Kirtan & Bhakti Yoga Training in Switzerland
Learn Harmonium, Mantra Singing, Voice, Rhythm, Bhakti Yoga and the Art of Leading Kirtan
5 Day Kirtan Training in Switzerland with Punnu Wasu and Prasadini
May 20 - 24, 2027 Schweibenalp, Brienz, Switzerland
For more information about the Kirtan Training in Bali check 👉 HERE 👈
Are you a Kirtan lover who feels called to sing, chant and share sacred sound from the heart?
Would you love to learn how to lead Kirtan, play harmonium, chant mantras with confidence and bring the healing power of devotional music into your personal practice, yoga classes, meditation sessions, retreats, ceremonies or community gatherings?
This 5 day Kirtan Training in Switzerland is a transformational journey into mantra, voice, harmonium, rhythm, Bhakti Yoga and the art of leading Kirtan with authenticity, devotion and joy.
You will study traditional and contemporary ways of playing and singing devotional mantras, with inspiration from Indian classical music, Bhakti Yoga, sacred chant and modern Kirtan. This training is taught by Punnu Wasu, an Indian vocalist, multi instrumentalist and lifelong practitioner of Kirtan, mantra and Bhakti Yoga, together with Kirtan singer and Bhakti Yoga practitioner Prasadini.
Rooted in the Indian devotional tradition and enriched by contemporary expression, this Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga Training bridges ancient wisdom with modern ways of sharing Kirtan in today’s yoga, meditation and healing communities.
This training is not only a music course. It is a journey of voice empowerment, heart opening, self expression and devotion. It helps you release self doubt, connect with your authentic voice and develop the practical skills to share mantra, music and sacred chant with others.
Studying with Punnu is also an experience in itself. His teaching brings together depth, joy, playfulness and a powerful presence that helps students feel safe, inspired and open. With decades of musical and spiritual experience, he guides students in a way that is both grounded and uplifting, making the learning process clear, alive and deeply heart opening.
You do not need to be a professional singer or musician. You do not need to read music. You do not need previous harmonium experience. Beginners are warmly welcome. You are also welcome if you do not plan to lead Kirtan professionally. Many participants join simply to deepen their personal practice, open their voice, learn harmonium, connect with mantra and experience the joy of singing from the heart.
What matters most is your love for mantra, your openness to learn and your willingness to explore your voice with sincerity, curiosity and joy.
Why Join This Kirtan Training?
This Kirtan Training is for anyone who feels called to sing, chant, play, pray and share sacred sound with others.
Whether you are completely new to music or already leading Kirtan, you will be guided step by step in mantra, voice, harmonium, rhythm, Bhakti Yoga philosophy and the art of holding space through devotional chanting.
You will learn how to lead Kirtan with more confidence, how to accompany your own voice with harmonium or other instruments, how to understand the meaning and pronunciation of sacred mantras, and how to guide call and response chanting in a natural, grounded and heart centered way.
This training is not about perfection. It is about devotion, presence, connection and joy. It is about discovering your natural voice, opening the heart and learning how to share sacred music with sincerity, confidence and authenticity.
The practice itself is deeply heart opening. Through mantra, music, rhythm and shared devotion, Kirtan invites the mind to soften, the voice to open and the heart to feel more alive. Many students leave not only with new skills, but with a deeper connection to themselves, to others and to the joy of devotional practice.
By the end of the training, you will have practical tools to begin leading simple Kirtans, or to deepen your own personal mantra and harmonium practice with more confidence, understanding and joy.
This 5 day training gives you a strong and inspiring foundation. How far you go depends on your previous experience, your natural skills, your practice, your confidence and your personal commitment. Some students may feel ready to lead simple Kirtans after the training, while others may use it as a deep beginning for their own practice and future learning.
Who Is This Training For?
This Kirtan Training in Switzerland is suitable for complete beginners, intermediate students and experienced Kirtan leaders.
This training is for you if you:
· Want to learn Kirtan for your own heart, home practice and personal joy, even if you do not plan to lead groups
· Want to deepen your personal mantra, meditation and Bhakti Yoga practice
· Want to learn harmonium, rhythm, voice and mantra pronunciation
· Want to feel more confident with singing, chanting and being heard
· Feel called to lead Kirtan in yoga studios, retreats, ceremonies or community circles
· Already lead Kirtan and want to refine your voice, harmonium, rhythm and group leading skills
· Are a yoga teacher who wants to bring mantra chanting into yoga classes
· Are a meditation teacher who wants to use mantra as a tool for inner stillness
· Are a sound healer, musician, therapist, retreat leader or space holder
· Want to overcome fear around singing, speaking, leading or being seen
· Want to connect more deeply with Bhakti Yoga, mantra, music and devotion
No previous musical experience is required. You will be supported according to your level, so you can learn at your own pace in a safe, encouraging and heart centered learning environment.
