Kirtan Kriya Meditation

For beginners and people who tend to very anxious or restless and always on the go, it can be difficult to start a meditation technique. It can be hard for people to sit still for a stretch of even 20 minutes. Usually they end up giving up within the first few minutes. Kirtan Kriya meditation gives such people a sense of multi tasking as it requires the constant movement of the fingers and thumbs of both hands, a constant repetition of a mantra and something to focus on mentally and visually during Shambhavi Mudra. Try this meditation for 12 minutes daily for 12 weeks and enjoy its wonderful benefits.

Benefits of Kirtan Kriya Meditation:

1. Increases one’s intuitive abilities.

2. Helps eliminate negative thoughts and allows a positive state of mind to come on naturally.

3. Bestows health and longevity

4. Reduces stress, bestows mental poise, and improves concentration and focus.

5. Helps to break old habits and addictions

6. A study conducted by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation showed performing kirtan kriya meditation 12 minutes a day for 8 weeks increased blood flow to the brain and increased brain activity in the parts of the brain that are central to memory. When done for 12 week, there was an increase in well being, spirituality and mood.

7. Activates the crown chakra and ajna chakra, thereby stimulating the pituitary and pineal glands respectively.

This meditation involves visualization, and chanting mantras while performing certain finger positions.

1. Sit in easy pose (cross legged) or on a chair.

2. Make sure to keep your spine straight and your chin slightly tucked.

3. Place your hands, palms facing up on each knee.

4. Close your eyes and turn your gaze upwards to the space between the eyebrows (third eye chakra/ajna chakra). This is called Shambhvi mudra

5. Begin by repeating mantra sounds while doing the hand mudras (gestures/positions) as shown below.

Chant saaa (means birth) and press the finger tips of the Index Finger + Thumb (bestows wisdom)

Chant Taaa (means life) and press the finger tips of the Middle Finger + Thumb (increases focus)

Chant Naaa (means death) and press the finger tips of the ring Finger + thumb (bestows vitality/energy)

Chant Maa (means rebirth)and press the finger tips of the little Finger + thumb ( improves communication)

6. As you chant, visualize the sounds entering through the crown of the head and leave through the third eye chakra in an L-shaped form.

• Chant in a normal voice for 2 minutes.

• Chant in a whisper for 2 minutes.

• Chant mentally for 4 minutes.

• Chant in a whisper for 2 minutes.

• Chant aloud for 2 minutes.

• Sit completely silently and still for 1 minute

• To end, inhale deeply, raise your arms above your head and bring them down in a sideways sweeping motion.

The total time for the meditation is therefore 13 minutes.

You may alternately do the 31 minute version which involves:

• Chant in a normal voice for 5 minutes.

• Chant in a whisper for 5 minutes.

• Chant mentally for 10 minutes.

• Chant in a whisper for 5 minutes.

• Chant aloud for 5 minutes.

• Sit completely silently and still for 1 minute

• To end, inhale deeply, raise your arms above your head and bring them down in a sideways sweeping motion.

The total time for the meditation is therefore 31 minutes.