Introduction to Kirtan Kriya
In our life, the sequences and events, happen for a reason — may be pre-destined or may be taking shape based on our actions. And then there are coincidences which we can attribute to some unknown forces, or may be our consciousness merging with the universal consciousness.
The other day, Ruma(the author of Music Therapy With Indian Music) shared with me the good news of her publishing the second volume of her book, and I was slightly ashamed that I did not finish reading the first volume itself.
So I digged out the book from somewhere with an intention to read it. As I started browsing through the content, my eyes fell upon the section on Music Therapy for the elderly; and the effect of Kirtan Kriya in elderly patients with cognitive decline.
Now this was so timely, given that my father has recently developed cognitive issues post his hospitalisation and probably due to “side” effects of allopathic medicines. This further led me to read a little more about Kirtan Kriya.
In Sanskrit, a kirtan is a song, and kriya refers to a specific set of movements.
https://alzheimersprevention.org/research/kirtan-kriya-yoga-exercise/
This meditation involves singing the sounds, Saa Taa Naa Maa along with repetitive finger movements, or mudras.
The words/sounds essentially translate to the following:
Saa — Infinity
Taa — Life
Naa — Death
Maa — Rebirth
Kirtan Kriya is said to help in emotional balance, mental clarity, releasing painful memories, etc. Practicing Kirtan Kriya for 12 mins daily is supposed to improve cognitive functions.
I looked up the internet and managed to find a few guided meditation videos and immediately shared with my father. I know he has had a brief look but whether he decides to follow the same is hard to tell and given my experience, I won’t advise but let him decide himself.
What I did do was to do one round myself, realising that in today’s time of stress and excess screen time, one needs to do some balancing perhaps. As I moved through the fingers, I realised that the movements from finger to finger was not all smooth and a slight distraction made me lose the flow. This also tells me that my focus needs improvement. Whether I move past the beginner’s enthusiasm and convert this practice into a routine is something time will tell.
I wouldn’t share the video links I have come across, and would leave it to the reader to find the resource that best suits him/her. But for me, I am glad to have stumbled upon something so simple yet so useful.
For more on Indian Music Therapy in Education, one can go through the talk — https://rumble.com/v2njxra-indian-music-therapy-in-education-and-as-a-subject.html