Beginners, intermediate students and advanced practitioners are divided into groups depending on their skills, experience and interest.
What Is Kirtan?
Kirtan is a sacred call and response chanting practice from the Bhakti Yoga tradition of India, where mantras are sung together in community with voice, rhythm, clapping, devotion and presence.
A lead singer or group offers sacred melodies, divine names and healing mantras, and the group responds. In this way, music becomes meditation, mantra becomes prayer and singing becomes a pathway into the heart.
Kirtan is joyful, powerful and deeply meditative. It can calm the mind, awaken devotion, soften the heart and create a deep sense of connection with yourself, with others and with the divine.
The mantras used in Kirtan carry sacred sounds, spiritual qualities and deeper meanings that go beyond words. They invite inner peace, unity, well being and a remembrance of our true nature.
More than music, Kirtan is a heart opening practice of mantra, meditation, devotion and sacred sound. It is a space where the restless mind becomes quiet, the heart becomes free and joy becomes part of the path.
Learn Harmonium, Mantra Singing And Kirtan Leadership
The harmonium is one of the most beloved instruments used in Kirtan, mantra singing and Bhakti Yoga practice. During this training, you will learn how to use the harmonium as a support for your voice, your breath and your devotional practice.
Beginners will learn simple and accessible ways to accompany mantras and Kirtans, including melody, basic chords, rhythm support and intuitive playing. More experienced students will receive guidance in deeper arrangement, rhythm, voice, improvisation and Kirtan leadership.
You will practice how to structure a Kirtan, introduce mantras, guide call and response chanting, hold space for a group and bring together voice, harmonium, rhythm and devotion in a natural and grounded way.
You do not need to read music or have previous harmonium experience. The training is designed to help you discover musical freedom, connection to your voice and confidence in devotional singing.
If you have your own harmonium, we recommend bringing it with you, so you can become more familiar with your own instrument during the training. You are also welcome to bring other instruments, such as guitar, ukulele, shruti box, drum, kartals or any instrument you already use for mantra, meditation or devotional music.
Voice Empowerment And Authentic Self Expression
Your voice is more than sound. It is an expression of your heart, your presence and your inner devotion.
This Kirtan Training includes vocal practice, breathwork, Indian classical voice exercises, mantra chanting, Nada Yoga and group singing to help you open and strengthen your voice in a natural way.
You will be guided to explore your voice with more freedom, confidence and trust. You will learn how to use breath, tone, rhythm and pronunciation to support your singing and chanting.
This training supports you in releasing fear, self judgment and the belief that you are “not musical enough.” You will discover that Kirtan is not about having a perfect voice. It is about singing with sincerity, presence and devotion.
Punnu Wasu
Punnu Wasu is an Indian vocalist, musician, songwriter and multi instrumentalist, born and raised in India, in a family deeply rooted in Kirtan, Bhakti Yoga and spirituality.
He began studying harmonium and singing at the age of five. By the age of ten, he was immersed in Indian classical music and Hindustani music, travelling with his father throughout India and singing the sacred verses of Kirtan.
Over the years, Punnu also studied mandolin and tabla, expanding his musical journey into a rich expression of devotion, rhythm and sacred sound. Today, he shares Kirtan, Xtatic Kirtan, also known as Ecstatic Kirtan, Indian fusion, Indian classical music, Sufi music, Bollywood music and sound healing with audiences around the world. He is also featured in the documentary The Power of Mantra.
As the founder of his Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga Training School and Sound Healing Training School, Punnu offers Kirtan training in Bali and Switzerland, as well as Sound Healing training in Bali. His teachings bring together mantra singing, harmonium, voice, rhythm, Bhakti Yoga, meditation and the healing power of sound.
Through his trainings and workshops, students are guided to learn the musical foundations of Kirtan while also discovering its deeper essence as a heart opening practice of devotion, presence, joy, connection and inner transformation.
Studying with Punnu is not only about learning music, mantra and harmonium. It is also an experience of being in the presence of a teacher who brings depth, joy and lightness into the learning space. His way of teaching is playful, intuitive and deeply heart centered, helping students feel safe to explore their voice, open their hearts and discover the joy of Kirtan from the inside out.
