Live Streaming Satsangs from Sivananda, Bahamas

Carved Om on the beach at the Sivananda Ashram, Bahamas

Hello Yogis and Yoginis!

Head's up!  The Sivananda Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas is now live-streaming their morning and evening satsangs (and even some of their workshops) on Facebook!

I know it's not the same as being there with the sun on your skin and sand between your toes, but I feel like it's the next best thing, like somehow we have been blessed with a siddhi to transcend time and space!  And in case you can't catch the events in real-time, please note that you can watch the recordings at your convenience.

I'd like to bring your attention in particular to this workshop with Krishna Das from last weekend's Yoga of Chant Retreat.  I found the questions very timely, and the answers are truly beautiful. 

The ashram cat also makes a special appearance at a particularly poignant moment that you won't want to miss. 😉  Forget Netflix for a night.  Watch this instead.  I think you'll be glad you did.

Sivananda Yoga Retreat, Workshop with Krishna Das, Saturday, February 22, 2020

Happy Mahashivaratri 2020!

Om Namah Shivaya

Tonight many yogis will be fasting, keeping vigil, meditating and chanting all night long in celebration of Lord Shiva, the Adiyogi, or "first yogi".

If you're in the Edmonton area, you can join celebrations at the Bhartiya Cultural Society starting at 6 pm.

If you'd rather participate from home, you can join Krishna Das  live online at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Bahamas' Facebook Page for the Mahashivaratri vigil starting at 8:45 pm tonight and continuing all night long!

Om Namah Shivaya!

Har Har Mahadev!

Jai Shiva Shambo!

Mantra Sangha with Sparrow

*Please note the change of venues below!

If you had a chance to attend a screening of the movie Mantra - Sounds into Silence recently, you may be as excited as I am to participate in a sangha or community of healing sound lovers.

Luckily, if you live in the Edmonton area, here is your opportunity!

Along with local music therapist, yogini and songwriter Sparrow (Tiffany Brulotte), I'm thrilled to be participating in a new project we call Mantra Sangha.

Weaving various forms of Japa, Kirtan, Meditation and Chanting into a tapestry of sound, silence, and spirit, Sparrow and I welcome you to experience for yourself the healing benefits of Mantra.

Currently, the dates are as follows:  October 19, November 2, November 30 and December 14, all at Shanti Yoga (10459 145 St) starting at 7 pm

Please note* We are adding and updating events so to confirm accurate dates, times and venues, you can check back here at Kali's Kitchen or visit Sparrow's Facebook page.

If you would like to book an event in your space, please contact either of us.  We will be happy to discuss it with you.

In the spirit of inclusivity and cultivating generosity, the fee for the events is based on Daana or "pay what you can".  We hope this will inspire you to come and bring your friends to share in the resonance of unity and harmony.

You do not need to be a singer or experienced meditator to join in.

"Come, come, whoever you are... Come, yet again, come." - Rumi

Turn up the Volume of Love

Image Source:  NDTV

Its been 50 years since The Beatles made their world famous trip to an ashram in Rishikesh, India.

Here are two short-but-sweet videos from UPLIFT TV highlighting the power of Love and the influence The Beatles had on Yoga in the west.

All You Need is Love

The Beatles and Mantra with Miten

Yoga Kirtan with Swami Vishnudevananda

Wow!  I had no idea this recording existed until today!

Well worth a listen... ummm well, except maybe the first four minutes or so.... but thanks to the wonders of technology you can just skip ahead!

Yoga Kirtan with Swami Vishnudevananda Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

This is Perfect

The Isha Upanishad begins with a beautiful verse sometimes called the "Perfect Prayer":

Om Purnamadah Purnamidam
Purnat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya
Purnameva Vashishyate
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Purna may be translated as perfect, but also, whole, complete, infinite.

This is a beautiful sloka to chant when we feel gratitude for the synchronicities in life.  

Alternatively, it is also valuable in those moments when we feel our experiences are imbalanced or imperfect.

