation, listen to Part 1 here. Jai has lots of great insights about our Bhakti Yoga practice, and a wonderful story about Hari Guna Gao, a chant on his new CD Return To Shiva Station. I hope […]

The post Jai Uttal’s Kirtan Camp — and other stuff (Part 2) first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Last week Jai Uttal & I had a conversation that started out to be about his kirtan camp, but turned down many other delightful & insightful roads. This week’s show is Part 1 of that conversation, next week we’ll have Part 2. This week we talk about his kirtan camp, about confidence & the safety […]

The post Jai Uttal’s Kirtan Camp — and other stuff first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

If you like to dance but can’t stay up for the late night dance parties, this week’s show is for you. It’s a Club Divine dance set played by DJ Taz at Bhakti Fest Midwest last month and features improvisation by Saul David Raye, Jim Beckwith, Stephanie Schwartz & Mike Cohen, flute by Brooks Blanchard. The title […]

The post Namaste Nation: Club Divine with DJ Taz LIVE at Bhakti Fest Midwest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This one should be titled “The Year We Moved Inside.” Because of heavy wind & thunderstorms the decision was made on Wednesday to move the entire festival, vendors and all, inside to the Arena at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. What a gargantuan task! Big upps to the Bhakti Fest staff and crew who handled […]

The post Bhakti Fest Midwest 2014 Wrap-Up first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Any time is a good time to sing with Krishna Das, but singing with him live is the best. This is the set he and his great band played for us last Saturday night at Bhakti Fest Midwest — if you like what you hear please consider going to see the man live. It might change your life. […]

The post Krishna Das LIVE at Bhakti Fest Midwest 2014 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

David Newman or Durga Das, is a kirtan chant artist, sacred singer songwriter, best-selling author & inspirational teacher. His music is deeply joyful, and I always feel good when I’m playing or singing it. David & I talked about his music, his new book The Timebound Traveler and the things coming up he’s excited about. […]

The post A Conversation With David Newman first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Bhakti Fest Midwest is right around the corner, and this week’s set features artists who hold down the Midwest scene — it’s a kirtan hotbed! We’ll be gathering in Madison, WI Friday June 20-Sunday June 22 and day passes are now available for $108. The schedule is up, and Krishna Das is playing Saturday night […]

The post Bhakti Fest Midwest Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] There’s nothing I like more than loading new kirtan CDs into my phone, putting on headphones and going out for a walk — I know it will be one that’s filled with musical surprises. This week’s set made for a fun walk, and has great new chants by artists old and new to the […]

The post Fresh Tracks 23 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s podcast first posted back in April 2012, and is one of our most downloaded shows. I hope you enjoy this blast from the past my friends. Until next week — Namaste. “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” is the Adi Mantra. Translated “I bow to the Creative Wisdom, I bow to the Divine Teacher, it is chanted […]

The post Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This set was inspired by a walk I took last week. As I was walking ‘He Ma Durga’, the Donna De Lory chant in this week’s set came up, and I became so aware of the great power of Ma bursting forth all around us at this time of year. It’s the power of the life force […]

The post Jai Jai Ma! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Gina Sala is a vocalist, composer, music director, sound healer and teacher from Seattle. Her love of the human voice has taken her to performing and studying throughout much of the world — she’s performed at the US Pentagon, the US Capital, the United Nations and she was a principal singer for Cirque du Soleil’s […]

The post A Conversation With Gina Sala first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Shakti Fest, the beautiful spring celebration of the Bhav at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, occurs next weekend — and for the first time in several years I won’t be there. I’ll tell you why in the podcast, but like a lot of you I’ll miss springtime in the desert, and the beautiful community who will […]

The post Shakti Fest 2014 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s podcast is a solid hour of the mantra Om, which is not so much a word as “rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species.” When we chant Om we align our body/mind/Spirit, and we align with each other when we chant Om together. The […]

The post The Power of Om first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Do you love kirtan, wish you could play it but have no musical experience? Do you have a kirtan band & want to get better at playing & leading the chants? Then you’d love Dave Stringer’s Kirtan Flight School. I attended the workshop back in February after the Denver Chant Fest, and it was a […]

The post What’s A Kirtan Flight School? first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s podcast is another that features a guided meditation at the beginning, followed by chants that continue the mood. We’re featuring relaxation this week, something we can all use a little more of! Our guided meditation is from Ramdesh Kaur’s ‘Journey Into Stillness’, followed by a chant for protection by Deva Premal, and chants invoking […]

The post Deep Chill first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

If someone had told me back in 2009 that in 5-years I’d be writing a blog post about Dave Stringer’s kirtan concert in Corvallis I would have thought they were crazy. In April 2009 when the podcast ‘Live Kirtan Rocks Big Time’ first posted I had never been to a live kirtan — the show […]

The post Dave Stringer Comes To Corvallis first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The Fresh Tracks sets are my favorite shows to produce. It’s exciting to hear new offerings from artists I’m familiar with, and others from unknown artists that blossom as delightful surprises. This week’s set features new chants from MC Yogi, David Newman, Sheela Bringi, Ragani, Manika Kaur, Irene Solea, Amy & the Ananda Bliss Tribe — and […]

The post Fresh Tracks 22 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s podcast has a few surprises. There’s a different format — it starts with a meditation on abundance with a chant to Lakshmi from Deva Premal & Miten’s 21-Day Mantra Meditation. That’s followed by more chants to Lakshmi from various artists to continue the vibration of abundance — a few surprises there too. Deva & […]

The post Jai Maha Lakshmi first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Since starting down the path of Bhakti Yoga I’ve been blessed with many magical moments, and Jai Uttal’s kirtan Saturday night at the Denver Chant Fest was one of them. Jai’s kirtans are always different, always an alchemy with him, his musicians and the audience. There’s just no one like Jai. That night in Denver he […]

The post Jai Uttal LIVE at the Denver Chant Fest 2014 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The Pushpams (Sanskrit for a ceremonial offering of flowers) are a kirtan group local to Denver, and they played a great set two weeks ago at the Denver Chant Fest. The Pushpams are a fairly new band, but the members are veteran musicians & yogis with a sound that features strong vocals & rhythm. I […]

