Krishna Das and Deva Premal April 12 in Chicago!

This is a a special multi-city tour sponsored by Nettwerk Music Group, Nutone Music.

Visit Chicago Sponsors

Expanded Love and The Goddess Garden

YogaNow Chicago

Krishna Das will be touring in spring 2010 with Deva Premal & Miten. Together they are creating an extraordinary series of concerts across the US, highlighting the newfound popularity of kirtan and mantra chanting. These musicians, who have enjoyed a worldwide grass-roots success the past decade, are each celebrating the release of new albums with their first co-headlined tour.

Krishna Das' album, "Heart as wide as the world," is available at Amazon.com.

Buy Tickets:

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, at Yoga Now online. Online ticket prices include a processing fee. 

You can save a $5 ticket fee when you buy your ticket onsite at Yoga Now Gold Coast.

Bhagavan Das at Yoga Now Gold Coast Jan. 30

Kirtan with Bhagavan Das
Saturday, January 30th
8:00PM

Workshop with Bhagavan Das
Sunday, January 31, 2010
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Yoga Now Gold Coast

Not without controversy, Bhagavan Das is the spiritual pioneer who led Ram Dass and a whole generation of American and Western mystics to India in the early 60s. Having recently completed a three-year retreat, Bhagavan Das's chants to the Great Mother go deep into his soul's purpose.

Join Yoga Now Gold Coast for a kirtan and workshop with Bhagavan Das.

Workshop on Nada Yoga, the ancient science of attaining unity with God through sound. In Hindu practice, the life force, or kundalini, lies dormant in a coil at the base of our spine. Becoming enlightened involves awakening the kundalini and raising her through the seven chakras, or energy centers, until she pierces and opens our mysterious third eye at the bridge of the nose. The elusive kundalini can be awoken through meditation, hatha yoga or any number of other techniques. Bhagavan Das, revered chanter and Kali devotee, will instruct us in the subtle art of awakening the soul-sense through sound.

New Years with Dave Stringer in Chicago!

12/31/2009
9:00 PM - 11:45 PM
35 Prepay // $40 Door

East Bank Storage, 5th Floor
1200 West 35th Street (35th/Racine)
Chicago, IL

Kirtan until Midnight,
Champagne and DJ set to follow

Brought to you by Yoga Now Gold Coast.

Krishna Das Tomorrow in Chicago! April 11

Some tickets are still available at Yoga Now's website.

It's a happy convergence of events: Easter, Passover and Hanuman's Birthday! Krishna Das was recently written up in the New York Times and also on Huffington Post. Also, you can learn more about the event on Yoga Now's events FaceBook page.

Here's a map.

The Irish American Heritage Center is located at 4626 n. Knox, near both the Edens and kennedy Expressways. From Lake Shore Drive, Head straight west toward Cicero Avenue. Via public transit, take the Blue Line toward O'Hare and exit at the Montrose stop,

From there:
1. Head east on W Montrose Ave toward N Kilbourn Ave 0.1 mi
2. Turn left at N Kilbourn Ave 0.1 mi
3. Turn left at W Sunnyside Ave 0.1 mi
4. Turn right at N Knox Av

Krishna Das in Chicago April 11

For one evening only.


Location: Irish American Heritage Center
4626 N. Knox Ave.
Chicago, IL 60630
Cost: $25 prepay/ $30 at the door
Children under 12 are free

Tickets are available at Yoga Now.
You can visit KD's website and learn more.

From KD's website
Sharing his heart through music and chanting is the basis of Krishna Das' own spiritual work;his way of serving the Divine within himself and others.

In the winter of 1968, Krishna Das met Ram Dass, who had just returned from his first trip to India. After living and traveling with Ram Dass in the U.S., and hearing Ram Dass' many stories about Maharaj-ji, Krishna Das traveled to India, where he was blessed to meet and stay with this extraordinary guru.

While living in India for almost three years, Krishna Das' heart was especially drawn to the practice of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of devotion. Fanning the flames of his inner longing, Maharaj-ji led him deeper and deeper into the practice of kirtan—chanting the Names of God. As an appointed pujari (priest) for the Durga temple in Maharaj-ji's ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas, Krishna Das immersed himself in the worship of the Divine Goddess.

