Friday Night Kirtan With Jagannatha Das at
Mantra Meditation Music | Kirtan Yoga | Kirtan in Birmingham
A SPECIAL INVITATION
1 Year Kirtan Anniversary Celebration at OMNOM Birmingham
Join us on Friday 27 Nov for FREE to celebrate this milestone
If you experienced kirtan with Jagannatha Das at Mind Body Spirit Birmingham, this is your invitation to go a little deeper. Join us for a special evening celebrating one year of kirtan at OMNOM Birmingham. Places are free, but we are asking everyone attending this special evening to register in advance. Registration reserves one person for the event. You can also choose to receive Jagannatha Das’s free weekly Insight Newsletter by ticking the box above.
Join Jagannatha Das Every Friday 7pm at
What is Kirtan?
Kirtan is a participatory form of mantra meditation rooted in the bhakti tradition.
Rather than simply listening to music, everyone is invited into the experience. A mantra is sung and repeated, often in a call-and-response style, allowing sound, breath and attention to come together.
You do not need to know Sanskrit, understand music or follow a particular spiritual path to take part.
You can sing, listen, or simply sit within the sound.
At its heart, kirtan creates a space in which we can step away from the constant noise of everyday life and allow the mind to settle on something deeper.
Mantra — a Tool for the Mind
At the centre of kirtan is mantra.
The Sanskrit word mantra can be understood as an instrument or tool for the mind. In devotional traditions, mantra is also understood as sacred sound that can help protect, steady and free the mind from its constant distractions.
Rather than asking the mind to become completely empty, mantra gives it somewhere to return.
A sound. A meaning. A point of focus.
That simple act of returning is part of what makes mantra meditation so accessible.
Listen…Chant…Remember
One way of understanding the inner process of kirtan is through three traditional practices:
Sravanam
(Hearing)
We begin by listening attentively to the mantra, allowing external and internal noise to recede.
Kirtanam
(Chanting)
We then participate, repeating the mantra and allowing the voice, breath and attention to come together.
Smaranam
(Remembering)
As we listen and chant, the mind is invited to return to the meaning and presence behind the mantra.
For a little while, the mind is given something meaningful to hear, something meaningful to repeat and something meaningful to return to.
That is why kirtan is more than music.
Kirtan for Wellbeing
Modern life asks a great deal of our attention.
Work, responsibilities, notifications and constant information can leave very little space simply to be present.
Kirtan does not make those responsibilities disappear. What it can offer is space — space to slow down, breathe, focus attention and reconnect before returning to everyday life.
For some people, that experience feels uplifting. For others, reflective or calming. There is no particular experience you are required to have.
You simply come as you are.