The post The Pushpams LIVE at the Denver Chant Fest 2014 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The Denver Chant Fest followed by Dave Stringer’s Flight School was a warm blast of mid-winter Bhakti in grey, cold February. Both were incredible experiences, and I’ll tell you about them in this week’s show. For those of us at the Flight School who were fascinated by Dave’s talk on the neurophysiology of chanting, here’s […]

The post Deepak & the Breath of Life Tribe LIVE at the Denver Chant Fest 2014 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

When Dave Stringer sent me the Radiance Sutra material several months ago I wondered what would be created musically around these beautiful translations of the Sanskrit text by Lorin Roche. You’ll hear that musical creation in this interview, and it was fun to hear how excited Dave & Donna De Lory are about the material […]

The post Dave Stringer & Donna De Lory Talk Radiance Sutras first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We had such a stellar time at the Denver Chant Fest last year. The festival is held in a Masonic temple built in 1906 — the Sherman Street Event Center. It’s filled with Arts & Craft detail & Moorish character — the elevator alone is worth the trip. Live kirtan happens in the theater on […]

The post Denver Chant Fest 2014! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] It’s hard to believe it has been a year since our beloved Shyamdas left his body. This week’s podcast is a return to the tribute we did last year right after his death, and listening to the introduction took me right back to the disbelief & grief that rocked our kirtan community after he […]

The post Remembering Shyamdas first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This is the first podcast to feature all new music from Kundalini artists, and there are some beautiful offerings here. I especially loved Krishna Kaur’s CD, and if you’re wondering if that voice backing her up is familiar — you’re right! Click here to find out who it is. The Denver Chant Fest is coming […]

The post Kundalini Fresh Tracks first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Nina Rao tours with Krishna Das, and has been his assistant since the early 90’s — she also leads kirtan on her own, and has a new CD “Antarayaami“. Nina has been involved since the beginning of the Bhakti Yoga movement in the United States, and we talk about her chanting roots in India, how her […]

The post A Conversation With Nina Rao first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s show has the music to get you up and dancing through your last minute holiday errands and into the New Year — it’s also the last podcast of 2013. Our first show in 2014 will be an interview with Nina Rao, longtime assistant to Krishna Das and kirtan wallah in her own right. […]

The post Dance Dance Evolution first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s the holidays, we’re making “unwise nutritional choices”, and it’s cold — who wants to exercise? Well, this is the set to get you out the door. Let’s take a walk with some great kirtan music, your body will thank you for it in January! With the snow we had last week I wasn’t able […]

The post Walking With Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week we have another set of new music from artists familiar and brand new, and there’s more to come — the next Fresh Tracks will be from Kundalini artists! It’s official — New World Kirtan will be at the Denver Chant Fest on Valentine’s Day weekend with live-streaming, interviews and podcasts of the performances. […]

The post Fresh Tracks 21 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Lord Shiva, “he who is oblivious to the world“, is the most powerful of the Hindu deities. He is known as the destroyer, and is believed to be at the core of the centrifugal force of the Universe. Shiva, with Brahma (the creator) & Vishnu (the preserver) are the three Godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Lord Shiva is […]

The post OM Shiva first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 Raghu Marcus I’m […]

The post Fresh Tracks 20 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 back and remember where […]

The post Sunday Satsang (Blast From the Past) first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 mantra is good medicine — but […]

The post The Get Real Set first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 that is taking your energy at the moment. I found it to […]

The post Feeding Your Demons Meditation first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 Feeding Your Demons meditation coming […]

The post Fresh Tracks 19 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 closely I could hear how Sean, Gwendolyn & Alvin poured […]

The post Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band at Bhakti Fest 2013 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 you why it was so unique for […]

The post Bhakti Fest 2013 Wrap Up — The Year It Rained first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 other techniques. I watched & recorded his intensive after the Denver Chant Fest last […]

The post A Conversation With Saul David Raye first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 the last few months. In the process something interesting […]

The post The Hanuman Chalisa: Entering the Flow of Grace first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 Kundalini tradition, and can be sung or played in the background as […]

The post Mantras For A Prosperous Life first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 Band, at Bhakti Fest Midwest last month and it seemed all […]

The post A Conversation With GuruGanesha Singh first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 name-your-price digital download, you can find it […]

The post Mantra Alchemy with Vijay Krsna of the Kirtaniyas first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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.

The post Bhakti Fest Midwest Wrap-Up first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 help you re-live the magic of that beautiful afternoon in Madison — […]

The post David Newman Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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. The crowd was […]

The post GuruGanesha Band Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

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 growing kirtan […]

The post A Conversation With Mike Cohen first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Here in Corvallis we just had a Solstice weekend jam-packed full of great kirtan. Atlanta-based Blue Spirit Wheel played a Yoga class & a kirtan concert as part of their six-week tour, which includes a set Saturday noon at Midwest Bhakti Fest. The band stayed with us, and it was such a great time — […]

The post Blue Spirit Wheel Live In Corvallis first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The delightful Ms. Ragani & I have some history. When I first started singing kirtan, the Yoga teacher used CDs. We chanted to a lot of different artists, Indian & American. One evening the teacher played a new artist, and my eyes kept being drawn to the image of the woman on the CD cover. […]

The post Laughing With Ragani first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’ve heard Dave Stringer perform live numerous times, and several things continue to impress me — his energy (off the charts), his sharp wit, the power of his vocals and his musicality. Each set is different — this time he did a version of Saraswati Ma that kicked it up with amazing fiddle playing by Samuel Salsbury. It was […]

The post Dave Stringer Live at Shakti Fest 2013 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

After a festival like Shakti Fest, returning to the world takes a while. Always I feel as though the cells in my body have been shaken up & put back together in a different way, and it takes time to integrate this new way of being into the flow of daily life. This year we stayed […]

The post Shakti Fest 2013 Wrap-Up first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Donna De Lory loves to dance — on stage she is a whirling dervish, literally dancing through her entire set. Her harmonium is on a stand, so she never has to sit down. It’s also a kinesthetic activity for the listener, because it’s impossible to watch her and not want to dance too. Raised in […]

The post A Conversation With Donna De Lory first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