If you are wondering what Kirtan with KD looks, sounds and feels like, take a peek at this video.

Kirtan March 14 at Yoga Now

Kirtan with Amy and the Ananda Bliss Tribe on Valentines Day!

Yoga Now Gold Coast
742 N. LaSalle in Chicago
Saturday 03/14/2009
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Suggested Donation: $10
312. 280. 8642
Learn more at www.Yoganowchicago.com

Kirtan with Amy and the Ananda Bliss Tribe. Come hear YogaNow founder and director Amy Beth Treciokas with Rich Logan, Paula Battaglio and the rest of her heartfelt band J in a sound healing event of call-and-response chanting. Give your heart a valentine!

The word Kirtan comes form the Sanskrit root "kirt" which means "to name, to communicate, to celebrate, to praise, to glorify." Kirtan is the calling out to God, or our higher purpose.

"

All divine potencies, powers and divine qualities are hidden in God's name. The deepest secret of Kirtan is that the 'Name Of God' IS God. For the Bhakta Yogi (one who follows the path of devotion), God and the Name of God are one and the same. Chanting the name of God sows the seeds of spiritual transformation deep within our consciousness, and begins to grow and blossom."

-Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati

Sacred Activism Feb.21-22 at Yoga Now

SACRED ACTIVISM with Andrew Harvey

Saturday *February 21, 2009
~ Workshop ~
1pm - 4pm
$50 prepay
$60 at door
8pm -10pm
$20 in advance
$25 at door
Sign up at Yoga Now.



Sacred Activism is one solution to the world’s crises in which ordinary people can make a real and profound necessary contribution.By uniting spiritual and mystical knowledge and understanding, and its attendant compassion, peace, energy, clarity and vision, with focused, wise, radical action in the world we can contribute to creating a better world.

In the afternoon workshop Andrew will convey his understanding of our contemporary world crises; including five types of service that together constitute Sacred Activism. He will also offer mystical practices for activists, and a deep grounding of the mystical journey as understood by major mystical traditions.

In the evening workshop, Harvey will weave the poetry of Rumi, the role of the Divine Feminine, into the story of his path to Sacred Activism as he lays out a vision of focused radical action to support life, preserve the environment, ensure human rights, protect animal species, and transform political, economical, and cultural systems.

The subject of the 1993 BBC documentary, The Making of a Modern Mystic, Harvey is the Executive Director of the Center for Spiritual Democracy and the Founder Director of the School for Sacred Activism. He has authored numerous books including The Direct Path and Teachings of Rumi. Harvey has taught at Oxford University, Cornell University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges and has a spiritual counseling practice in Chicago.

Dalai Lama writes President-elect Obama

I just received this posting from the Tibet Center in Evanston. It seems everyone is hopeful about our new president elect.



November 5 [HHDL to Obama]
H.E. Barack Obama
President-elect of the United States of America
Washington, DC
U.S.A.


Dear President-elect Obama,

Congratulations on your election as the President of the United States of America.

I am encouraged that the American people have chosen a President who reflects America's diversity and her fundamental ideal that any person can rise up to the highest office in the land. This is a proud moment for America and one that will be celebrated by many peoples around the world.

The American Presidential elections are always a great source of encouragement to people throughout the world who believe in democracy, freedom and equality of opportunities.

May I also commend the determination and moral courage that you have demonstrated throughout the long campaign, as well as the kind heart and steady hand that you often showed when challenged. I recall our own telephone conversation this spring and these same essential qualities came through in your concern for the situation in Tibet.

As the President of the United States, you will certainly have great and difficult tasks before you, but also many opportunities to create change in the lives of those millions who continue to struggle for basic human needs. You must also remember and work for these people, wherever they may be.

With my prayers and good wishes,

Yours sincerely,

THE DALAI LAMA

President-Elect Obama’s letter to H.H. the Dalai Lama dated July 24
H.H. the Dalai Lama’s letter to President-Elect Obama dated November 5

July 24, 2008 [Obama to HHDL]
Your Holiness,

I regret that our respective travel schedules will prevent us from meeting during your visit to the United States this month, but I wanted to take the opportunity to reassure you of my highest respect and support for you, your mission and your people at this critical time. I hope that this letter and your meeting with Senator McCain will make clear that American attention to and backing for the people of Tibet is widespread and transcends the divisions of our political contest in this important election year.

