Updated Yoga Schedule at Jakes & Kirtan Event Tonight!

Treasure Beach Forum: TB Runnin's: Updated Yoga Schedule at Jakes & Kirtan Event Tonight!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Laura Hezell on Saturday, January 12, 2013 - 05:23 pm: Edit Post

Happy New Year!

Just to let you know that yoga at Jakes (for the next two weeks) will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m (not daily as before). Non residents (guests at villas/hotels) are USD$20 per person and the extended local rate for residents of Treasure Beach is JMD$500. I have really been enjoying my practice with them and encourage you to try a class while they are here -- they leave February 3rd.

Also, there will be a special evening of Kirtan - meditation through (live!) music - with visiting Toronto based singer and harmonium player Alyssa Cohen tonight at Jakes from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at the Driftwood Spa Yoga Deck. Admission by donation.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Zed on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 06:23 am: Edit Post

Laura & Paticipants...Let us hope that the evening of Kirtan with Alyssa Cohen on harmonium wove an ecumenical spirit of devotion, while entreating the sinuous wonders of the cosmos throughout an evening of chanting in Treasure Beach...harkening back to practices of yet another strain of peoples who arrived at these shores, living under harsh conditions, but with deep social & religious traditions to share....the East Indians.


Kirtan is a form of devotional chanting whose roots go back over 500 years to India. It is a form of Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion) and has the power to open the heart. The singing is accompanied by musical instruments and rhythmic drumming and the audience is encouraged to participate by chanting, clapping and dancing. You will not be able to resist the urge to join in! In its heartfelt expression kirtan can induce profound states of meditation, bliss and ecstasy.

There is a sweet sound vibration that permeates through all layers of coverings and makes God dance. That sound vibration is Kirtan. It is a mysterious connection that draws people to each other.

In a simple word, Kirtan is relief. It has been described as the beating of the heart of the soul.
For the twenty-first century person living in the west, life is all about the pursuit of happiness. We are guaranteed life and liberty, but kirtan is the means and end toward achieving the happiness that people are searching for. Through the chanting of the names of God, kirtan awakens the soul to its natural position, connects with God, clears the heart of all the distractions that can stress one living in this high tech age, and at the very least, make a person feel better about their day through the wonderful music.

Kirtan is not exclusive to simply those in Indian attire or those who practice yoga. Anyone can join in at any time and joyfully sing along, clap their hands and become a key musician to this age-old art form....It can be performed anywhere that someone is willing to do it. A willingness to perform the Kirtan is the only requirement. Kirtan is a scientific study in the pursuit of happiness. If by the end of a thirty minute kirtan, one feels happier, then it has been a success.

(Gaura Vani)

Youtube:A Westernized Introduction to Kirtan:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFEFxrb_yJ8

Radha-Krishna Kirtans: New Age Kirtan Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB5UqdYvpBo

Gleaner: The Arrival Of The Indians in Jamaica
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0057.htm