Merry Kirtan!

Have I mentioned yet that I adore kirtan, both personally and in my practice as a psychologist? (I’m betting that I have!) Kirtan is a form of musical meditation coming to us from Eastern traditions such as Hindu and Sikh practices.   Kirtan is such fun to sing and chant, and the benefits to us, body and soul, can be enormous.  I found this great article from Psychology Today that I would like to share with you:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/201812/kirtan-the-easy-meditation-can-improve-your-brain.

Lately, I have been using Snatam Kaur’s children’s album, Feeling Good Today, with my child therapy clients.  The kids love it and join right in.  I see sad, anxious, bored children shift quickly into joyful, vivacious little beings, right there on the screen (teletherapy with children during the pandemic.)  My braver and more flexible adult clients also join me at times with Sa Ta Na Ma or sometimes Ra Ma Da Sa.  And I’m always sending kirtan recordings from YouTube or Spotify to people for one reason or another.

One of my current favorite kirtan pieces for starting the morning off in a peaceful and joyful way is lovely Brenda McMorrow’s May I Awaken to Love/Govinda Bolo. Here’s the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG9ymCRHBCg.

May we all awaken to love!

Best wishes for the holidays and may we all awaken to a brighter year in 2021.

Peace, Dr. C