Here is a sweet and soothing rendition by Shantala.

And here is beautiful traditional version for those of you interested in learning to chant along:

Yogi Bhajan Birthday Celebration 2014

Photo of Yogi Bhajan's Feet

Saturday, August 23

2:00 – 6:00pm at Yoga Within

Come and be uplifted through the experience of video recorded teachings of Yogi Bhajan himself on this 9th annual celebration with Satwinder Sran and friends. (Including me!!) 

Join together with community for yoga, mantra, meditation, singing bowls, live kirtan and a delicious vegetarian dinner!

Suggested Donation: $50, all proceeds go directly to Guru Ram Das Center for Medicine and Humanology.

Contact Satwinder: s_sran@yahoo.com or (780)-457-6639



Full Moon Meditation and Kirtan, August 10

Hari Om Kirtan with Narayan Jyoti

Even if you can't make it to the live events during Raja Yoga Summer Camp's first Nine Nights of Sacred Sound, there are plenty of ways you can enjoy devotional chanting and uplifting vibrations.

I'm currently hitting replay over and over again on this Hari Om Kirtan with Narayan Jyoti!

Narayan Jyoti is one of my dearest bhakti brothers and fellow students, son of my teacher Sita Chaitanya of the Sivananda Yoga Retreat, Bahamas (now Swami Hridayananda), and direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda who gave him his name!

All his life he has been immersed in sacred sound.  Listen, you will feel it.

Sivananda Daily Chant, Jaya Ganesha

Anyone who has spent time in a Sivananda Ashram is familiar with this chant, sung twice daily, in the morning and evening satsangs. 

Here is an excellent version by Swami Hridayananda, Jaya Ganesha with lyrics.  I'm sure if you close your eyes it will bring you right back to the ashram, and here and now, bring the ashram to you!

Nine Nights of Sacred Sound, July 12-20 2014

Summer is the time for music and celebration! 

Just in case you can't get away on a "yoga vacation" to the bigger retreat centres and festivals, here is your chance to steep yourself in sacred sound and satsang, without leaving your own home town!

Join me and Raja Yoga Summer Camp at various locations in the Edmonton area.  You can join us for some or all of the events. 

Please note that the first and last days are by invitation only.  If you would like to attend, and are not already on the Raja Yoga Summer Camp mailing list, please let me know at:  tarawoltjen@yahoo.ca


Also note that some days, there is more than one event!

Nine Nights of Sacred Sound Schedule:

Day 1)  Saturday July 12:  Guru Purnima Puja at Tara's 1-4 pm * By invitation only!

Day 2)  Sunday July 13:  Shiv Puran Katha 10-12 am at Bhartiya Cultural Society

Songha with Sparrow and Friends at Noorish 7-9 pm

Day 3)  Monday July 14:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 4)  Tuesday July 15:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 5)  Wednesday July 16:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 6)  Thursday July 17:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 7)  Friday July 18:  Eight Limbs of Yoga 7-9 pm at Yoga Within

Day 8)  Saturday July 19:  The Power of Sacred Sound 2-4 pm at Yoga Within

Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 9)  Sunday July 20:  Shiv Puran Katha 10-12 am

Potluck Dinner and Kirtan at Tara's 5-8 pm *By invitation only!

The Power of Sacred Sound, July 19, 2014

Saturday, July 19, from 2-4 pm join me again at Yoga Within to experience the Power of Sacred Sound!

Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound, uses mantras, chanting, singing and storytelling to purify our hearing and speech, raising our vibrational resonance in the world and within.

Nada Yoga embraces the notion that the basic stuff of the universe is vibration. 

By attuning our resonance with it, using verbal, instrumental and subtle sound as a medium for meditation, we can not only enjoy, but elevate our lives.

No musical experience necessary!

The Power of Sacred Sound, June 27, 2014

Tibetan Singing Bowl, with Engraved Tara

This Friday, June 27, from 7-9 pm join me at Yoga Within to make some joyful noise!

Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound, uses mantras, chanting, singing and storytelling to purify our hearing and speech, raising our vibrational resonance in the world and within.

Nada Yoga embraces the notion that the basic stuff of the universe is vibration, and that by resonating with it, using verbal, instrumental and subtle sound as a medium for meditation, we can not only enjoy, but elevate our lives.



No musical experience necessary!

Summer Solstice with Satwinder Sran

I'm honored to be joining Satwinder Sran this Saturday, June 21 from 2-5pm for a Summer Solstice Celebration Fundraiser for the Guru Ram Das Center for Medicine and Humanology!

Satwinder says, "Join us for a powerful practice that can energize your system and give you renewal. Yogic practice on the summer solstice is said to be very potent and can set your energy for the next six months. Recharge yourself with yoga kriyas and meditations that connect you with your source of infinite energy and Healing".

I've been invited to sing, and share a chant for the earth, sky and heart, the Isht Sodhana Mantra! 

Celebrate the first day of summer, the light within and around us with yoga, meditation, chanting, and more!

Raja Yoga Summer Camp, 2014!

Summer is nearly upon us!  Get ready for 2014 Raja Yoga Summer Camp!

Last year we enjoyed kirtan, study nights, field trips and more!

This year we're getting even bigger, brighter and bolder than before, with temple tours, puja ceremonies, crafts, cooking demos, ayurveda, outdoor classes, karma yoga opportunities, free talks, weekend retreats, and even a nine-night yoga intensive!

Note*  Many of these events are by invitation only.  If you would like to be on the evite list, send me an email at:  tarawoltjen@yahoo.ca

Have a suggestion for an event, karma yoga project, field trip or topic of study?

Join us for the Raja Yoga Summer Camp Reunion and 2014 Planning Meeting on Wednesday May 7, 7 pm at Lingsa, in Sherwood Park, AB.

Schedule of events coming soon!

Seven Wheels: Free Music Download (4/9-4/22)

Hey, check it out!  MC Yogi has a new album called Mantras, Beats, & Meditations!

For a limited time, White Swan Records is offering a free download of the track "Seven Wheels".  Its a cool hip-hop trip up the spine through the seven chakras. 

Seven Wheels, Free Download

Who would enjoy this track? 

- Those of you in a Yoga Teacher Training course who are learning about the chakras, their related colors, elements, bija mantras and qualities. 

- Yogis and Yoginis who practice chakra-based yoga classes like Kundalini Yoga or my Sunday morning Intermediate Hatha Yoga based on the Yoga of Lady Niguma. 

- Anyone who likes hip hop beats with clever, clean, conscious rhymes!

Read this:

 Letter from MC Yogi: "Mantras, Beats & Meditations started as an simple idea: to make a record for yogis that would serve as a backdrop for the practices of yoga and meditation. At first the album was going to be an instrumental record that was more of a soundscape, but as the tracks started to take form it became clear that the teachings wanted to shine through . So, with a notebook full of lyrics I made a few calls and enlisted the help of three incredibly talented beat scientists.

First I called Jomial, whose Shaolin-influenced production style and bass heavy beats always make my head nod and entice me to rhyme.

Then I reached out to the Maestro and my right hand man, Robin Livingston, whose talents surpass any measuring devices. Robin's cosmic and brilliant mixing and production always bring out the best in me, and when he agreed I knew it was going to be magic.

Last but not least, we called up the Sound Ambassador himself, DJ Drez, whose beats have been knocking in my yoga classes for years. Drez often tours with us and always brings the best vibes.

Then, to deepen the sound, we brought in virtuoso Benjy Wertheimer on sarod, Michael Fecskes on cello and added the beautiful voice of Amanda Giacomini.

Together, we formed a divine alliance, mixing and blending different genres and styles but always pointing back to the golden age of hip hop that we all grew up listening to.

