Kirtan Bhakti Bliss Academy
Learn The Power Of Kirtan & Mantra
July 2 - 6, 2024
Schweibenalp, Brienz
Are you a Kirtan lover and passionate about singing and chanting from the heart? Would you love to share this ancient & modern spiritual practice with the world?
This is a unique and transformational opportunity to study traditional and contemporary styles of playing and singing devotional mantras. Learn to express yourself through music referencing both Indian classical music and contemporary (Western) music, taught by Kirtan master Punnu Wasu and Kirtan singer Prasadini.
Punnu and Prasadini bring a playful and empowering teaching style to this heart, soul, and voice-activating intensive training. Their profound knowledge and vast experience in Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga, combined with their music background and devoted approach to teaching, provide an incredibly inspirational musical experience.
This training is accessible to beginners with no previous musical training, people with intermediate experience and Kirtan leaders who want to refine their skills.
What is Kirtan?
Kirtan is not merely music; it is the living legacy of devotion that blossomed during the 15th-century Bhakti yoga movement in India.
Envision this: A lead group, like spiritual torchbearers, invokes mesmerizing melodies and sacred mantras. In this enchanting call-and-response dance, the crowd becomes a vibrant river of claps and joyful dances, their rhythms intertwining and spiraling higher. It's not just music - it's a profound journey that stirs the heart and soul.
Yet, Kirtan is not confined to jubilant rhythms; it is a voyage into the depths of meditation. Amidst the music's passionate embrace, you'll discover moments of profound stillness and unadulterated bliss, where your soul finds sanctuary.
Kirtan's purpose is transformation - it beckons singers to dissolve into the song, like individual drops merging seamlessly into the vast ocean of consciousness. The mantras, rich in meaning, are recitations of divine names and qualities, articulating elemental philosophical truths.
But the true essence of these mantras transcends mere words. It's discovered in the unity they invoke, the sense of well-being they nurture, and the timeless serenity they awaken. These mantras silence the restless mind, while the music liberates the captive heart. In Kirtan, ecstasy isn't just the destination - it's the very path we walk.
So, what is Kirtan? It is a captivating odyssey of the soul, an invitation to unite with the divine, and a celebration of the boundless joy residing within us all.
Meet Punnu Wasu
Punnu Wasu is an Indian vocalist, musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was born and raised in Hyderabad into a family that has a true love for kirtan and spirituality. He began studying harmonium and singing at the tender age of 5. At age 10, he moved on to studying the Indian Classical Music (Hindustani) while travelling with his father throughout India singing the beautiful verses of Kirtan.
Later on he also studied mandolin and tabla. He performs Kirtan, Xtatic Kirtan, Indian Fusion, Indian Classical music, Sufi, Bollywood music as well as Sound Healing around the world. Punnu is featured in the documentary The Power of Mantra. He has his own Kirtan Academy and Sound Healing Academy and also leads music workshops in combination with yoga & meditation globally.
Training Overview
Daily chant of the day
Vowel modification and vocal technique
Toning sessions for the voice through Classical Indian Sargams/Alankars, Alap and Ragas
Develop devotion through the voice
Sanskrit, Gurbani, Sufi & Contemporary chants
Chanting with small and large groups
Mastering the breath in order to have better voice control and sustain
Yoga and Bhakti philosophy & history of Kirtan
Basic arrangement, harmonium, tanpura and percussion techniques for new students
Advanced arrangement, harmonium, tanpura and percussion techniques for experienced students
Percussion workshop: Tabla, different drums and kartals (talas) rhythms
Proper pronunciation and meanings of mantras
Using mantra as a tool to deepen meditation
Performance coaching on chosen or suggested songs
Explore the possibilities of creating your own chant compositions
Develop effective skills for leading Kirtan community
In depth study of chants and integration with personal practice
Participants are divided into groups: Beginner, intermediate and advanced depending on their skills and interest
Kirtan Academy Benefits
Experience the benefits of ancient and modern sacred mantra repetition as applied to chanting and meditation. Enjoy the ecstasy and deep spiritual fulfillment of Bhakti Yoga practice. Learn the proper pronunciation and meanings of Sanskrit vedic chants from the Hindu tradition, Gurbani chants from the Sikh tradition, Sufi zikars and also English songs.
