Kirtan Meditation is the technique of praising and glorifying any form of divinity through singing or repetition of a mantra, which helps to invoke love for God(1).

Read a little. Meditate more. Think of God all the time.

-Paramahansa Yogananda

Kirtan is the method of praising the Lord through different expressions such as poetry, dance, drama, and different forms of oral recitation(1). The most popular form of Kirtan is singing a mantra that praises any form of the Almighty(1). The technique involves the union with the Divine through devotion and love, which is a form of Bhakti Yoga, which is one of the yoga practices mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita(1). 

The primary goal of Kirtan Meditation is to awaken and nurture the meditator’s devotion for God(1). The practice also helps to make the practitioners become more devotional and break their bad habits, while healing negative memories and trauma(2). It is believed that Kirtan is most potent when one practices it through music and singing(1). Another great aspect of the technique is that its outcome does not depend on the skill of the practitioner. Kirtan Meditation offers a great spiritual experience of praying for the love of God, to everyone equally(1).

History/Origins

Spiritual practices have always been a part of Hindu traditions and their mentions can be found in historical Hindu texts(1). However, Kirtan emerged as a technique of worship during the sixth century, when the Bhakti Movement began with the Tamil poet saints of South India. It then slowly became popular in the other parts of India(1). Kirtan is commonly practiced in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), where it is performed in the ISKCON Temples(3).

The heat of midnight tears will bring you to God.

-Meera

Benefits of Kirtans

According to a research paper by Erica Benedicto(5), Kirtan Meditation can positively affect people with stress and Alzheimer’s disease. Continuous practice of the technique can also improve memory functions. Another article published in the Complementary Therapies in Medicine journal(6) informs that Kirtan Meditation is effective for adults who are suffering from subjective cognitive decline. The research suggests that it is particularly effective for people with early signs of memory loss. 

 

References

  1. hinduamerican.org | What Is Kirtan by Syama Allard
  2. Avery | A Woman’s Book of Meditation: Discovering the Power of a Peaceful Mind by Hari Kaur Khalsa
  3. AuthorHouse | Meditation Over Medication by Ravi K. Puri | 8.1 Kirtan Meditation
  4. Wiley | Yoga After 50 For Dummies by Larry Payne
  5. Integrative Medicine Alert | Volume 19, Issue 1 | 2016 | Kirtan Kriya Meditation on Stress and Alzheimer’s Disease by Erica Benedicto
  6. Complementary Therapies in Medicine | Volume 26 | 2016 | A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Simple Mind-Body Programs, Kirtan Kriya Meditation and Music Listening, For Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: Feasibility and Acceptability by Kim E. Innes, Terry Kit Selfe, Dharma Singh Khalsa and Sahiti Kandati