Sacred Sound ─ Discovering the Myth & Meaning of Mantra & Kirtan

The mantras and kirtan (call and response devotional chants) of yogic practice sometimes get the short shrift in the West because they aren’t well understood. These chants are an integral part of most every Eastern spiritual practice because they are designed to provide access into the psyche while their underlying mythology helps us understand how our psychology affects daily life. Sacred Sound shares the myths behind the mantras, illuminating their meaning and putting their power and practicality within reach of every practitioner. Each mantra and kirtan includes the Sanskrit, the transliteration, and the translation. Clear retellings of the pertinent myths highlight modern-day applications so that readers discover their own personal connection to the practice. Alanna Kaivalya has refined her teaching over a decade with a diverse audience of tens of thousands. Her unique and popular approach to human connection and self-knowledge turns a time-tested tradition into a versatile and potent tool.

Alanna Kaivalya has been voted by Yoga Journal as one of the top 20 yoga instructors under 40. Her podcasts have been heard by more than one million people worldwide. She is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal and other popular magazines. She is a PhD candidate in Mythology, and she regularly teaches and speaks on yoga, Hindu mythology, and mysticism at teacher trainings, industry conferences, and workshops worldwide. After training more than 5,000 yoga teachers worldwide, Alanna founded The Kaivalya Yoga Method, an amalgamation of her years of training and her desire to teach people about the importance of human connection through mythology, philosophy, and yoga practices.