The cellular vibration of Deva Premal & Miten
By Jessica Arconti
“Music is a form of medicine and meditation music is the ultimate elixir,” says Deva Premal, a German-born musician who performs her spiritual chants with audiences all over the world. “Singing has a strong healing power. Deep breathing changes our cells with the vibration of sound. With Sanskrit words, mantra singing becomes a powerful spiritual tool, an effortless way to enter meditation.”
Never is the healing power of music more divinely experienced than at one of Deva Premal & Miten’s mantra concerts. A twosome both on and off the stage, Deva and Miten have been traveling the world for decades, invigorating Sanskrit mantra for those who enjoy music, meditation and community. The audience is invited to sing along with Deva and Miten, savor the restorative properties of mantra and simultaneously drift into stillness.
The main intention of mantra is to bring participants into a deeper state of meditation. Deva and Miten have found that their harmony, both in spirit and song, not only brings people together but also invites people into their own bodies. When Deva sings the Moola Mantra, one is led exquisitely inward, into the tranquility of the soul.
At many of their concerts, Deva and Miten request that the audience refrain from clapping at the end of their songs. Foregoing clapping allows the sound to reverberate, to sink in. In Miten’s words, “It’s an invitation to enjoy the silence that follows—that’s the magic. When the music dissolves into silence and the whole place is in that space together, it’s a magical moment—we truly become one with the singing and with that silence. That is the nourishment.”
One reason why chanting is so nourishing is because it focuses and calms the mind and also regulates the breath. Studies have shown that breath regulation provides countless health benefits by drastically reducing stress levels and calming the nervous system. Breathing in sync with other people magnifies the cleansing and releasing effects; as the group sings synergistically, they unite with their breath, each other and the sound. Many people find that mantra chanting is an easier way to reach a meditative state, rather than sitting in silence, because the musical instruments and vocal participation focus the intention.
At Deva and Miten concerts, nourishment comes not only from vocal harmonization, but also from the instrumental talent they recruit for their performances. Listeners are treated to the hypnotic lullabies of Nepali flutist Manose and the exquisite keyboards of Maneesh de Moor.
This year, Deva and Miten will be teaming up with the legendary GuruGanesha Band for their long-awaited MantraFest Tour 2013. Performances will cover 25 cities in North America, from Montreal and Miami to Vancouver and Phoenix. Their Los Angeles concert is scheduled for November 1. For more info visit www.brightstarevents.net.
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~ Mark Whitwell’s Yoga in the Context of the Feminine