At long last, it’s here. The time when those of us who hear Joshua Tree calling throughout the winter can pack our bags and go to the desert to reconnect with the Bhav we find there. Shakti Fest is happening next week, May 17-19, and it’s a celebration of the Divine Feminine — reflected in […]

The post Shakti Fest 2013 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The first time I saw Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe perform at Bhakti Fest my eyebrows were about singed off with the energy. Larisa’s unique blend of mantra-infused rock is designed to “wake, shift, shake and lift humanity” , and it certainly had that effect on the Bhakti Fest audience. This year Larisa & the […]

The post A Conversation With Larisa Stow first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Years ago I was doing Yoga to a CD by Shiva Rea, and the background music caught my attention. It was the the purity of the voice — who was the artist and what was she singing? That was my first exposure to chant, and also to Deva Premal’s Gayatri Mantra. Deva is now a […]

The post The One That’s All Deva Premal and Miten first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Krishna Das. As a singer I appreciate the deep resonance of his voice — it’s an amazing instrument. But it’s more than that. His voice is a mighty river, and when you enter the flow Krishna Das will take you to the place deep in your heart […]

The post Calling Out To Hungry Hearts — Words & Music by Krishna Das first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set brings us back to the magic of the Denver Chant Fest. C.C. White was the picture of grace & beauty that night — she had just lost several people close to her — Shyamdas & her father — but called on her enormous strength & talent to touch each of us with […]

The post C.C.White LIVE at the Denver Chant Fest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The Fresh Tracks sets are my opportunity to introduce you to new kirtan artists, and new offerings from established kirtan artists. This week’s set has a bit of both — please enjoy the offering. Namaste, dear ones. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Om Sarve Shaam Beth Martens The Soul’s Voice Gyan […]

The post Fresh Tracks 18 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Last month at the Denver Chant Fest, Dr. Manoj Chalam and his wife Jyothi captivated a roomful of attendees with their lecture on the symbolism of Hindu & Buddhist deities and their relevance in our lives today. I recorded this on the fly — so my apologies if the sound isn’t the best. The Durga murti I […]

The post Dr. Manoj Chalam On the Deities first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Durga. She is one powerful goddess. Later this week I’ll be posting the talk on the deities given by Dr. Manoj Chalam last month at the Denver Chant Fest. His murti of Durga practically leaped off the table at me during that talk, and now here she sits, riding her lion, giving me inspiration and courage throughout […]

The post He Ma Durga first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Atlanta had it’s very own kirtan festival last weekend! The ChantLanta Sacred Music Festival has been bringing the Bhav to the South for four years, and this year Krishna Das & Wynne Paris were the headliners. Several local groups were also featured, and executive producer/Blue Spirit Wheel member Ian Boccio was kind enough to provide me with […]

The post ChantLanta! Peace, Love and Kirtan in the South first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Listening to this podcast took me right back to the magic of the Denver Chant Fest. I recorded a lot of great material — C.C. White rocked the house, the floor was literally shaking with people dancing during her set. I can’t wait for you all to hear THAT one, it will post some time […]

The post Jai Uttal LIVE at the Denver Chant Fest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Dave Stringer’s set on Friday night opened the Denver Chant Fest, and is the first of the live podcasts I’ll be posting from last weekend. Live sound is always a bit of a challenge, and we were still trying to figure it all out — please consider this a blanket apology for any glitches. The live […]

The post Dave Stringer LIVE at the Denver Chant Fest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

In Part 2 of our conversation, Jai Uttal & I chat about why he loves to do kirtan with children, and a surprise … why he found it so difficult to sing for the first part of his musical career. Jai is doing a workshop for children on Saturday afternoon at the Denver Chant Fest, […]

The post New World Kirtan Talks With Jai Uttal, Part II first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Govindas & Radha are a husband and wife team who lead kirtan concerts, Bhakti Yoga workshops & transformative retreats throughout the world. They also own the Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica, a hub for kirtan events in California. I’m looking forward to their set at the Denver Chant Fest on Saturday morning, and I’ll […]

The post New World Kirtan Talks with Govindas & Radha first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Dave Stringer has been a big supporter of the New World Kirtan podcast almost from the beginning of the show. He invited me to my first live kirtan in Portland, and we share a vision of live audio streaming uniting the multinational kirtan community. Dave is blessed with a sharp intelligence and a genial manner, […]

The post New World Kirtan Talks With Dave Stringer first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This was a tough one to produce. Shyamdas was a bright light in our kirtan community, showing us the way of the true Bhakti. Teacher, singer, friend, kirtan gangsta, he left this life last Friday night in a motorcycle accident just a few weeks shy of his 60th birthday. The Maha Mantra he led at […]

The post A Tribute to Shyamdas first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’ve always admired Jai Uttal as a musician, and he was pure pleasure to interview for the Denver Chant Fest. Here is Part 1 of our conversation.

The post New World Kirtan Talks With Jai Uttal Part 1 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Nataraj is the dancing form of Lord Shiva. Usually you see this depicted in bronze as the god Shiva dancing in a circle of flames with his foot crushing a demon that symbolizes ignorance. It is said that Shiva can dance gently or violently — these are just two aspects of Shiva’s nature, for he […]

The post Nataraj, the Dancing Shiva first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’ve been looking forward to this one! It’s the first set of the New Year, my birthday, and also the start of a new phase for New World Kirtan. After 5 successful years, we’re ready to expand. Our vision is to spread the word far and wide about this magical music, and so this year New […]

The post Fresh Tracks 17 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s December 21, 2012 and could the day be more auspicious? It’s the winter solstice, the end of the Mayan calendar, and New World Kirtan’s 5th Birthday! I’ve been compiling our end-of-the-year statistics, and the podcast is now being downloaded almost 8 thousand times each month. The Bhakti Fest podcasts alone were downloaded over 12 […]

The post Shift Happens first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is filled with the music of kirtan artists from Canada. Enjoy! SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om OM Wade Imre Morissette Maha Moha: The Great Delusion Hare Ram Lila Myth and Myrrh Krishna Gayatri Swaha Bolo Govinda Gopala Swaha Bolo Sita Ram Brenda McMorrow Love Abounds Fly Away (Govinda […]

