Chanting & Mantra

All voices are welcome!
No experience or training needed

One-on-One & Group Classes

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“I want to tell you how much I love chanting with you.
You teach with such patience, softness, and grace.  I truly love your voice!!”
– Lynne Altenburg

Sacred Sound Healing For Your Soul

Experience the healing power of chanting.  Kevin’s approach to the yoga of sound employs both contemporary and ancient technologies to support your uniqueness.  There are a number of ways to enter into the stream of sacred sound. Depending on your unique interests and goals, Kevin will guide you through some combination of the following ways:

Note: Any of the topics listed above can be incorporated into your personal chanting practice, or may be offered in a group class.

Your Personalized Chanting Practice

One-on-One
Your personal path of practice is unique, your voice one of a kind! And so is your heart. This process honors and supports that, deeply. In these one-on-one sessions, Kevin will listen to you, get to know what is important and interesting to you, and develop a personal practice, sādhana, that supports you.  For some, this will be using simple organic sounds, for others simple mantra, or more elaborate chanting.  Mantra may be in Sanskrit, English, Latin, or your native tongue.  The use of breathing exercises and yogic movement may also be part of your personal practice.  Let the sounds lead you back to the source; experience yourself as deep silence.

Schedule a private session.


“You’re amazing. I experience such deep resonance when chanting with you … it’s very comforting.”
– Michele Anderson, DNP, APRN, E-RYT

 

Mantra Meditation

Repetition of mantra, mantra japam, is a form of meditation.  One translation of mantra is “that which protects the mind”.  If you have found that other forms of meditation are difficult for you, mantra often opens up a new world of healing and insight.  Peace, clarity, and a deep sense of bliss and joy often arise.

Schedule a private session.


“I thought we sounded like chanters in a Tibetan temple.  The overlapping waves of sound did evoke a far away holy place.  Not a sound we routinely hear in our context.  Love the class.”
– Mary Moore Easter

Healing the Voice, Healing the Heart:
Listening with Love

You’re not alone if you have ever felt self-conscious about your voice, whether speaking or singing. So many of us have been wounded when it comes to finding our voice and letting it ring and resound, speaking our truth. I can’t tell you how many people have told me stories, often with tears in their eyes, of careless or even cruel comments that others have made about their voice, especially when they were singing or chanting. Even people who have been told they have a ‘good voice’ often feel that their self-worth is entangled with how well they sound or perform. Rest assured, there is a way to heal your voice and heal your heart from these wounds.

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There is a great freedom available, because chanting is not about how you sound to other people, or what they think of your voice, but rather about how you experience the sounds, feeling, and meaning of the chants within yourself! This realization and experience is incredibly empowering. We start where you are, as you are. By listening with love there is always healing, growth, and joy.

 

“I love to sing,

It opens my heart.

I have never known a teacher like Kevin so willing to connect to the heart-minds-spirits of students and, to radiate the lineage that he has been following is an added gift. It makes a difference, you can feel it.

 


In the past years, I have been gifted the opportunity to learn 
Chanting with Kevin. I am grateful to think of how powerful this gift has been for me. Chant elevates me to a place that I am so grateful for. Kevin is patient, kind, understanding, and at the same time, he is serious about his teaching. That is why I am his student. I am serious about learning, and Kevin really knows how to teach. After all, I am singing even though people say I can’t do it. And learning by leaps and bounds.”

– Paula Picard

The Foundations of Chanting in Sanskrit

Are you attracted to some of the beautiful chants that you’ve heard in Sanskrit and want to learn more?  The mystery and power of this language can be learned through an experiential, step by step process that is interesting, enlivening, and satisfying, all while you learn actual chants that can become part of your practice and life!  You will learn the 6 Rules of Vedic chant: varṇa – pronunciation, svara – notation, mātrā – duration, balam – force, sāma – continuity, and santāna – punctuation.  When we have these rules guiding our practice of mantra chanting, we can access the power contained within the mantra-s.  You will also learn and experience the aspects of artha – meaning, and bhāvana – feeling that comprise the magic of these sound formulas.  Open to all.  Recommended as a foundation for taking Vedic Chanting or simply for your interest and edification.  Four 1-hour Sessions.

Schedule a private session.

Vedic Chanting

Vedic chant is known as adhyayanam – ‘the art of listening’ – listening to the teacher, to your own voice, and to your own heart.  The Veda-s are the ancient texts of India and are the root of Sanskrit mantra practice. The focus is on precision and heart in equal measure. You are invited to experience directly how chanting can change your state of mind and emotions in a positive direction. A form of meditation, chanting is famous for improving memory, attention, and patience.  It also helps to lengthen the breath, one hallmark of health.  At the beginning of each series, the 6 elements of chanting will be introduced or reviewed and refined.

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Though you do not have to know music or have any prior experience with chant to take these classes, there is a strong emphasis on precision, detail, and being open to feedback and direction.  The only prerequisite is a sincere desire to learn and to open the heart-mind through chant.  Classes may include some simple āsana and restoration in śavāsana.  Chanting materials will be provided. “I liked the Vedic Chanting For Healing Series very much. I hear the chant in my head sometimes just randomly. I like the way you teach with such specificity. Your ear is so finely tuned, I appreciate you being able to hear the nuances. This is exactly why I took the classes.” – Cindy Jamieson

Yoga Sūtra Chanting

One-on-One & Group
The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali really came to life for me when I had the good fortune of learning to chant it.  Through call and response, breath by breath, listen and repeat, the sounds and concepts of this great teaching became more accessible to me, more understandable.  When only reading the sūtra-s or listening to lectures I had trouble remembering what I’d read, through chanting I could actually recall and remember the teaching!  The phrase ‘sound knowledge’ had a new meaning for me.

