Hello friends, I have sad news. On April 18th of this year our Bhakti world lost one of its brightest lights. David Newman left his body after a short illness, and his death sent waves of sadness & grief through the international Bhakti community. He was so young, and had so much left to give. But it was his time, and no one understood that better …

Hello friends, Happy Autumn! In this edition we’re featuring artists playing at next week’s Bhakti Love Reunion, October 13-15 in Weldon, CA — that’s near Lake Isabella. Three full days of Yoga, kirtan, music, dancing and great food — doesn’t that sound awesome? I am SO excited to be going, I haven’t been to a festival in such a long time, and many…

Hello friends, This set is devoted to the Divine Mother, with the exception of one chant, the title track from Shantala’s remarkable new CD ‘Five’. The whole CD is great, but I’m kind of obsessed with this track & have been playing it on loop. Heather Wertheiimer composed the chant over the course of the pandemic, and the mantra ‘Namah Shivaya” pul…

I’m feeling blessed by a lot these days. Those of you who listen to the New World Kirtan Podcast are one of my biggest blessings — this community has enriched my life in ways too numerous to count. Thank you for being here. And we’ve been here together for quite a long time — the first edition of the podcast was posted in 2018 before anyone really …

Hello friends, I hope this finds you healthy & doing well. If the dark days are getting you down, take heart because on Wednesday we celebrated Imbolc, an ancient Celtic holiday that celebrates the beginning of Spring — it was traditionally celebrated by the lighting of fires to honor the sun goddess Brigid. This holiday traditionally marks the mid…

It has been a glorious summer & fall here, one of the most beautiful I can remember. But now the rains have started, and the leaves are falling. The Corvallis kirtan community continues to grow, and we’ll be starting live kirtan concerts again in December. It feels good to be returning to this magical practice. Let’s enter the way back machine for …

OK, guys — time is running out! Let’s all come together and support the Auricle Collective by clicking on this link. I hope you all enjoy more new music from the talented artists of the Auricle Collective. Be well, enjoy the summer, and until next time — Namaste. THE MUSIC: Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band, Mystery: Turn That Wall Into a Door (Ja…

Hello dear friends, I hope life is good for you as we head into midsummer. If you recall, back in April, I told you about the Auricle Collective. This community of more than 100 musicians is rooted in singing, chanting & music as art and spiritual practice. It includes the musicians that fuel our Bhakti Yoga practice. Remember the olden days when w…

Happy summer, my dear friends! I hope you’re enjoying life as much as I am. My health is almost back to normal after the accident, and I’m working on regaining fitness now. Our son was married last weekend, and it was a beautiful love-filled & life affirming celebration. And next week we’re starting a big garden renovation, and I’m so excited about…

Several weeks ago I was on a Zoom call with over 50 kirtan artists to hear more about something called the Auricle Collective — this is a project spearheaded by Dave Stringer, Seán Johnson and several other Kirtan artists. Singing kirtan connects us by the thread of sacred music as a spiritual path. The goal of the Auricle Collective is to share ou…