The post Oh Canada! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s Thanksgiving once again, time to savor and give thanks for the good, the bad and the ugly in our beautifully messy lives. I have much to be thankful for, but this one is all about appreciating you. I’m thankful for you, dear listener. You have enriched my life in ways too numerous for me […]

The post Sleepytime first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Running used to be a passion of mine. I ran for years, usually to music, and loved it. Running has since been replaced with swimming & Yoga, and I love my new routine too. If I was running these days, I’d be running to kirtan for sure. Now you’ll get to do it for me, […]

The post Running With Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This set originally ran on Election Night 2010, and it was a great distraction from the electoral shenanigans. I’m posting early tonight in the hope that it will help you remember what is Real through this Election Night 2012. Namaste, dear friends. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om People Get Ready Spring […]

The post Kirtan For Election Night II first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This podcast is dedicated with love to all those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The set this week takes me back to the warmth of the weather and the open hearts of Bhakti Fest. These are the treasures from the second batch of CDs brought back from Joshua Tree, and listening to them is being there […]

The post Fresh Tracks 16 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The chants from this week’s podcast invoke Tara, the Goddess of Peace & Protection. Tara appears in virtually every culture on Earth, and represents the Mother Creator — the eternal force that fuels all of life. The Tara mantra is widely used in Tibetan Buddhism, and it’s very useful because it helps to calm our fears […]

The post Invoking Tara first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s election season once again, and here in the United States we have been subjected to a constant barrage of poisonous political ads for months. It’s hard to stay isolated from the negativity, but this week’s podcast may help you remember what is real. We’re all connected, and our happiness cannot be separated from the […]

The post The One For Peace first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set comes from the treasure trove of new music I brought back from Bhakti Fest. There’s plenty to love here from artists old & new, enjoy! SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Gopi Lullaby Kirtaniyas Heart & Soul Maha Laxmi (featuring Jaya Sashidhar) Wynne Paris Jai Ma: White Swan Yoga […]

The post Fresh Tracks 15 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The music for this week’s set came about in a beautiful way. When I was in the midst of caregiving for my Mom I received a message on Facebook from two listeners who live in Virginia. They suggested a set list for a podcast titled “The Morning Within”, and offered it as their sweet way […]

The post The Morning Within first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We’re finally settling in at home after a very full two weeks. This week’s podcast was recorded last week in Cape Cod, and will give you a wrap-up of Bhakti Fest 2012, including the story of the mighty Hare Krishna chant led by Shyamdas during the closing ceremony — it was one of the most […]

The post Bhakti Fest 2012 Wrap-Up first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Sunday at Bhakti Fest, starting at 9:30AM with Saul David Raye & a BIG coffee. Bhakti Messenger next, then Govindas & Radha, Shantala & the beginning of the magnificent, mighty Hare Krishna chant — the Maha Mantra — sung by Shyamdas. Sorry my SD card ran out of room, because it was one powerful hour […]

The post Bhakti Fest 2012 Day 4 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

A sweet & funky set by Girish, in the late Sunday morning slot at Bhakti Fest — the last song never fails to bring me to tears. Sunday was pretty cool, but the evening knocked it out of the park. Shyamdas led a mighty Hare Krishna chant, and Mother Nature participated. More details to follow. Enjoy this […]

The post Girish, Bhakti Fest 2012 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Saturday at Bhakti Fest! There were so many artists to see, the Hanuman stage (smaller) was just rockin’ as was the main stage. Here is the set in order of the artist performing: Gina Sala, Amritakripa, Clair Oaks, The Hanuman (new group, more about them in the wrap-up), Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band […]

The post Bhakti Fest 2012 Day 3 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

They were great, enjoy!

The post Deepak & the Breath of Life Tribe, Bhakti Fest 2012 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Bhakti Fest Day 2, another Bhav-filled day in the desert of Joshua Tree. I’m happy to say the new sound equipment is sounding stellar, and the music today was outstanding. There were so many great musical moments, but Deva Premal & Miten’s set was the highlight for me. Their music combined with the desert is […]

The post Bhakti Fest 2012 Day 2 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m trying something new with this live podcast, as it’s Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda’s entire set from Bhakti Fest. If you like this format please let me know & I’ll repeat it. Just back from Jai Jai Jai! I love Jai Uttal, he’s so down-to-earth & funny. The whole place was dancing — Jai is […]

The post Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda, Bhakti Fest 2012 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Bhakti Fest Day 1. Vendors setting up, people arriving, the energy starting to ramp up. It always feels like I’m coming home when I come to Bhakti Fest. Home to the kirtan community, home to my Bhakti buddies. It is so great to be here. Please enjoy the music, we’ll bringing it too you all […]

The post Bhakti Fest 2012 Day 1 Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I found this week’s set to be inspiring, because the featured music brings us fresh, new interpretations of chant & kirtan. From Ian Boccio’s resonant voice in Lahari, Nirinjan Kaur’s serene offering, featured in the new 40-Day Sadhana from Spirit Voyage, and the rambunctious spirit MC Yogi brings to the party it’s a smorgasbord of new […]

The post Fresh Tracks 14 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The first Fresh Tracks set was in 2010, and they have been opportunities to bring you new tracks from the world of kirtan. This is the first of those sets, filled with chants & artists that deserve another chance to be heard. And so we have a new series — I’ll now be bringing back […]

The post Fresh Tracks Redux first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The podcast this week is a listener requested re-run. Enjoy! The chant “Hare Krishna” has gotten a bad rap. Since the 1960s the chant has become well known outside of India, mostly due to the efforts of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishnas. In the late ’60s the chant became associated […]

The post The Hare Krishna Set first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Grieving is a process. I must keep reminding myself of this as I move through its seasons in my life. “This time last year” is very much up, and as I move toward the anniversary of my mother’s death I again find myself drawn to kirtan. It helps me to process & release the emotion, […]

The post The Seasons of Grief first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

What a day here in Madison! A stellar kirtan lineup, some wonderful fellowship within the community, and a rockin’, funky “Hey Shiva Shankara” from Dave Stringer. Interviews with Mike Cohen, Joni Allen, Brenda McMorrow, Luna Ray & Ragani! A feast — enjoy! Until next time, dear hearts — Namaste.

