Lake Isle Retreats, Ireland and UK - Meditation, spiritual life, Yoga and Eastern philosophy, Vegetarian Cookery classes

Kirtan -
Music of the Soul Weekend

Friday May 18th to Sunday 20th 2012

candle-light Kirtan

Experience the intensely exotic and spiritually stirring sounds of kirtan - sacred mantra music. The call-and-response tradition of these mantra chants involves one lead singer, some musicians, and the entire audience fully particpating in the calming and melodious chants.

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It's not required that you have any experience whatsoever with sacred chant music of the ancient Vedic and Bhakti traditions of India.

In fact, this retreat is suitable for absolutely anyone - whether you are new to the experience or whether you're familiar with kirtan.

Kirtan with Fiona Gracey, Tim McEvitt, Monika Radek (violin) and others

Schedule

Friday
6.00pm	Arrive and registration
7.00pm	Dinner
8.00pm	Evening candle-light chant

Saturday
7.00am	(Optional) Spiritual Greeting Chant of the Morning (this event goes on every morning in the temple)
7.30am	(Optional) Morning class
8.30am	Yoga - hatha yoga exercises, suitable if you haven't done any yoga before. If you have some physical issues and wish to skip the yoga that is fine
9.30am	Breakfast
10.30am	Nature walk 'n talk around island with Fiona Gracey
11.30am	Relaxing chant music
12.00pm	Mind Body Spirit talk/ discussion on meditation and kirtan
1.30pm	Lunch
2.30pm	Meet at front porch and prepare to depart to Crom estate for woodland and island walk. Crom Estate is a 2000 acre nature reserve with woodland, lake-side and island habitats; a visitors centre, display and gift-shop; two castles and two ancient yew trees that are over a thousand years old, probably the oldest trees in Ireland. Options: rather than come on this walk you are also welcome to stay back on Inis Rath Island, relax and take a massage or reiki therapy (see details below).
6.30pm	Return from walk
7.00pm	Evening Kirtan chants. Dinner available from this time - it will be a self-service buffet, so you can take some dinner any time of the evening, as it suits you. The candle-light music chants will continue all evening into the night.

Sunday
7.00am	(Optional) Spiritual Greeting Chant of the Morning (this event goes on every morning in the temple) followed by morning class (a talk and discussion).
8.30am	Yoga
9.30am	Breakfast
11.00am	Kirtan chants in temple room
12.30pm	Arati (ancient ceremony) along with melodious kirtan
1.00pm	Introductory talk on ancient Vedic philosophy
2.15pm	The Sunday Feast
3.30pm	Depart

What does Kirtan sound like?
Here are some examples: Note - only press play once and then wait two seconds for the music to begin

Kripamoya Das leads an energetic kirtan at Bhaktivedanta Manor, amid trumpet clarion calls and dynamic beats

Sivarama Swami - Prayers of the Vaishnava Acaryas. Calming melodious bhajan

A live kirtan at a temple event with Sivarama Swami. This kirtan lasts for over an hour and you'll notice the tempo gradually building up... (highly recommended)

To see some kirtan chant sessions on Inis Rath visit our YouTube account by searching 'janaki1008' on YouTube. Note: no gap between 'janaki' and '1008'.

Images from kirtan events on Inis Rath in previous years:

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