You will gain insight into Yoga philosophy, along with traditional Indian deity stories and practices, and learn to explain them in accessible modern language. Study the instruments used for Kirtan and explore the possibilities of adapting the mantras to your own original musical compositions.
Meet Prasadini
Prasadini found her love for Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of love and devotion) on her journeys through India
more than 15 years ago and since then her heart has been taking her back there every year to study and deepen her practice.
She studied art & design in Germany and was co-leading a Yoga Centre in Frankfurt for two years until she started to shift her life more and more to India to live with her spiritual teacher AMMA.
During the summer months, she leads Vedic ceremonies in the center of unity, SCHWEIBENALP, a retreat centre in Switzerland and organizes pilgrimages to India and the Himalayas for international tour groups.
Prasadini loves inspiring people to deepen their spiritual path and encouraging them to listen to their heart and trust their intuition.
Daily Schedule
09:00 – 10:00am: Silent Meditation, Mantra, and Pranayama techniques to help open the vocal cords
10:00 – 01:00pm: Nada Yoga (yoga of sound) & Chanting, Percussion Workshop (rhythm practice – Kaherwa and Bhajani beats and Kartals) and Bhakti Yoga Philosophy
01:00 – 02:00pm: Lunch and Relaxation Time
02:00 – 05:00pm: Vocal and instrumental practice in small groups
05:00 – 06:00pm: Group performances
What's Included
Full tuition — Immersive study and practice
Highly qualified and professional musician teachers and assistants
In-depth Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga books and useful chant sheets
Certificate of participation upon completion of the module 1 training
Closed messaging group – A space is for learning, sharing, asking questions and keeping in touch
Prices
Module 1
CHF 1'290
Early Bird
10% discount when fully paid by May 1, 2024.
Friendship Discount
Bring a friend - CHF 108 for you and your friends
Accommodation
Accommodation, food and travel expenses are not included.
Accommodation & food can be booked at Schweibenalp. They offer different room categories starting from CHF 121 per night incl. full board (3 organic, vegetarian meals a day).
For participants who do not stay with Schweibenalp, they charge an infrastructure fee of CHF 25 per day for tea / water, use of the area and the seminar room.
Payment
Total amount upon registration
If your payment preference is PayPal a 5% fee is added by PayPal.
Installments
Please contact us for paying in instalments.
There will be a handling fee of CHF 50.
Refund
Refer to our refund policy regarding payment.
Further Information
Preparation
To get the most from the training, please listen to the mantras we suggest before arriving for the course
What To Bring
Comfortable clothes, notebook, pen, eye mask, earplugs, reusable water bottle. Bring your own instrument(s) if you have them.
Module 1 Graduation Requirement
No more than 1/2 day of absence during the training
Duration
Module 1: 5 days
The training concludes on the final day at 5:00pm.
Class Room Language
Punnu and Prasadini teach in English and Prasadini conducts classes in German upon request.
Special Music Requests and Private Classes
Punnu can teach mandolin playing if requested. Private music sessions in person or online can be booked with Punnu and Prasadini after the training.
Insurance
All insurances (incl. health and travel) are the responsibility of the participants.
Teachers and assistants shall not be held liable for any damage, or loss of property or injury to persons.
Fasting
Water and juice fasting are not recommended during the training.
Questions & Registration
Send us an email to book a phone call or Zoom if you have questions about whether this is the right training for you.
Please contact us if you are interested in attending, have any questions or for payment.
Punnu's Bhakti Bliss Kirtan Academy was an awe-inspiring immersion into the world of devotional music. His devoted teaching, soulful voice, and authentic passion for Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga are unmatched. As a true teacher with vast knowledge and experience, Punnu's guidance allowed me to delve deep into the heart of this sacred practice. It was an unforgettable journey of spiritual and musical growth that I'll forever cherish. I can't wait for the opportunity to return and dive even deeper into the wisdom of the one and only Punnu.
MARIE LEROC, FRANCE