The post Midwest Bhav, Sunday first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Saturday at the very first Bhakti Fest in the Midwest! In this special edition of the podcast we have an interview with Sridhar Silberfein, a fun chant from David Newman’s set and Krishna Das’ opening prayer & chant. Enjoy, dear ones– wish you were here! Namaste. P.S. Please accept my apologies for the sound quality. I […]

The post Midwest Bhav, Saturday first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The “Let’s Play Kirtan” sets are designed for those of you who like to sing kirtan & accompany yourself on an instrument. They’re also for those of you who are thinking of forming a kirtan band. The New World Kirtan Band plays covers of the chants in this set, and we’re having a fine time! […]

The post Let’s Play Kirtan II first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I love the Fresh Tracks sets, as they’re my opportunity to introduce you to artists who are either new to the podcast or who have newly released CDs. This week’s offering is mostly from artists I saw at Shakti Fest last month. There are some stellar artistic accomplishments on display this week, dear listeners — […]

The post Fresh Tracks 13 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Festivals like Shakti Fest have a curious effect on those who go — after every festival it feels as though we’ve been somehow re-wired, and it’s hard to come back from that blissful place. The trick is to not come back, but to stay in the bliss through living ordinary life — the work of […]

The post Back To Earth: Shakti Fest Wrap-Up first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Friday at Shakti Fest.

The post Back In The Bhav: Friday at Shakti Fest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m off to Joshua Tree — one of my most favorite places — for one of my most favorite festivals. Shakti Fest is devoted to the Divine Mother this year, and the line-up of kirtan artists is stellar. This week’s set is just a sampling of what we’ll hear over the weekend, not to mention […]

The post Shakti Fest Sampler first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Mother’s Day is coming up, and this is the first Mother’s Day my Mom won’t be here. The podcast this week honors her. Mom never had an understanding of what the podcast was about, although she tried hard because she knew it was important to me. Computers never interested her much, except as a way […]

The post The One For Mom first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Kirtan artist Ragani has a great idea– let’s get the global kirtan community together for a virtual sing-along. Are you in? It’s open to anyone who wants to participate, and everything you need to know is right here. The magic of kirtan is worldwide, vibrant and growing. Let’s create some kirtan community love together! This […]

The post Fresh Tracks 12 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The chant “Hare Krishna” has gotten a bad rap. Since the 1960s the chant has become well known outside of India, mostly due to the efforts of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishnas. In the late ’60s the chant became associated with the hippie subculture, but this was an […]

The post Songs to Krishna first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

“Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” is the Adi Mantra. Translated “I bow to the Creative Wisdom, I bow to the Divine Teacher, it is chanted at the beginning of a Kundalini Yoga session to help us tune into the Divine flow & self knowledge we all carry within. I’ve found many ways to use this mantra in my […]

The post Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is the first podcast I’ve done for children, or it could be for the child in all of us! The set is structured so it can be used to encourage a child to settle down for the evening. It starts with a story about Ganesha (read by Jai Uttal), then a few […]

The post Nighty Night first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week we have a Fresh Tracks set, which means the artists are either new to the podcast or they’ve been featured before & now have a new CD. The music mix turned out to be very laid back, so it’s a mellowed-out offering for you this week. The set features some established artists and […]

The post Fresh Tracks 11 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Lately I’ve been seized by a strong desire to get fit. Maybe it’s the impending spring, but the desire to get out and move around is really strong. So, true to my geeky nature, this week I downloaded an app that gave me the beats per minute of all the songs in my ITunes library. […]

The post 120 Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Ganesh pops up a lot on the podcast. We have shows dedicated to him here, and here. Ganesh is the guy you want ahead of you on the path, clearing the way with his trunk — that’s why he’s often invoked at the beginning of a trip or business venture. He is the most popular […]

The post The Faces Of Ganesh first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Happy Valentine’s Day dear hearts! I’m off having a sweet Valentine’s day with my honey, so here is a love-filled set from the New World Kirtan library. Enjoy. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and so this week’s set was inspired by Love. There’s the “Radhe Suite” which tells the love story of Krishna & Radhe, and a chant by Shantala […]

The post One For Valentine’s Day first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The tracks this week are of just one chant, the very powerful Om chant — a single syllable that is sacred in the traditional Hindu religion. Om is a mantra, a sound that when chanted will cause spiritual transformation. If nothing else the set is very soothing, and just might help you get to sleep on those […]

The post The Om Set first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s podcast once again features the best of new artists to the podcast, and also new releases from some old favorites. Enjoy the set! Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Om Yvette Into the Arms of Love The Fullness (Poornamadah) Go-Ray & Duke The Yoga Sessions: Go-Ray & Duke Shiva […]

The post Fresh Tracks 10 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set brings you the best of the Kundalini chants I’ve listened to recently. Kundalini music is fascinating stuff, and if you want to learn more about it there’s no better place than Spirit Voyage’s website. If you’re curious about the meaning of any chant, their mantra-pedia is a great resource. Enjoy, dear ones. […]

The post Sat Nam first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The word Durga means ‘invincible’ in Sanskrit. Durga is an incarnation of the Mother Goddess, and she is extremely powerful. She is also extremely popular, and is the star of a major religious text of praise called the Devi Mahatmya that dates from the 5th century. Durga manifests when demonic powers threaten to overwhelm the […]

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Bust my buttons if there isn’t just some mighty fine kirtan out in the world these days. The music this week was so juicy it was difficult to choose just one from the CDs in the set. I hope you enjoy this Fresh Tracks offering as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Happy 2012 […]

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I’ve been haunted by the song “Bismillah” since I heard it several weeks ago. The word “Bismillah” comes from the Islamic tradition, and it can be translated in several ways. It expresses our prayer that we may have the blessing of another breath, another moment of life, and that we walk on a path of […]

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If you play a musical instrument and like to sing kirtan, this week’s set is for you. It’s five chants that are eminently singable and as a bonus they’re also easy to play. We’ll have a link to the music so you can sing and play to your heart’s content, either alone or with a […]