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The traditional way of studying texts, including the yoga sūtra, was by chanting it.  The technique of call and response could be described as ‘serious fun’.  Through this  process, a deep satisfaction can emerge as the sounds and rhythms provide a structure for learning and remembering the teachings that can guide your practice and life.  The focus is on precision and heart in equal measure. You are invited to experience directly how chanting can change your state of mind and emotions in a positive direction. A form of meditation, chanting is famous for improving memory, attention, and patience.  It also helps to lengthen the breath, one hallmark of health.  You do not have to know music or have any prior experience with chant to take these classes.  Chanting materials will be provided.

Chanting For The Love Of It

Connect to yourself and community through chanting for the love of it! Using the ancient form of call and response, Kevin will guide you through simple, pleasing patterns of melody, rhythm, and vibration that will carry you into states of meditative flow. Some chants are energizing and celebratory, others soothing and quieting for the mind. Traditional as well as contemporary mantras and chants will be offered. This yoga of sound practice will conclude with deep relaxation. Bask in rejuvenating sound that leads you to a tranquil heart and the inner stillness we all long for. All are welcome and no experience is necessary.

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“I loved that we spent most of the time chanting rather than learning how to pronounce words, so I’m glad you chose some English and an easily pronounced Sanskrit chant. I love that the class felt healing and personal and provided a very rare opportunity to experience sound and to use my voice.  I felt the way you taught the call and response was just right too, adding on as we learn.” 
– Val Salley

Mantra In Motion

One-on-One & Group
Synthesizing simple sounds and motion creates a powerful moving meditation.  Expand your practice and experience a vinyasa of vibration and motion.  A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase, and means “that which protects the mind”.  It gives the mind a positive focus.  Each mantra has certain sonic qualities that embody meaning as well as feeling.  We will be using universal mantra for peace and good health.  All are welcome, no previous voice experience is necessary.  You will experience how:

  • The power of mantra is amplified when linked with breath-centered asana
  • Mantra can clear your mind, improve your memory, and balance your mood
  • Mantra In Motion creates new patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving
  • The heart opens when we find our voice – aligning our intention, breath, action, and voice
  • Mantra In Motion naturally leads you to the meditative center of silent stillness

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Receive the gifts of the Viniyoga lineage, which weaves together the threads of breath-centered asana, pranayama, nyasa & mantra to create a tapestry of transformation.

Praise for Mantra In Motion:

“What an amazing workshop! It took me to a place within myself that felt like pure peace, like the authentic me. I feel like something in me has shifted now that I know that’s in there.” 
– Erica Doss

“I’m still smiling from your wonderful mantra class, Kevin! Heartfelt thanks for sharing what makes you come alive. The morning bird songs are even sweeter to my ears.” 
– Jenna Bratvold

“The free timing chant at the end of the practice was the kind of cacophony that is sweet” 
– student in Mantra In Motion

Sounding Sun Salutation:
Learn the Sun Mantras!

One-on-One & Group
Magnify the power of your Sun Salutation by synchronizing the flow of your breath and postures with the seed sounds of the sun – the sūrya bīja mantras. Traditionally, Sun Salutation is amplified by the power of mantra.  By uniting breath, movement, and sound you can:

  • Potentize your practice of Sun Salutation
  • Improve your breath capacity dramatically
  • Focus your mind
  • Warm the body in a balanced way
  • Add a dimension of meditation thru the sun mantras

Shine the light of the sun sounds on your practice of Sun Salutation to unify your body, breath, mind and heart & take your practice to the next level!

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“You know how you can sort of check out when you’re doing Sun Salutation?  Chanting in Sun Salutation really made me pay attention to what I was doing!  I really liked it.” 
– Angela

Your Guide

Kevin Kortan has been immersed in sound and movement practices since childhood. He was a boy soprano and later (after his voice changed!) became a cantor in church at a young age, where he first encountered the ancient art of call and response. A featured soloist in choirs and in musicals, he studied music and theater in college. Singing professionally for a time, fate steered him into the art of Dance where he had the good fortune of having a professional career for many years. Yoga then called him from a life oriented around performing to a life of transforming, himself and others. He rediscovered his voice and the healing power of sound through Vedic and other forms of chant. It is with joy that he leads others, one-on-one and in groups, to find their own voice, connected to their heart. Learn more about Kevin . . .


“Kevin’s voice is medicine.”


WHY CHANT?


Chanting:

  • lengthens the breath
  • improves memory
  • connects us to the Heart
  • energizes
  • calms
  • focuses the mind
  • increases our capacity for expression
  • frees your voice
  • helps with musicality (no training required)
  • offers a safer, more accessible alternative to the bandha-s
  • creates community
  • synchronizes breath, heart, mind
  • infuses āsana & viṅyāsa with potent vibration
  • reorganizes disturbed energy into coherent pattern
  • balances the sensory-motor loop
  • feels good 🙂