Exercise
While the Kirtan Kriya is traditionally practiced for 12 minutes, it is broken up into segments of time where you are chanting out loud, then in a soft voice, and then silently. The last two segments reverse the process, where you will chant in a soft voice and then finally in a full loud voice to end it. Because of this, I recommend downloading the free Kirtan Kriya Timer app where a bell chimes every time you need to switch so you don’t get caught up in tracking the time yourself. These are the components that make up this practice:
The four Sanskrit chanting sounds are Sa Ta Na Ma. This translates to birth, life, death, and rebirth, and it comes from the mantra Sat Nam used in kundalini yoga and meaning “my true essence.” This chant is done in a sing-song voice, such as “Saaaa, Taaaa, Naaaa, Maaaa.”
For each syllable you chant, there is a mudra, or finger position, you will use for both hands:
As you are chanting, your eyes are closed and looking upward behind your eyelids toward the center of your forehead, where the third eye chakra resides. Visualize a white light moving into the crown of your head and making an L shape, exiting out your third eye chakra.
While you are chanting, doing the mudras, and visualizing the white light with eyes closed and your gaze to your third eye, the 12 minutes are broken up like this:
To come out of the meditation, inhale deeply and stretch your arms and hands up to the sky above your head, and then gently sweep them down to your side as you exhale. For a video walking you through the meditation, go to the link in the resources section on page 6.