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My Thanksgiving cooking/Christmas decorating/shipment unpacking has kind of taken over my life. But things are progressing — I can sit down in my living room again, and my mother is here with us in a way that she has never been for the holidays. For your perusal, another Sunday Satsang set, ‘specially mixed so you […]

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This week I got a hankering for some of the live stuff. I missed my fix at Bhakti Fest this year, and OMmersion in April was just too long to wait. So, an all live set awaits you. Enjoy! SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Ong Sohung Snatam Kaur Live In Concert […]

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This week’s podcast is about honoring Shiva, the name of the consciousness that lives within each one of us. “Om Namah Shivaya” means “I bow to Shiva.” When you chant this mantra, you honor Shiva – your true Self. It’s your true Self that urges you on to better things, and calls on you to […]

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When you’re standing watching a tsunami of grief coming at you, knowing you can’t escape, knowing it will change your life … what is there to do? One option is to dig deep, and call on a spiritual belief system to help you withstand the pain. Over the summer these tools were a tremendous help […]

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The weather is changing, and it fits my frame of mind. Oregon’s rainy winter has always suited my inner curmudgeon, and now the rain feels like a blessed benediction on my need to hunker down and heal. The last five months have been a difficult passage, and it feels right to turn inward to process […]

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It’s back to Philly for me this week, I’m glad I have some very good books loaded on my Kindle. Here is one a good friend recommended, and it has been incredibly helpful in this difficult time. It’s by Pema Chodrun, and it’s called “The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult […]

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What to say about this summer, except I’ll never forget it — and our family now has a new angel in Heaven. I’ve returned to Oregon for awhile, and I’m listening to kirtan again. It feels like re-discovering an dear old friend. All the music this week is new to the podcast, and there’s more […]

The post Fresh Tracks 8 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

… is love, sweet love? Close, but no cigar. The world can always use more love, but this week’s podcast is all about compassion. For Tibetan Buddhists, compassion is the most important spiritual practice. It is said that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this week’s chant, Om Mani Padme Hum. It […]

The post What The World Needs Now … first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Oregon is uniquely beautiful in the summer, and I’m happy to be back here for a little while. No humidity & no mosquitoes — yahoo. But no thunderstorms & no lightning bugs either, things I cherish as a part of spending summer weeks in Philly. If nothing else, this summer is forcing me to live […]

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This week’s podcast is a bit unique, as it was produced when I was back in Philadelphia, and is based on a podcast produced back in February. I’ve been in Philly for almost 3-weeks acting as primary caregiver for my Mom, and I’m happy to report that she’s doing well, buoyed on a wave of […]

The post The Power Of Prayer first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Lately the solace of the Real has assumed a lot more importance in my life, as I’ll tell you about in the podcast. Spiritual practices are my lifeline. I’ve especially loved the practice & the message of the Lakshmi-bija mantra, it is helping me to open to the fullness of the darkness & the light. […]

The post Keeping It Real first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

You’ve probably noticed the podcast is a day late this week, and if you’ve ever spent several hours loading software under a deadline you have an idea of what my state of mind was like last night. But once again the kirtan worked its magic and smoothed out the wrinkles in my digital age soul. […]

The post Gems first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set was inspired by several requests for a set to Ganesha. We have one in the back catalog called “Ganesh Is Fresh”, here’s the link. This one is a bit different, I hope you enjoy. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Invocation to Lord Ganesha Manorama ‘In All Beings’ Sarva-Bhuteshu […]

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“Breathe and stay in the present moment.” It’s so simple, and so difficult to do. Modern life bombards us with seductive distractions, and it takes a lot of effort to get present. So why go to the bother? Because when we practice getting present, that’s when we’ll find the Peace — the Peace that allows […]

The post Just Breathe first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I love the Sunday Satsang sets. I know if I cue one up on my IPod, soon I’ll be singing along. It’s better than just about anything I know to get me feeling skippy again. As I explain in the podcast, these sets are designed to be used as a group kirtan practice, and contain […]

The post Sunday Satsang IV first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The essence of life is change … and isn’t that just a big old pain? Joni Mitchell used to sing about it so eloquently, but I’m not about to be that maudlin. The older I get the more I realize what we all need to survive Life is a practice that nourishes us so that […]

The post Being With What Is first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’ve been missing OMmersion, how about you? I’ve looked at all the videos at the Bhakti Beat (great site, check it out), and I wanted a music set to bring the Spirit back even stronger … so this is it. It’s really long, but I just couldn’t bear to leave anything out! The set is […]

The post The OMmersion Set first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is full of great new kirtan music. We have cuts from Dave Stringer & Spring Groove’s newly released CD “Yatra”, and from Prema Hara‘s new CD “Tears Of Love. There are also chants from Govindas & Radhe, Donna De Lory, Gina Sala — the “best kirtan singer you never heard of” — […]

The post Fresh Kirtan Tracks 5 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This is a special edition of the podcast, and it features only one delicious chant. Prema Hara introduced their new CD "Tears Of Love" at OMmersion, and it is full of beautiful devotional chants. This week I also talk a bit about advertising at the New World Kirtan website, why it's going to increase soon & the criteria I'm using to choose our advertisers. We'll be back to the usual format next week with a Fresh Tracks set. Until then, dear sweet wonderful listeners ... Namaste.

