Maria and Sarah introduced me to this beautiful world-music kirtan singer. She is amazing and uses the practice of singing to open the heart and heal the soul. She names her purpose in life as "singinging ourselves awake to who we really are." :)
http://ginasala.com/
Sarah sang one of her kirtans at the Krishna Temple a few weeks ago, and I absolutely fell in love with it, and needed to find out where it came from- which led me of course to Gina Sala and her website. I'm actually saving now to go to India with her group in the next year or two.
You can find many videos on YouTube of her singing kirtan for yoga classes and retreats, and hear all of the amazing things she has to say. To make it easier, I'll post my favorites for your viewing pleasure.
"Because the one I love lives inside of you..."
A kirtan of my favorite mantra- "Om mani padme hum." I sing this everyday. :)
A beautiful presentation of her and her work:
"Ah, there is my beloved." :)
(A note about "Om mani padme hum"- translates from sanskrit as "Hail to the jewel in the lotus." The lotus flower is a very important symbol in Indian (and many other) cultures- of the journey to divinity and the beauty of a connection with the divine. As far as I can tell, this mantra is most commonly used amongst Tibetan Buddhists as a prayer to Green Tara (the buddha of compassion- green is the color of the heart chakra), but it is certainly not exclusive to them. Here, Gina Sala interprets the mantra as, "May the jewel of the intellect reside in the lotus of the heart." When I feel anxious or frustrated, I sing it to myself as, "May my heart blossom with compassion." You can view it in a number of ways. I love it.)
