All Singing (No Dancing)

Inspired by the group singing at The Weather Station Duets, I wanted to do some myself. But outside of Karaoke, there weren't too many other choices. So on a snowy Saturday night, I dropped by Ahimsa Yoga in the Annex for my first Kirtan. This devotional singing of Indian mantras is part of Bhakti Yoga.

Led by Lana Sugarman on harmonium, accompanied by an electronic shruti, a bassist and percussionist, 20 people spent about two hours in a call-and-response. The mantras weren't hard to pick up, as they are repeated for 10 minutes with variations in melody and phrasing. As each song progressed, the bassist would start to improvise, and people added harmony to the mix. Between songs, everyone sat in silence and absorbed the practice.

It was a great session, though both the pronunciation and melodies were undoubtedly Western. The last song, when all instruments fell silent, leaving the room to resonate with a cappella singing was particularly wonderful. It's no wonder that many people join religious or church choirs, even if they don't practice the faith.