Training Overview
· Daily chant of the day
· Vowel modification and vocal technique
· Voice opening and voice empowerment practices
· Indian classical voice exercises, including Sargams, Alankars, Alap and Ragas
· Sanskrit, Gurbani, Sufi and contemporary chants
· Mantra singing and chanting with small and bigger groups
· Breathwork and Pranayama techniques to support voice opening and voice control
· Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound
· Yoga philosophy, Bhakti Yoga philosophy and the history of Kirtan
· Traditional Indian deity stories and spiritual practices
· Proper pronunciation and meanings of mantras
· Using mantra as a tool to deepen meditation
· Basic harmonium accompaniment for new students
· Melody lines, simple chords and rhythm support for mantra and Kirtan
· Advanced harmonium, tanpura and percussion techniques for experienced students
· Basic and advanced Kirtan arrangements
· Percussion workshop with tabla, drums, kartals and tala rhythms
· Kaherwa and Bhajani beats
· Performance coaching on chosen or suggested songs
· Exploring the possibility of creating your own chant compositions
· How to structure and lead a Kirtan
· How to introduce mantras and guide call and response chanting
· How to hold space for a group through mantra, music and devotional presence
· Guidance for bringing Kirtan into yoga classes, meditation sessions, retreats, healing spaces, ceremonies and community gatherings
· Participants are divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced groups depending on their skills and interest
What You Can Take With You After The Training
After this Kirtan Training, you will have more confidence, inspiration and practical tools to continue your journey with mantra, harmonium, voice, music and devotion.
Depending on your experience and practice, you may feel ready to lead simple Kirtans, or you may use what you learned to deepen your own personal practice.
You will be able to:
· Lead simple Kirtans with more confidence
· Play selected mantras on harmonium or other instruments
· Accompany your own voice with harmonium
· Use rhythm, breath and voice more consciously
· Understand the meaning and pronunciation of important mantras
· Guide call and response chanting in a clear and natural way
· Bring mantra and chanting into yoga classes, meditation sessions, retreats, ceremonies or personal practice
· Build a simple home practice with mantra, harmonium and chanting
Kirtan For Yoga Teachers, Meditation Teachers And Space Holders
This training is especially valuable for yoga teachers, meditation teachers, retreat leaders, sound healers, therapists, musicians and space holders who wish to bring mantra, chanting and devotional music into their classes, workshops, ceremonies or personal offerings.
You will learn how mantra can support meditation, deepen presence, open the heart and create a sacred atmosphere.
Kirtan can be beautifully integrated into yoga classes, meditation sessions, sound healing journeys, cacao ceremonies, retreats, women’s circles, men’s circles, spiritual gatherings and community events.
You will learn how to share Kirtan in a way that is simple, respectful, soulful and accessible, even if your students or participants have never chanted before.
Community, Connection And Sacred Sound
Kirtan is not only a personal practice. It is also a practice of community, connection and shared devotion.
During the training, you will experience the power of chanting in community, where voices come together, hearts open and music becomes a shared prayer.
Through group practice, sacred sound, devotional presence and supportive learning, students are invited to feel connected, inspired and uplifted.
The group field becomes a safe space where you can explore your voice, learn from others and discover the joy of singing and chanting together.
Kirtan Training Benefits
· Experience the benefits of ancient and modern sacred mantra repetition as applied to chanting and meditation
· Enjoy the 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 English songs
· Gain insight into yoga philosophy, Bhakti Yoga, traditional Indian deity stories and spiritual practices
· Learn how to explain mantra, Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga in accessible modern language
· Study the instruments used for Kirtan
· Explore the possibility of adapting mantras to your own original musical compositions
· Receive chant sheets and study material with mantra lyrics, meanings, pronunciation guidance, practice notes and musical support for your continued practice
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 and design in Germany and co-led a yoga centre in Frankfurt for two years before gradually shifting her life more and more to India, where she lived with her spiritual teacher AMMA.