Taking a lot of inspiration from the Buddhist tradition, we also set the intention to lay down mantras that would serve as a daily reminder to connect with that inner space which has the power to satisfy the mind.

With great love we hope you enjoy these mantras beats and meditations."

Peace,
MC Yogi

Here's the link again, get it while its hot!  Only available until April 22!  

White Swan Records, Free Track Download, Seven Wheels by MC Yogi

Evening in Tibet, Saturday April 5, 2014

This is your last chance to purchase for tickets for Gaden Samten Ling's annual fundraising Evening in Tibet, dinner and silent auction!

- Live music!

- Tasty traditional Indian food!

- Unique silent auction items!

- Sparrow, singing kirtan style Buddhist mantras featuring original music she wrote especially for this event!

- Live auction for a one-of-a-kind fabulous butter sculpture by Kushok Lobsang Dhamchoe!

Don't miss it! 

Opening the Anahata Chakra





Rose, Candice's Garden Tour, Raja Yoga Summer Camp, 2013



"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

- Rumi, Sufi Mystic

The Heart Centre, or Anahata Chakra, is the main portal through which we relate to and accept ourselves and the world.  It is also considered the main knot in our energetic bodies.

Here are a few simple suggestions for opening the heart:

- Volunteer!  Karma Yoga or helping others, feels good for everyone and breaks down perceived barriers between "us" and "them".

- Sing!  Bhakti Yoga, chanting, singing, dancing, ceremony, arts, crafts and cultivating an connection with the Divine are wonderful ways to release and express pent-up emotions.

- Practice Yoga!  Hatha Yoga moves prana or energy, and shifts feelings of stagnation or contraction.  Energetic vinyasas like Surya Namaskar are great for strengthening the physical heart, and backward bends like Bhujangasana (Cobra), Dhanurasana (Bow), and Chakrasana (Wheel) are considered excellent "heart openers".

- Breathe!  Connecting with your breath is calming for the mind and the nervous system.

- Study the lives of those who live love!  Read the poems of Mirabai, Rumi, and Hafez.  Celebrate the lives of Jesus, St. Francis of Assissi, Mother Teresa, Mata Amritanandamayi, The 14th Dalai Lama and so many others who live loving-kindness or make a habit of doing small things with great love.

- Stop and smell the roses!  Roses have an exceptionally high vibrational frequency.  Even if you don't have a bottle of precious rose essential oil at home, you can visit your favorite Middle-Eastern grocer and buy some rose water to use instead of commercial facial toner, spread rose jam on your toast, and infuse dried rose petals in your tea.  Or take a trip to your local florist or greenhouse and bury your nose in the most fragrant blossom you can find!

For more inspiration about the Anahata Chakra and more suggestions for exploring your heart, check out this lovely post on the Free People blog.

Sparrow's CD Release Party, Nov. 16th!



Announcing the Release of Sharanam Sparrow, my dear friend and Bhakti-Sister, is releasing her long awaited Kirtan recording SHARANAM tomorrow, Saturday, November 16th, 2013! The Edmonton CD release will be held at the McMullen Gallery (room 1G1-8 of the Walter Mackenzie Center) at the U of A Hospital.  This is a gorgeous art gallery right off the main entrance from 112th Street and 85th avenue (8440 112th Street).           7pm   Doors       7:30   Music and chanting with Ojima Clarke, Andriko Lowozy and Kim Jorgensen       8:15   Songs and kirtan from 'Sharanam' with Sparrow and the Sparrow Spirit Band      10:00  Sound Journey with Kris Elaschuk and Blair Armstrong Entrance is $25.00 at the door, which includes a copy of the new CD. Sparrow's two previously released CDs will also be available onsite. There will be chairs and some floor seating but we welcome you to 'byoc' bring your own cushion as seating will be somewhat limited. If you are not in Edmonton, CDs and recordings will be available soon through: www.sparrowspirit.com

All Night Kirtan at Bhartiya Cultural Society