Practice

kirtan

Kirtan is the ancient practice of call-and-response chanting, a form of devotional music rooted in the Bhakti yoga tradition that invites participants to dissolve into sound, rhythm, and community. Unlike many wellness practices that ask something of the body or the analytical mind, kirtan asks only for presence — a willingness to open the mouth, follow the melody, and let the vibration do its work. Practitioners consistently describe the experience as euphoric, heart-opening, and profoundly releasing, a kind of meditation in motion where the repetition of sacred Sanskrit mantras gradually quiets the mental chatter that so many people carry into their daily lives. It is, at its core, a practice of connection — to something larger than oneself, and to the people chanting beside you.

Wikimedia Commons / Kirtan

kirtan Studios & Teachers

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200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Bali,

Kutu , Bali, Bali

Our trainings are a unique collection of diverse teachers, beautiful locations, with endless wisdom, mixed with fun, inspiration, personal growth and commitment.

gentleMeditationSound Healing

America Sevashram Sangha

Queens, New York

Meditationphilosophychanting

Amrita Shala

Bali

gongMeditationyoga-nidra

Anand Ashram Ubud

Bali

Meditationphilosophykirtan

Ananda Marga Yoga and Meditation Center

Queens, New York

Meditationphilosophyasana

Ananda Yoga and Wellness Center, Rishkesh

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

philosophykirtan

Anandmaya Retreat Rishikesh

Tapovan, Uttarakhand

Restorativekirtan

Arunachala Ashrama

Queens, New York

Meditationphilosophyretreat

Ashram Munivara

Bali

retreatkirtan

Ashram Ratu Bagus

Bali

Meditationretreatkirtan

ASMY - Gokula House Meditation & Yoga Centre

Collingwood, Victoria

Meditationyoga-nidraasana

Australian School of Meditation & Yoga

2532 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, Queensland

Your Yoga Sanctuary

MeditationHathaRestorative

Upcoming kirtan Events

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Sunday Meditation Gathering ~ Collingwood

CLASS

12 Apr 2026→12 Apr 2026

Sunday Meditation Gathering ~ Collingwood

Spend a nourishing Sunday evening at ASMY Melbourne with kirtan, guided meditation, and vegetarian m...

Collingwood, Victoria

TRAINING

12 Apr 2026→14 June 2026

200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training - In Studio and Online Hybrid

Join Revolution Yoga's Yoga Alliance-certified 200-hour teacher training this spring in Rockville Ce...

RVC, NY

TRAINING

13 Apr 2026→2 May 2026

200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Koh-Phangan, Thailand

Join a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training on Koh-Phangan, Thailand, one of Southeast Asia's most inspiri...

Koh-Phangan, Surat Thani

FESTIVAL

15 Apr 2026→19 Apr 2026

BaliSpirit Festival 2026

Ubud, Bali

FESTIVAL

24 Apr 2026→24 Apr 2026

Madhava in Concert at Govindas

Experience the uplifting devotional music of Madhava at Govindas' Lotus Room on April 24th. This hig...

Darlinghurst, NSW

WORKSHOP

24 Apr 2026→24 Apr 2026

Mantra Meditation Evening – Samsonvale

A donation-based mantra meditation evening bringing sacred chanting and community connection to Sams...

Mount Samson, QLD

About kirtan

Kirtan draws its roots from the devotional movements of medieval India, with the fifteenth-century saint and poet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu widely credited as one of its great popularizers, having led massive public chanting gatherings across Bengal and Odisha. The tradition was carried into Western consciousness largely through the work of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in the 1960s and introduced kirtan to cities across America and Europe. From there, artists like Krishna Das and Jai Uttal transformed the practice into a contemporary phenomenon, blending traditional Bhakti chanting with folk, blues, and world music influences to create a sound that resonates across cultural and spiritual backgrounds. Today, kirtan is practiced in yoga studios, festival stages, living rooms, and retreat centers around the world.

A typical kirtan session is led by a musician — often playing harmonium or guitar — who sings a line of a mantra and invites the group to sing it back, a cycle that builds gradually in tempo, volume, and emotional intensity before settling into stillness. Sessions generally last between one and two hours and require no prior musical training or spiritual background whatsoever. The benefits are both measurable and deeply personal: research points to reductions in stress hormones, improved respiratory function, and elevated mood, while practitioners report a sense of emotional release, spiritual connectedness, and a lightness that lingers long after the final note fades. Kirtan is beautifully suited to anyone who feels called to explore the contemplative side of yoga, those navigating grief or transition, or simply souls who want to sing without judgment in a room full of open hearts. There is truly no more accessible doorway into devotion than this — just one breath, one note, one voice joining many.

Image: Wikimedia Commons / Kirtan

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