Kirtans

In the Nithyananda Sangha, we participate in Kirtans by singing, dancing and celebrating the divine everyday. Why? Because how we are breathing and approaching life, especially in the early morning decides how we are going to be the whole day.

A closely related term to Kirtan is bhajan; bhajan is a prayerful song, which involves an internal, more meditative technique, usually in a sitting position. This is in contrast to kirtans, which are normally performed while standing, if not dancing. Kirtan is an uncomplicated and effective way of experiencing Bhava Samadhi.

Scriptural references

yatprāṇena na prāṇiti yena prāṇaḥ praṇīyate tadeva brahma tvaṁ viddhi nedaṁ yadidamupāsate || 9 ||

Translation That, that which one breathes, not with the breathing, but by which the breath, in-breathes vital life energy, prāṇa, being impelled by that Source of life, you must know That alone as Brahman, and not this, which is worshipped and cherished work-shipped here as the limited object.

Explanation “From Jnana Sambandhar to Ramakrishna, all the great incarnations have agreed and accepted the power of Kirtan. They all promoted Kirtan so much. This is one of the direct ways to blow away all the incompletions, clear all the incompletions away.”- Paramahamsa Nithyananda Paramashivam

When we breathe, we don’t just breathe air. We breathe the space. We breathe the Prana - the life energy of people around us. When we sing and dance, and especially in the energy field and presence of Paramahamsa Nithyananda, the whole body breathes the joy and excitement. Joy and celebration becomes part of our bio-memory and muscle-memory. Kirtan is a technique for Bhava Samadhi.

Also, music has the ability to take you to the plane from which it comes out. For instance, if a singer is singing from lust, it will push you to the space of lust. If a singer is singing from fear, it will take you to the release of adrenaline. If a singer is singing from love, it will take you to the space of love.

When we sing from the space of Advaita (Oneness), everyone who listens to the music experiences Advaita. Kirtan is a powerful tool to experience Advaita, oneness and completion.

Nithya Kirtan pushes the right emotional buttons and awakens your Kundalini Shakti, your consciousness. I tell you, the Kundalini awakened, energy released, consciousness raised is ten times more if your emotional button is pushed than your intellectual button getting pushed! It is time one of the important aspects is added to the sangha, added to our every-day life, added to our spiritual practice, added to our spiritual sadhana to awaken our inner potential energy and Kundalini Shakti.” - Paramahamsa Nithyananda Paramashivam

Rudrakanyas

Singing and Dancing in the remembrance of Sadashiva is a spiritual practice in Hinduism. Rudrakanyas are traditional temple dancers who live in temple premises, and take part in all the sacred rituals happening in the temple, and express Sadashivatva through dance. They experience the ultimate Bhava Samadhi of being Sadashiva just through Nithya Kirtans.

Kirtans - A Powerful Tool for Awakening the Kundalini Shakti When we breathe, we do not just breathe the air. We are breathing the space. In that, we are breathing people, the things, and the memories which are kindled by the things and persons in that space.

Rudrakanyas are highly evolved beings, who can entangle thousands to awaken their Kundalini Shakti, just by singing and dancing the Lord’s name. Their devotion, bliss and love is mirrored on all, as they entangle in the high energy.

Rudrakanyas - Scriptural References in the Agamas

In Chapter 8 of the Purvardha in the Skanda Purana, Mahadeva instructs~

• Verse 70

Create girls engaged in the worship of lord Shiva. They shall be conversant in the art of dancing and singing. They shall be endowed with beauty of form and good fortune.

• Verse 71

They must possess beautiful graces and charms. They shall be the bestowers of love and ever-pure and sacred.

• Verse 72

For doing divine services command your disciples who are conversant with the Vedas and brilliant due to their good conduct. They shall be amiable and well-behaved with pure minds. They should have had the Shaiva initiation. They shall be experts in the Agamas pertaining to Shiva. They shall be clean and free from impurities.

Reviving the Rudrakanya Sampradaya

Gummi Songs

Gummi songs are created by the 18 Mahasiddhas (great incarnations) of South India. When we dance to them in the prescribed way, which is to continuously whirl and move all nine points of the body simultaneously (knees, hips, elbows, shoulders and neck), our system opens up. These words enter your system, work as a mantra, and change the bio-memory and muscle memory in us. It is an ancient method of creating right biomemories and muscle memories.

Siddha Whirling Technique

The siddha whirling technique is the dancing style that goes with gummi songs. When we whirl and dance to gummi songs, the churning causes the pitta in the body to open up. Because of that,

References

16 August 2016 Satsang Transcript - Prana is Life Energy - http://www.nithyananda.org/video/prana-life-energy#gsc.tab=0 19 August 2016 Satsang Transcript - Technique to Reach Sahaja Samadi - http://www.nithyananda.org/video/technique-reach-sahaja-samadhi#gsc.tab=0 http://nithyananda.org/video/space-not-place-matters#gsc.tab=0 http://www.dhyanapeetam.org/photo-gallery/nithyananda-diary-25th-august-2016-nithyananda-peetham-bengaluru-aadheenam-krishna-jan?page=2#gsc.tab=0 https://www.facebook.com/rudrakanya/