During the summer months, she leads Vedic ceremonies in the centre 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
07:00 - 08:00am: Puja (light ritual) and silent meditation (optional)
08:00 - 09:00am: Breakfast
09:30 – 01:00pm: Pranayama techniques to help open the vocal cords, Nada Yoga (yoga of sound), Sargams & mantra chanting, harmonium, and percussion workshop (rhythm practice – Kaherwa and Bhajani beats and Kartals)
01:00 – 02:00pm: Lunch
02:00 – 03:00pm: Relaxation time
03:00 – 05:30pm: Bhakti Yoga philosophy, vocal and instrumental practice in small groups & group performances
06:00 – 07:00pm: Dinner
07:15 – approx. 08:30pm: Aarti (light ritual) and mantra chanting (optional)
1 hour homework (optional)
What's Included
· Full tuition, immersive study and practice
· Highly qualified and professional musician teachers and assistants
· In depth Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga book, useful chant sheets and study material
· Certificate of participation upon completion of the training
· Closed messaging group, a space for learning, sharing, asking questions and keeping in touch
Prices
Normal Price: CHF 1'290
Early Bird Price: CHF 1'161 (10% discount applies if fully paid at least 2 months before the training start date.)
Friendship Discount
Bring a friend and receive CHF 108 for you and your friend.
Accommodation
Accommodation, meals and travel expenses are not included.
Accommodation and meals can be booked directly by emailing info@schweibenalp.ch. They offer different room categories, including the option to bring your own tent or camper van. Prices include full board, with three organic vegetarian meals per day, including some vegan options. Price details can be found here.
If participants do not stay at Schweibenalp, an infrastructure fee applies. You can find the current fees on the Schweibenalp website.
Payment
The total amount is due upon registration. If your payment preference is PayPal, a 5% fee is added by PayPal.
Installments
Please contact us if you would like to pay in installments. A handling fee of CHF 50 applies.
Refund
Please 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 and pen
· Eye mask
· Earplugs
· Reusable water bottle
· Warm layers and comfortable indoor clothes
· Your own harmonium if you have one
· Your own instrument or instruments if you would like to use them
· Other instruments, such as guitar, ukulele, shruti box, drum or kartals, are welcome.
Graduation Requirement
No more than half a day of absence
Classroom 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.
First and Last Day Schedule
The training will start on the first day at 9:30 and finish on the final day at 17:00.
Insurance
All insurances, including health and travel insurance, are the responsibility of the participants. Teachers and assistants shall not be held liable for any damage, loss of property or injury to persons.
Fasting
Water and juice fasting are not recommended during the training.
Location
Schweibenalp is a peaceful retreat centre in the heart of Switzerland and Europe, located 1,100 metres above sea level. Surrounded by mountains, forests, waterfalls and the turquoise Lake Brienz, it offers a beautiful natural setting for deep study, practice and inner connection.
Schweibenalp is also home to the largest alpine permaculture project in Switzerland, where herbs, vegetables, flowers and fruit grow in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Depending on the season, some of what grows in the gardens finds its way into the kitchen, adding freshness, vitality and a deep sense of place to the meals.
For over 40 years, Schweibenalp has held daily morning and evening rituals, including Aarti, Puja, Havan and Yagya fire ceremonies. This living rhythm of devotion gives the place a deeply peaceful and spiritual atmosphere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need musical experience to join this Kirtan Training?
No. You do not need previous musical training. Beginners are warmly welcome. You will be guided step by step in voice, rhythm, harmonium, mantra pronunciation and devotional chanting.
Do I need to know how to sing?
No. You do not need to be a professional singer or have a trained voice. This training helps you connect with your natural voice, build confidence and sing from the heart.
Do I need to know how to play harmonium?
No. Previous harmonium experience is not required. Beginners will learn simple harmonium accompaniment, melody, rhythm support and basic ways to accompany mantra singing.
Do I need to own a harmonium?
No. You do not need to own a harmonium before joining the training. If you already have one, we recommend bringing it with you, so you can become more familiar with your own harmonium during the training.
Can I join if I already lead Kirtan?
Yes. Experienced students and Kirtan leaders are welcome. You will have the opportunity to refine your voice, harmonium, rhythm, arrangement, pronunciation, performance and group leading skills.
Is this training suitable for yoga teachers and meditation teachers?
Yes. This training is ideal for yoga teachers, meditation teachers, sound healers, retreat leaders and space holders who want to bring mantra, chanting, harmonium and devotional music into their classes, retreats, ceremonies or personal offerings.
Will I be able to lead Kirtan after the training?
This training gives you practical tools, confidence and guidance to begin leading simple Kirtans, deepen your personal practice and continue developing your skills. Your ability to lead will depend on your practice, experience and dedication after 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 would like more information about registration and payment.
Punnu's Kirtan training was a transformative journey into the heart of devotional music. His wisdom, guidance, and the divine energy he brought to each session were nothing short of extraordinary. I emerged from this experience not only with profound musical insights but also with a deeper connection to my soul. It was, without a doubt, a mind-blowing journey of spiritual and musical awakening.
SANDRA SMITH, CANADA