Ever since the beginning of the earliest communities, humans have gathered together to sing songs in praise of God, a Deity, Mother Nature or other representations of divinity that open the heart in love and devotion. However, it appears that, especially in our western society, singing can carry with it a certain amount of egocentricity and hoped-for stardom, hence the popularity of shows like The Voice, and the original American Idol.
To take the main focus off the individual and, instead, place it within a group setting is the aim of the weekly Sacred Chant Circle, which happens every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the new Sooke Yoga & Wellness. Facilitated by Tâm (Phil Rossner), a long-time guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and resident of Sooke, the sessions are becoming increasingly popular as people discover the joy of communal devotional singing. Chants and songs are from all spiritual traditions – Judaism, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, American Native – as well as the occasional popular song included that also has the effect of lifting the spirit (eg. Beatles, George Harrison, etc.)
As with meditation & mindfulness, which is also offered at Sooke Yoga every Sunday evening, the positive effects that these ancient traditions have on the mind and body have been scrutinized by the medical community and have been found to be extremely beneficial in having a profound healing effect on a variety of ailments – PTSD, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure – and numerous other stress-related maladies.
Popular musicians who specialize in imparting this form of chant and kirtan include Snatam Kaur, Krishna Das, Deva Premal and numerous others. Now you have the opportunity to experience the beautiful and uplifting art of chant and song on a weekly basis free of charge in our community.
When: every Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Sooke Yoga & Wellness, 6750 Westcoast Road, Sooke.
Further information: contact Sooke Yoga at 250-642-9642; www.sookeyoga.com
