Kirtan Leader Blog

Harmoniums and Headaches

Since they were introduced in 2015, I have been enamored with the Bhava brand of harmoniums created by Old Delhi Music. Last fall I thought it might be wise to try a few others to see if they were...

She was a new student. Eager to learn, she had many questions. Toward the end of the conversation, she nervously asked, “Do I really have to learn Sargam to lead Kirtan?”

My response immediately set...

An Interesting Discovery

During a intensive group training program with advanced students in 2016, some deeply held and unarticulated assumptions of several longtime students came to the surface. I was surprised to discover...

Who am I?

What a powerful question. And, one that lives at the core of every conscious person I know. If you have been living in this question, perhaps the most powerful tool for self-understanding you can find is the Enneagram....

I frequently see confusion arising around the LEVEL’S in our school, which are distinct from the CLASSES and INTENSIVES we offer. The confusion tends to show up when students are looking to take our Level 2 or Level 3...

Check out the May 2020 issue of Yoga Journal for a fun article titled The Harmonium for Beginners. This article chronicles KLI student Jennifer Davis Flynn’s journey through our Level 1 (Launch Your Home Chant Practice) in...

Vocalist, voice teacher and Kirtan Leader Institute instructor Dawnia Dresser has a beautiful way of describing the difference between singing and sacred chant.

1. The External Loop 

Dawnia has been singing since age...

June 2019 I visited the Bay Area to work on new tracks and participate in a 4-day Integral Unfolding retreat.

I’m very lucky to have a beautiful and welcoming home in which to stay while in town. One evening I...

In May 2017 Yoga Journal published their first article on the Enneagram. Titled Who Am I? Use the Enneagram with Yoga to Find Your Answer, this well researched article was one of the first efforts to document the integration of...

Folks often ask me about how to pump their bellows effectively and appropriately. Each harmonium is unique, and the key is to refrain from over, or under pumping the bellows. Hand placement and airflow management...