The post Just One first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

If you’ve ever had a back spasm then you’ll be able to relate to why the podcast was late this week. The mother of all back spasms has laid me low, and I am so ready to be over it. Departure for OMmersion is tomorrow, so I’ll soon be engulfed in the spiritual sparkly bath […]

The post The One With Four Chants first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Ma, Earth Mother, has many faces. She can be benevolent & peaceful, but some of her other faces can be powerful & frightening. I’ve chosen the chants this week because for me they reflected different moods of Ma. Like the Earth Mother, I invite you to appreciate Ma’s different faces and ride the energy wherever […]

The post The Faces Of Ma first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It’s spring break here … yeeha … and it’s also time for me to take a little break. This show played about a year ago, and since I’m still in a praying mood it seemed to fit. Enjoy spring, and I’ll see you all next week. Namaste. Prayers/April 27, 2010 In kirtan I think there […]

The post Prayers first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The theme for this week started out as “Surrender”, but originally I meant it in the sense of surrender when practicing Yin Yoga. As the week progressed and the events unfolding in Japan took a personal turn for our family, the theme of surrender took on new meaning. The kirtan chants in this week’s set […]

The post Kirtan For Surrender first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Spring is springing up here in Oregon, and so the set this week was inspired by the life force represented by the goddess Tara. In the Buddhist tradition, Tara is more than a goddess — she’s a female Buddha who can take human form. There are many chants to Green Tara & White Tara, the […]

The post Green Tara first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set features all new kirtan, and it also holds another theme — one of healing for the planet. We’re all in for a ride, and it will be much better to go through it supporting & helping each other, don’t you think? Several listeners requested that I ask the community to direct the […]

The post Fresh Kirtan Tracks 4 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set was the convergence of two things; a really great satsang on Sunday, where we sang most of this set, and the arrival of several new kirtan CDs which I’d like to preview before putting together the next Fresh Tracks show. These chants had us all singing at the top of our lungs […]

The post Sunday Satsang III first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and so this week’s set was inspired by Love. There’s the “Radhe Suite” which tells the love story of Krishna & Radhe, and a chant by Shantala that sings of the Love that dwells within each of us. But my favorite this week is “Its All Right” by Spring, about Love […]

The post The Love Train! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Several friends departing for vacation last week prompted me to coin my new motto: Kirtan Is My Mexico!. To take a mental vacation from your cell phone & computer, plug into the podcast and listen with intention. You and your mind will be transported away from the information deluge we all deal with every day. […]

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The Kirtan Kriya meditation was mentioned in last week’s podcast, and I’ve been enjoying it so much that I was inspired to dedicate this week’s podcast to the meditation. Ramdesh Kaur explains it here, and there are lots of references to it on the New World Kirtan Podcast fan page on Facebook. I’m finding it […]

The post Kirtan Kriya first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week I wanted to put together a set of my favorite kirtan chants, and found it was a very hard task indeed! We just have to have more All Star sets, because there is no way I can fit all my best-loved songs into one week’s show! So these are some of my all […]

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This week’s set was inspired by an article on Spirit Voyage’s blog called “Healthy Living: 10 Reasons to Meditate”. The blog tells how it’s possible to create specific states of mind by entering the sound current and chanting kirtan with intention. The article is interesting reading, check it out here. If you change your mind […]

The post Enter The Sound Current first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The chants in the Sunday Satsang sets are designed to be sung! You can sing them in a group, as we do, especially if you’re also in a small town where live kirtan is hard to find. The lyrics to the chants can be found here. So sing in the shower, sing in your car, […]

The post Sunday Satsang II first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The mighty ape Hanuman is featured in the music this week, in honor of his Birthday. Hanuman is said to represent the untold power that resides within each one of us just waiting to be tapped. A book that taught me about this immense power and how to tap it was “The Power of Intention” […]

The post The Power Of Intention first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Happy Solstice everyone, and Happy Birthday to the New World Kirtan podcast! As we turn two years old our podcast community continues to grow–and so does the word about the magic of this music We’ll be on a short hiatus for the Holidays, and I wish for you the Wonder and Joy of the season. […]

The post Fresh Kirtan Tracks 3 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is a mostly English set (that’s the different part). Our favorite kirtan artists perform songs that aren’t in Sanskrit, and I thought you might enjoy hearing some of them. Also, in the podcast I talk about how much I’m enjoying ginger tea these days–so don’t miss the recipe for the ginger syrup, […]

The post And Now For Something Completely Different first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

One of my least favorite times of the day is around 4AM. That’s because I’m often awake, up much earlier than I’d like, and trying to get back to sleep. My mind has jumped on the opportunity and has become a thought-generating monster. Once you’re caught up in the bad neighborhood of the mind, how […]

The post Toss & Turn Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

There was a candlelight vigil in our town tonight. It was organized as way to surround a mosque firebombed this weekend with light and community support. The outside world comes to Corvallis–the mosque was attended by the young man who attempted the car bombing in Portland this weekend, and he was a student at Oregon […]

The post Not In Our Town first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is eminently singable–this I know because our kirtan group sang these chants at our Sunday Satsang this week. You can use the podcast this way also, and the Sunday Satsang sets will be designed to allow you to use them as a basis for a community spiritual practice. The words and meanings […]

The post Sunday Satsang first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set is another one of all new kirtan, as new CDs have been arriving fast & furiously. And if you’re a fan of the October 8 Jai Uttal podcast, fear not–the digital noise in the original podcast is now gone. If you download it again Jai’s music will be there in all its […]

The post Fresh Kirtan Tracks 2 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This summer I happened to catch an entry by Tami Simon on the Sounds True blog. The entry was titled “Keep Going, Say What You Know”. It struck me as a wonderfully simple way to live life, and also a gift we could give to each other … the gift of our true selves. The […]

The post “Keep Going, Say What You Know” first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Probably like most of you, I’m constantly struggling with my need to be informed and my desire to stay positive. A balance has been especially hard to achieve during this demoralizing election season. Kirtan, as always, has been my refuge–and that’s where I’ve been trying to live for most of today. These songs made me […]

The post Kirtan For Election Night first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

What’s not to love about Dave Stringer? He inhabits a genial spirit, and creates music which never fails to lift my mood. In my heart there is a special place for him, because many moons ago when the podcast was just starting he kindly invited me to attend his kirtan in Portland. It was the […]

The post Mostly Dave first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

A good thing about travelling is I have time to listen to a lot of kirtan on the plane, and this trip there were CDs from a lot of new artists. It’s good to be back home, and back to a regular schedule, and now it’s my pleasure to share the music of the artists […]

The post Travelling Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

As you know we’ve been traveling, so this week we have a repeat podcast from July 2009. We’ll be back to a regular schedule starting next week. Enjoy the flashback. Namaste. I don’t know if Mother Meera is exactly my guru, but I go to see her whenever she comes to town & I read […]

