It wasn’t that long ago that I took a walk around one of the most beautiful parks of Barcelona – Parc de I’Estacio del Nord. After a stroll past the masterful tightrope walkers, kora players, lovers snoozing side by side and children  posing in their latest yoga postures, I was drawn in by some very nice vibes in the distance. It was coming from a group of chanters who were congregated under a beautiful set of silver leaved trees.

Then I remembered a recent conversation I’d had with one of my dear friends, Alvaro, a yoga, meditation and kirtan guru. “You should try practicing kirtan. It totally transformed my life. Singing devotional mantras out loud, together as One Heart and One Community is truly inspirational.” He told me.

After hearing this fanciful news, I was left intrigued to try it myself. Now here I was, one glorious afternoon, approaching my first ever kirtan event at the park.

As I mingled with the group and the Hare Krishna chant that circled the air, a sense of sweet serenity flawed me. I sat on the ground and looked around to find beautiful soft faces with an inspiring glow in their eyes. The music and energy that swept through us in that moment was as equally as enchanting and I felt as though I’d want to mingle more with this group.

The event itself was hosted by a very kindly man and talented musician, Jaya Deva, whose warming welcome had helped me to surrender to the vibration of the music. Before long my body began to wake into a new dimension and take on a life of its own, while my arms swept gracefully into the air. And it was in that triumphant moment that something very sacred happened indeed. I was seeing that by simply repeating the names of deities and gods over and over in my mind, it left no room for anything less than holy to enter in its place. Likewise, that holy wisdom pierced right through my heart centre and filled it with a bliss that was so beautiful, it was as if I’d tested the latest love drug from the divine’s super market.

Then, as the session came to a close and I left spirited by higher forces, I immediately called on my friend Alvaro and told him about my kirtan moment.

“Anneka! I’m so happy you’ve become awakened to your own spirit. It amazes me the transformation and power that the ‘God vibration’ of the mantras has on me and others. Whenever I chant to myself with my guitar, other people always want to join me, wherever I go. That’s the power of kirtan, you can do it anywhere and anytime.” He enthused.

While I touched base with the inner radiance and energy I was omitting in that moment, I couldn’t have agreed more. Likewise, it wasn’t so surprising to know that despite the ancient wisdoms of this art, modern day scientists too were beginning to latch on to its benefits. According to their research, practitioners experience significant improvements in the quality of their sleep, memory, sense of wellbeing and overall stress levels.

So in the name of peace, love, better vibes and dancing jives, we thank Alvaro for inspiring us, Jaya Deva for hosting his beautiful kirtan sessions around Barcelona and the divine spirit that lives throughout it all.

And if you’d like to try a very powerful kirtan session yourself, we’d recommend one of the events hosted by Jaya Deva who’s kindly shared his Facebook page and event listing here.

www.facebook.com/jayadeva.es/

Have a beautiful week.

Ram Ram, Anneka