I’m at the Vedanta Retreat Centre this week, running a Kirtan Immersion Retreat.
And being here in that role, you notice things a little differently.
Not just the kirtan itself, but everything around it.
The way people arrive… carrying their week with them.
The way, slowly, that begins to soften.
The way the room starts to feel different after a few hours of chanting together.
And the way all of us gradually become more present, more open, more ourselves — in a way that’s difficult to describe.
It made me realise just how rare it is to give ourselves this kind of space.
Not space to completely switch off.
Space to reconnect properly. email-186439170087978635-179028…
To chant without rushing.
To sit without needing to check something.
To be somewhere we’re not constantly being pulled in ten different directions.
Being able to hold this kind of environment, even for a few days, I’ve seen how much of a difference it can make.
And perhaps this doesn’t only apply to retreats.
We can hold space for another person by listening without immediately trying to answer.
We can hold space for our family by being fully present with them.
We can hold space for ourselves by allowing a little silence into the day.
And through kirtan and mantra, perhaps we can create space for something deeper within us to be heard.
Because sometimes it’s not about adding more to our lives.
It’s about creating enough space for what’s already there… to come forward.
Maybe that’s something worth reflecting on this week:
What might already be within me that I’ve simply been too busy to notice?
Jagannātha Dās
Step Away. Reconnect. Go Deeper.
If you’d like to experience this kind of space for yourself, I host Kirtan Immersion Retreats where we step away from the usual rhythm and spend time with mantra, music, reflection, connection and kirtan.
Whether you’re completely new or kirtan is already an important part of your life, you’re warmly welcome.
That is also the retreat address included in the original edition.
Come and Experience It
Every Friday, we come together at OMNOM Birmingham for kirtan, mantra, music and community.
I also share kirtan at festivals, retreats and other gatherings throughout the year.
Continue the Journey
Insight is my weekly reflection on mantra, life and the inner journey.
If you’d like to receive future editions directly, you can subscribe completely free.