The post Living Spiritual In A Material World first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The podcast this week comes to you from Cape Cod in October—what more need I say? The weather is incredible, there’s lots of seafood and I’m surrounded by historical stuff—Heaven. The set this week is all Jai Uttal. His set at Bhakti Fest was amazing—seeing him live really opened up his music, and I’ve been listening to a […]

The post It’s All Jai first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Sridhar, the executive producer of Bhakti Fest. For those of us who are craving to be back in the Bhav at Joshua Tree–and who don’t want to wait until next September–listen for an exciting announcement. Things are a little crazy here. We’ll be traveling to the East […]

The post Conversation With Sridhar first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I read the word “BhaktiFestified” somewhere recently, and it so perfectly describes how I feel—I’ve had a taste of the Bhav, and now there’s no going back—and whyohwhy would I ever want to? Bhakti Fest is over, but little pieces of it have broken off and spread around the world. You can be part of […]

The post BhaktiFestified! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We’re flying out early tomorrow morning, and I’m noticing how very quiet it is … and how full I am. We’ve been bathing in a sea of Love for the last four days. Close your eyes and imagine what that might feel like–then amplify it, and that is the experience of this festival. We saw […]

The post Bye Bye Bhakti Fest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Krishna Das–the big Kahuna. This was the first time I’ve been to his kirtan, and it was everything I’ve heard it would be. He has a way of drawing you in, making it easy to find Spirit in the singing. We were on the edges of the crowd tonight (it was very large), and there […]

The post Chairman of the Board first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We’re back from Bhakti Fest to cool off and rest before seeing Krishna Das tonight. It’s really hot on the festival grounds today, we’re being urged to drink lots of water because of the hot & dry high desert environment. One of the hardest things about being here is that it’s impossible to see everyone–yesterday […]

The post Hot Bhav first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We got back from Bhakti Fest too late last night for me to post (yawn)–I either have to get fitter or younger, because getting tired is a drag when there’s so much fun going on. Last night was an immensely beautiful evening under the stars in the desert. Today there is even more and tonight […]

The post An Evening In the Bhav first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

My feet are dirty (the shoes didn’t help), and so is my skirt–and tonight I’m goin’ back for more. Today’s lineup was outstanding, and it was so wonderful to connect in person with the beautiful souls who, until now, were only in the ether. Community is the overwhelming feeling here, a community of people who […]

The post Bhakti Buffet first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

We arrived in Joshua Tree late this afternoon, and went over to Bhakti Fest just as the sun was going down. We barely had time to see it all, and it’s a different world in the dark–very colorful & mysterious. Dave Stringer was introduced by Shiva Rae and opened it up on the first song–he had […]

The post Bhakti Fest Is In the House first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This set should be called “The Jewels”. For this last show before the live updates at Bhakti Fest, I asked for suggestions of artists you would consider hidden jewels, your favorite non-headlining kirtan artists playing at the festival next weekend. Did you ever come up with some good ideas! Thanks, enjoy the music and I’ll see […]

The post The Road To Bhakti Fest first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

If there’s anything I’ve realized from my time listening to kirtan it’s that I can always count on it. No matter my mood, if I listen to some kirtan it changes for the better. I’ve also discovered that it’s downright impossible to be in a state of resistance and listen to this stuff, it cuts […]

The post Resistance Is Futile first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Putting the podcast together is a miraculous process–I’m always curious to see what Spirit has planned for the show. This week, the perfect CD showed up right on schedule and the new songs seemed to reflect what I was thinking but didn’t have the words to say. The set is all new music, offerings from […]

The post Fresh Tracks 7 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I have been playing some serious hooky–and not just because it’s August, although that’s part of it. I haven’t been wanting to engage too much in my spiritual practice–something none of you can relate to I’m sure. So I’m using chants to Radhe this week to knock on the door to my heart. I’ll let […]

The post Who’s That Knocking? first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

New World Kirtan is going to Bhakti Fest–that would be four days of kirtan, yoga and workshops in Joshua Tree, CA September 9-12. This blows the door off my imagination, and last year I was just dying to be there. This year I’m taking recording equipment so I can share it with all of you. […]

The post Bhakti Fest! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

‘Songs for Sid’ originally posted back in December, and was my attempt to express in music my emotional ride with the death of a beloved family dog. Sid’s podcast rated a redux because his presence has been felt recently–my sister’s family lost their family dog last week; this week we cleaned up the garden that […]

The post Songs For Sid Redux first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week I have a very happy announcement–the podcast has been picked up by Spirit Voyage radio, a wonderful internet radio station designed for those of us who can’t get enough chant in our lives. Spirit Voyage is the sponsor of Spirit Fest–the very first kundalini yoga and music festival–which happens in September. It has a […]

The post Spirit Fest! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

‘Best of Both Worlds’ by Ragani was the first kirtan CD I ever bought. When I was thinking of starting a kirtan podcast, the first call I made was to her. I was going to take a podcast breather this week for the holiday, but remembered that several weeks ago Ragani was kind enough to send […]

The post Kirtan Live With Ragani first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

This week’s set was inspired by the sun finally getting its act together and making a steady appearance here in Oregon. We got a lot of rain this spring, but now the sun is out and I want to dance. Shake your booty. Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Shiva Shankara […]

The post Funkalicious Kirtan first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Often the simplest gifts are the most moving. Several weeks ago, Spirit Voyage’s free Friday download gave me a gift in the form of a beautiful kirtan lullaby from Snatam Kaur’s CD ‘Divine Birth‘. It inspired this week’s podcast, which is filled with simple gifts that have uplifted me. I hope you enjoy the offering. […]

The post Simple Gifts first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Kirtan with Shantala is always magical. Heather’s angelic voice & guitar teamed with Benjy’s virtuoso esraj & spine-chilling vocals is an amazing combination. Their music is always an uncomplicated road to Spirit, paved with beautiful melodies and harmony. I’m looking forward to seeing them again at Bhakti Fest. Peace & Blessings to you. Namaste. SONG […]

The post Kirtan With Shantala first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

As much as I complain, I really do love the cool green dampness of the Pacific Northwest. Good thing too, because last week was a record-breaker in the rain department. I felt the need create the feel of a beach, the sun of an island in the set this week. It worked for me–as long […]

The post Singing in the Rain first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.