Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra and Kirtan

by Alanna Kaivalya

In yoga practice, mantra and kirtan (call-and-response devotional chanting) get short shrift in the West because they aren’t well understood, though they are an integral part of almost every Eastern spiritual practice. 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 and kirtans, illuminating their meaning and putting their power and practicality within reach of every reader.

Each of the twenty-one mantras and kirtans presented includes the Sanskrit version, the transliteration, the translation, suggestions for chanting, the underlying myth, and its modern-day implications. Based on Alanna Kaivalya’s years of teaching and studying the myths and sacred texts, this book offers a way into one of the most life-changing aspects of yoga practice.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Music

232 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2014

Reviews

[Pierre Mercier · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be used not only read...

[Stephanie Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like beautiful songs that you want to play on an instrument, Alanna Kaivalya’s non-fiction book Sacred Sound: Discovering The Myth & Meaning of Mantra & Kirtan reminds me of why I (and everyone) loves sounds. She shares the why’s and ways of how sound resonates with us on a soul level. The instrument is your voice.

As a former musical instrument player, I enjoyed this book immensely. As a yoga teacher myself, I was inspired to read the book because I struggle to feel comfortable with kirtan. I have an unhealthy relationship with signing in a group setting. I can carry a tune, but because of my musical background I can only dream about a voice that creates an emotional connection with self and others. This deep yearning for connection is filled through yoga and I find that I have “hidden” well in a large space with many yogis and loved the experience. Because of this, I wanted to know more.

I found Alanna’s clear, conversational voice mixed with valuable amounts of the complex history of Nada Yoga (sound yoga) to be extremely useful and have bought the book for the yoga teachers that I am mentoring. I especially appreciated the mythology behind the words, helping the reader understand the “psychological and spiritual information” and how it is “conveyed through mythology.” I, too, am a big fan of Joseph Campbell but found this unique connection between yoga and the connection to mythology to be presented in a fresh and all together new way. You can feel the passion that she has for this work in her prose.

The practices included are fun and easily understood but equally impressive and importantly is her digital library of audio files with audible pronunciation for each of the mantras and kirtan chants. Priceless. I came to see how “these mantras are containers of yogic wisdom that enhance not only our practice but who we are as human beings” as she shares. This is a book that I will add to the list of “Yoga Books You Must Have In Your Yoga Library” list that I pass along to students and teachers all over the world.

Like using specific styles of yoga or specific yoga poses for healing, medicine-in-the-moment or an overall sense of wellbeing, this book makes chanting easy and accessible. Alanna shares that “You can do it any time, any place, and once you develop a relationship with the different mantra and how each of them interacts with you in your life, you can choose which one can help you during the day whenever you need a certain kind of recalibration or balance.” So I guess as I pull up next to you in my car with the top down, I’ll hear more of you chanting after pouring over this book again and again.

[Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and simple book that so well describes the five bodies (in the Gayatri Mantra section) in a way I really resonated with that also helped me understand WHY I'm so attracted to Mantra and Kirtan. Each chapter describes a mantra or kirtan chant and gives the spiritual backstory as well. A delightful read that made me feel closer to many of the words and lines I chant and sing and gave me more context to enjoy.

[JoAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three-line review: My final textbook for my yoga teacher training, this book was laid out well and hit on a lot of common themes found in most mainstream yoga texts but was very readable. However, because chants are an integral part of this book, a lot is lost when simply looking at text in an unknown language. Kaivalya has a tendency to fall back on a lot of similar cliches, which can make reading books like this one more mundane and unimaginative than it could be.

[Jason Baldauf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book introducing several classical mantras and traditional kirtans (Hindu call and response devotionals used in bhakti yoga). The Sanskrit and English translations are given as well as advice on chanting and information about the mantra/characters involved. Yoga related content is provided to add context to it’s usage. Two things would make this 5 stars, pronunciation and suggestions for music/chords for the kirtans. Well worth the read either way.

[Jackie Berke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only downside is too much Joseph Campbell references. And the fact that the gods and goddesses of the faith stories were not look into deeper to find the mother connection as the founding energetic force

[Niki Walters]

I LOVED this book, wish I would have found it sooner. Is shares SO many yogic stories, myths and philosophy in a way that's easy to read and very engaging.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, easy read with a lot of relatable information and stories. I really enjoyed reading this book!

[Stacy LinDell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lotsa little nuggets, but with so much new vocabulary (largely Sanskrit and Indian gods), I'd have to read the book again to hope to have much soak in.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess that I put off reading this book for a long time, mainly because the subject matter didn't interest me. In my personal meditation practice I rarely use mantras like these. But I really like Alanna Kaivalya, and she writes with so much wisdom that it often amazes me. And this book is required reading for her 500-hour yoga teacher training, so I had to stop procrastinating and start reading.

I learned a great deal from this book. I never realized how powerful mantras can be. These Sanskrit mantras have existed for thousands of years, and chanting them links us to their mystical vibrations.

[Keshia Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The most important journey is the one we take for ourselves.”