I was heartened to read of the continuing dialogue between your representatives and the government of the People's Republic of China. Although progress is likely to be slow, and the travails of the people of Tibet will continue, I am hopeful that the process of dialogue and negotiation will bring positive results if both sides demonstrate good intentions and mutual respect. I remain optimistic that this process will continue beyond the Beijing Olympics, and pledge that I will continue to support it. The right to practice their religious beliefs without punishment or obstruction is one that should be accorded the people of Tibet, and I will continue to encourage the Chinese government to put aside its suspicions and act in accordance with its own constitution.

I will continue to support you and the rights of Tibetans. People of all faiths can admire what you are doing and what you stand for, and I look forward to meeting you at another time.

With great respect,

Barack Obama

Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin at Chicago KTC Oct. 17

October 17-19, Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin

Friday, October 17
Public talk: Anger, Compassion, and Karmic Causality
The practice of compassion is a strong antidote for anger. Khenpo Ugyen will give practical on and off the cushion meditation techniques such as tonglen for the practice of compassion in any situation.

Saturday and Sunday, October 18-19
Teaching on Buddha's Miracles

Contact center for details.

www.ChicagoKTC.org

Kirtan at Yoga Now Oct. 11!

Kirtan with Amy and the Ananda Bliss Tribe with Amy Beth Treciokas

Yoga Now Gold Coast
742 N. LaSalle in Chicago
Saturday 10/11/2008
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Suggested Donation: $10
312. 280. 8642
www.Yoganowchicago.com

Kirtan with Amy and the Ananda Bliss Tribe. Come hear YogaNow founder and director Amy Beth Treciokas with Rich Logan, Rubee BlackRiver, Paula Battaglio and Josh Sheldon in a sound healing event of call-and-response chanting.

The word Kirtan comes form the Sanskrit root "kirt" which means "to name, to communicate, to celebrate, to praise, to glorify." Kirtan is the calling out to God deep within our soul.

"

All divine potencies, powers and divine qualities are hidden in God's name. The deepest secret of Kirtan is that the 'Name Of God' IS God. For the Bhakta Yogi (one who follows the path of devotion), God and the Name of God are one and the same. Chanting the name of God sows the seeds of spiritual transformation deep within our consciousness, and begins to grow and blossom."

-Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati

Details on Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche

Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
at Chicago KTC
2100 S. Central in Cicero
www.chicagoktc. org
Sept. 12-14, 2008
Celebrating 30 years of Chicago KTCs existence!

For added info contact:
Phone: (708) 652-9722
Email: office@chicagoktc.org

Learn more about Rinpoche



Rinpoche's schedule
Friday
7:00pm Meditation
7:30pm Public Talk on Compassion
Sugg. Donation $10

Saturday
3:00 pm Meditation
3:30 pm Teaching on Chenrezig
7:00 pm Meditation
7:30 Refuge and Chenrezig Empowerment ceremony
Sugg. Donation $35
(please be on time, doors will close promptly at 7:30)

Sunday
2:00 pm Meditation
2:30 pm Teaching on Chenrezig
Sugg. Donation $20

All our programs are free due to the generosity of the members of KTC. Donations to Chicago KTC go toward defraying some of the costs of bringing the teachings of highly qualified lineage master to Chicago. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Jai Uttal on Bhakti

jai Uttal is a grammy award winning musician and wallah. He explains kirtan very nicely in this video. Check out Jai's inspirational website.

Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche at KTC in September

It looks like Ven. Bardor Rinpoche will be teaching at Chicago KTC Sep. 12-14.

Friday
7:00 pm Shinay
7:30 Public Talk on Compassion

Saturday
3pm Shinay
3:30 Chenrezig transmission, explanation and Empowerment

Sunday
3:00 pm Shinay
3:30 Chenrezig contin.

Sunday evening there is a members' potluck dinner celebration commemorating 30 years of Chicago KTC.

Chenrezig at Chicago KTC

Weekly Events at KTC
visit www.chicagoktc.org.

