I'm originally from the UK, and now after living in beautiful BC for some time, I'm back in England. Brighton is on the South Coast, and is well known for it's penchant for 'alternative' lifestyle choices - lots of yoga, holistic therapies, vegan and vegetarian options, and it has that lovely relaxed seaside feeling. Unfortunately, as I write this, it is pouring rain and about 14 degrees outside. Otherwise I'd be at the beach. Sigh! Oh well, that's jolly old England for you.Nevertheless, I am having a wonderful time being back here. As part of Bhakti Collective Brighton - our Brighton based group of Bhakti Yoga practitioners - I am teaching a weekly hatha yoga class at Unity Yoga - a beautiful studio and bodywork school run by Sevanti. After the yoga class we blend into my very favourite practice of all - kirtan or devotional singing. If you have never experienced a rocking kirtan, you've got to get yourself to one. It is the most blissful experience ever! In Grand Forks we have a wonderful monthly satsanga
where we used to wind down our session with kirtan. Everyone
chose an instrument and away we went.
Traditionally kirtan is performed in a call and response format, with one person - the kirtaniya - leading and the group following. Dancing and clapping encouraged! It's all about celebrating the divine in joyous song - if you've ever heard gospel you know what I mean. In the Gaudiya Vaisnava lineage of which I am a part, we sing songs for our spiritual masters (Gurus) as well as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha and Krishna and all their associates and pastime places such as Navadvipa and Vrindavana Dhamas. Many of the songs are in Sanskrit and also Bengali, and some in Hindi. I had never sung Bengali songs before visiting West Bengal this winter and staying in the temple there - and they are wonderful. Listen to Srila Prabhupada devotee Acuytananda Swami singing Gay Gora Madhura Sware here
So every week we invite the community to experience devotional arts - hatha yoga brings us to a sattvic (harmonious) platform from which we can engage in the practices of devotion or bhakti yoga of which kirtan is considered the finest limb. We also share vedic wisdom from our spiritual masters and of course enjoy a delicious vegetarian feast that has been offered to the divinity - known as prasadam. So if you are in Brighton this Summer come and join us!
check out these links for more info:
Bhakti Collective Brighton
Unity Yoga Studio
Bhakti Yoga Philosophy and Practice - Gaudiya Vaisnavaism
