Full Moon Kirtan

One of the greatest things about being a travel writer is that sometimes you venture no farther than your front door to find a truly interesting story. Last night, this was the case for me as I attended a Full Moon Kirtan yoga session near my house.

For the past few months I have been practicing yoga at Southern Star Yoga, a studio only a couple minutes away from my Oxford home. Although I still consider myself a beginner, the classes I’ve taken so far have been extremely beneficial for my mind, soul, and body. Most of the classes offered at Southern Star fall under the category of Raja yoga, a form of yoga that uses meditation to bring the mind and emotions into balance.

Kirtan yoga, the yoga of love, is a bit different from Raja. It involves the chanting of Hindu Sanskrit to evoke emotion, joy, and insight into one’s spirituality. Every now and then, the yogis at Southern Star offer different classes, workshops, or special events, and I received an email earlier last week detailing this two-hour Full Moon Kirtan session. No experience necessary, the email read—all one needed to bring was an open heart and mind, and vegetarian dish to share for a potluck. This was right up my alley.

I walked into the studio yesterday evening a few minutes before 6 p.m., with my fresh veggie lasagna in tow, having no idea what to expect. I was one of the first to arrive. The room was dimly lit, and yoga blankets and mats were arranged in a semi-circle around Stevi Self, a co-owner of the studio, and a man clad in white linen seated behind a large Sitar, a Hindustani classical stringed instrument.

Participants continued to arrive, and soon the chanting began.

The first chant was “Ganesha Sharanam,” and we recited the line “Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha” over and over in musical harmony. Our handout offered up info about each chant and explained that, “Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles and is invoked at the beginning of any endeavor. He also bestows wisdom and knowledge.” This chant came first so that any obstacles among the group could be removed to allow for a successful Kirtan session.

Chanting continued with “Om Namo Shivaya.” This chant was “Salutation to Shiva,” the destroyer of the Hindu Trinity. It was important in destroying each of our egos. Next came “Baba Hanuman,” a chant of devotion, followed by “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudeva,” “Babanam Kevalum,” and we commenced our chanting with the recitation of “Gayatri Mantra.”

When the musical celebration came to an end, I felt extremely light and happy. During every chant, I imagined different people or aspects of my life that applied to the meaning behind the chant. This helped in keeping my mind present during the session—which can prove quite challenging for me sometimes.

Our Kirtan session worked up quite the appetite among our group, so we promptly hit up the vegetarian buffet of quiche, tofu pasta, pimento cheese sandwiches, cookies, black bean hummus, lasagna, and much more. It was delicious. I walked out of the studio with a happy belly, happy heart, and a new and exciting experience under my belt.

For their next Kirtan session, Stevi hopes to marry the event with a Full Moon drum circle that is hosted every month by the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group in Oxford. I am very much looking forward to it!