Sacred Chants—A Divine Connection

How does sacred music deepen our connection to the Divine? Swami Nirvanananda, musician and spiritual teacher, shares how sacred chants and music can quiet our minds, bringing us to a deeper connection with the Divine.
#kriya yoga #yogananda # kirtan #sacred chants #bhakti #pratyahara

Swami Nirvanananda

Giorgio Kriegsch was born to devout parents, a Catholic mother and a Lutheran father in Trieste, Italy. In 1975 his life was changed after reading Paramahana Yogananda’s book, Autobiography of a Yogi. He was initiated into Kriya Yoga by Swami Hariharananda—a direct disciple of Yogananda’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar. During one of his early trips to India, Giorgio discovered the inspiring work of Father Marian Zelazek, who was helping the children of lepers in Puri, a city in eastern India. He asked Fr. Zelazek how he could help and was asked to seek sponsors to support this work. Giorgio began performing Kirtan (sacred chanting concerts) to raise funds. In 1992, in the holy city of Jagannath Puri in India, Giorgio took the final monastic vows of a sannyas and became Swami Nirvanananda Saraswati, meaning “the bliss of freedom from suffering.” He continues to travel the world, inspiring audiences withdevotional music and raising funds to help others.
WEBSITE: nirvanananda.org FB: Swami Nirvanananda

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Listening to this podcast was a supportive experience with the comforting presence of Swami Nirvanananda. In an hour filled with sacred chanting, he shared his heart, love and joy through his beautiful voice, guitar and harmonium playing. Step into this time with Dr.Trujillo and Swami Nirvanananda as they discuss how to deepen our connection to the Divine through sacred chanting. The mind becomes still through the attention to the breath and sound vibration. This was such a joyful time and so helpful in this moment in history.

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: Experiencing Swami ji’s music and chanting was a joy.  We discussed chanting as part of the practice of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion.  He shared chants in both English and Sanskrit, and I particularly was touched by his chant of the 23rd Psalm.  It was so moving that it brought tears to my eyes. Chanting is also a part of Interiorization, or Pratyahara, one of the eight limbs of yoga.  I believe listeners will experience both the joy and turning within that chanting brings by listening to this episode.