Summary of Meditation Schedule:
Sundays:
9:30 AM Green Tara (short version)
10:00 AM Shinay (sitting meditation)
11:00 AM Chenrezig (chanting liturgy)

Wednesdays:
7:00 PM Shinay (sitting meditation)
7:30 PM Dharma readings and discussion
Shinay Meditation

Time: Sunday at 10:00 AM and Wednesday at 7:00 PM

Shinay means “calming” in Tibetan. Shinay meditation is the process of calming the mind to allow deeper awareness to come forward. This meditation involves holding the correct physical posture while focusing the mind on the sensation of breathing. Variations of this meditation are done in almost every other Buddhist tradition.

Instruction in Shinay is available before or during any Shinay meditation session.

A talk given by Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche entitled “Meditation and Mental Well-Being” provides an excellent overview of the need for and purpose of Shinay meditation. There are also many good books on the subject.

Chenrezig: Boddhisattva of Compassion

Chenrezig (Tibetan) or Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit):
Boddhisattva of Compassion

Chenrezig Meditation
Time: Sunday at 11:00 AM
Chenrezig is the representation of compassion. Through Chenrezig meditation one develops a deeper compassion for the suffering of others and purifies one’s tendency for selfish motivation. The meditation itself involves chanting a liturgy while mentally performing a series of visualizations and finishing with mantras and an insight visualization. This liturgy also contains brief meditations of Amitabha and Guru Padmasambhava.

Instruction and guidance is available upon request. There are bimonthly guided Chenrezig sessions which walk practitioners through each step of the visualization.
The female Boddhisattva Green Tara

Green Tara
Green Tara Meditation
Time: Sunday at 9:30 AM

Description: Green Tara is the female representation of compassionate activity and fearlessness. This meditation is similar to Chenrezig meditation both in purpose and content.

There are as yet no scheduled Green Tara teaching sessions. There are a number of fine texts available on the subject however. A teaching about Green Tara will also be available on-line in streaming video format (coming soon).


Dharma Reading and Discussion
Time: Wednesday at 7:30 PM (Shinay starts at 7:00 PM)
The Dharma reading and discussion at KTC focuses on the study of sutras (in English), commentaries and texts by current Kagyu masters followed by discussion of practical aspects of Buddhist practice for Americans. Food and beverages provided. The sessions offer a very congenial, informal environment to study and discuss the Dharma. All questions and comments are welcome. All discussions are self-contained and require no previous instruction.

Please note: followers of other buddhist traditions (or even other religious faiths) are welcome to come to Chicago KTC to practice meditation or discuss Dharma. There is no need to be a 'Buddhist' or 'Karma Kagyu Buddhist' to join us in practice.

May precious Bodhicitta arise within those where it has not arisen.
Where it has arisen, may it not decline, but ever grow and flourish.

New Moon at East Meets West

New Moon Ceremony by Deanne Lozano
Healing Sound Concert by Mary Huddleston
Saturday, August 2, 2008
2:00-4:00pm
East Meets West
2118 W. Lawrence Avenue
Chicago,IL

Enjoy a New Moon Ceremony and Sacred Sound Concert with Himalayan Singing Bowls, Himalayan instruments of Sound and Sanskrit Chants. The intention of this concert is for the health and happiness of all beings! Delicious food! Silent Auction

Requested donation $20
All proceeds go to support Deanne Lozano

Durga Das on Aug. 2 - 3 at Yoga Now

Join David for a bliss-filled, inspirational experience of sacred yoga teachings and practices, For ages yogis have known that Love is the master key to happiness, and therefore created a practice, called Bhakti Yoga, which is centered around the manifestation of that Love. B

Kirtan with Durge Das (David Newman)
Date: Saturday 8/2/08
Time: 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: $15 prepay / $20 at the door

Bhakti Yoga workshop
Location: Gold Coast
Date: Sunday 8/3/08
Time: 12:30-2:30pm
Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door

To learn more visit Yoga Now or David's website.

How to get to Krishna Das at NU's Millar Chapel

Kirtan with Krishna Das
Alice S. Millar Chapel is a 600-seat early music venue located at Sheridan Road and Chicago Ave., at the main South entrance to the Northwestern University campus in Evanston.

Millar Chapel
1870 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL.
Sunday, July 27, 7 PM,
$25 advance / $30 door
312-280-9642

There is abundant parking at $1 per hour one block away at Church St. Self Park. Enter from Church or Clark east of Chicago Ave.

