
The Kirtan Kriya is meditation chanting yoga exercise that is a type of Kundalini Yoga. The Kirtan Kriya is known to reduce stress levels, improve circulation in the brain which enhances mental clarity and intuition. Additionally this Kundalini Kriya is known to stimulate the mind-body-spirit connection.
The Kirtan Kriya involves chanting the sounds of Sa, Ta, Na, Ma, in Sanskrit, these sounds mark the eternal cycle of life from birth to life to death to rebirth.
Start by sitting with a straight spine; rest your hands on each knee palms facing upwards.
As you chant each of the sounds, extend the sound of the aaaaaah at the end of each syllable.
Each syllable, requires a different finger pose also known as ‘Mundras’.
- On ‘Sa’ touch the tip of your index finder to the tip of your thumb;
- On ‘Ta’ touch the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb;
- On ‘Na’ touch the tip of your ring finger to the tip of your thumb and
- On ‘Ma’ touch the tip of your little finger to the tip of your thumb.
As you complete the exercise try to make sure the chant and hand movements are synchronised and done at a steady pace.
This exercise should be practiced for 12 minutes daily, ideally at the same time of day each time.
There is one other element that makes this practice powerful and that the way you make the mantra.
- For the first two minutes chant the Sa Ta Na Ma in your normal voice, this represents the physical voice of action.
- For the next two minutes chant in a whisper, this is the voice of lovers, the voice that is used to talk to the mind.
- Following this, chant silently for the next four minutes, this is the divine language, voice of your spirit.
- Then reverse the order chanting in a whisper for another two minutes and then in your normal voice for the final two minutes to end.
When you are finished, stretch your spine and arms as much as possible, spreading your fingers out as widely as you can. Take a deep breath and hold, release all of the air and hold your breath out and then release, take a few more long deep breaths and enjoy the energy flowing through your body.
As you advance, you may want to visualise the energy flowing in through the top of your head (crown chakra) and with close eyes ‘see’ the energy leave through the third eye point. This is known as an L-form mediation.