Getting there:
the North line Metra to Davis street.
The purple line to Foster.

Heart of Devotion workshop with Krishna Das
Yoga Now Gold Coast
742 N. LaSalle, Suite 20
Chicago, IL
(312) 280-9642
$45 advance/ $50 door

Getting there:
the brown line to Chicago Avenue
the red line to Chicago Ave.

WEB info:
Email info@yoganowchicago.com
Web www.yoganowchicago.com

Krishna Das on the power of chant

“These names. the very fact that they don’t really mean anything specific in the conceptual mind level is actually where the power of the chant comes from.

“These chants comes from a place in your own being that is your true nature. It’s a place that is deeper than your thinking mind.

“Chanting is a mystical yogic practice. And the mystical part of it is that we are chanting these names.

“What Ram Dass and I do more than anything is - what we share with people is our faith.

“There is that place within us that can survive, grow and flourish no matter what comes at us. This is what chanting is about.

“When we chant together, we get a couple of hours of feeling some other quality, some other possibility that you can do anything that you want to do. This is devotional. There are no rules.

“We are tricking ourselves to fall in love with ourselves by thinking that we are loving something outside of ourselves. That’s because psychologically we do not know how to be good to ourselves. We do not know how to love ourselves, it looks like it is outside our selves. But it only looks that way.

These are sound syllables that will help the mind calm down and pull you out of any anxieties or worries or business in your day and in your daily life.

It helps you understand that the script is not written. That the ending is not necessarily a sad ending. That the happiness is within us.

Volunteers needed to collect stones for world peace

The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa is requesting a collection of small stones be gathered from each and every country of the seven continents. The stone collections will be used in the construction of a stone altar.

The Karmapa says that construction of this alter will bestow blessings and merits to the people of all nations in a literal manner during the upcoming Kagyu Monlam Chenmo near end of the year.

The Stone Altar Project Committee is in urgent need of assistance. They are looking for volunteers who would be willing to offer time to help to actively reach out to countries that have not been recruited to participate in the Stone Altar Project.

What would be involved?

They are asking that local KTCs and affilates assist by selecting a country from the yet unlisted countries of the world and adopt it for the Project (the list of countries that have already been adopted can be found
here.

Once a country is selected, volunteers would find a contact in that country to assist in finding the stones.

Buddhists or Buddhist institutions would be your first choice, but if they are absent from your adopted country, you may have to find another way to acquire stones. For example, you might try contacting universities or geological departments in the US that are doing rock-related research in Asian or African countries, and see if they would be willing to help.

You may be asked to cover or raise funds to cover the cost of shipping the stones. Since the collection of stones from each country should be small, the shipping cost should be reasonable. And since bringing this project to successful completion would fulfill the wish of His Holiness, the Karmapa, you are humbly requested to offer help.

You can learn more about the project at the link above.

full moon fire spin tonight!

A note from Liz Campanella, the organizer

Hey Everyone... The Full Moon is coming up!
Get your spinning gear ready, get your drums ready, get your dancing shoes on!

So lets gather, bring your friends, your family, your spinning gear and your musical instruments.

Gathering starts around sunset.

Arrive sometime around 8pm to watch the sunset
Jam ends as usual by 10:15pm

All fire spinners please read to the end of the email

Where is it:
DRIVING:
Foster Ave and the Lake front.. NOT THE BEACH!
If you take Lake Shore drive to Foster Ave, go East (towards the Lake) on Foster Ave,
When the street curves around to the right, follow it.
The jam is 1/2 a mile down on the west side of the street.

a map of the location is:
http://tinyurl.com/5ablzv

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
Red Line to Argyle or Berwyn
Walk to Foster Ave: if at Argyle stop, go North, if at Berwyn stop go South to Foster
Then walk East on Foster till you hit the Lake Front and follow the path as it curves around to the right (South).
We are 1/2 a mile down on the west side

Please bring your smiles
Your FUN attitude
Your fire gear
Your saftey gear and safety person
Your drums
a blanket or something to sit on

and remember that this is a FAMILY EVENT

Month Day Day of the Week
Aug 17 Sun
Sept 15 Mon
Oct 14 Tues

You can watch a movie
at Spunn.org.