Nikki Slade
Guest Teacher
Learn to Lead Kirtan Taster Workshop
Nikki Slade
Next date TBC
In person
vegan lunch included
Learn to Lead Kirtan Taster Workshop
On this Retreat Day you will be guided through some of the essential elements of leading kirtan with Nikki, founder and creator of the first accredited 200 hour ‘Learn to Lead Kirtan’ Foundation Training in the UK.
Nikki has cultivated empowerment tools and guidelines for leading this heart opening practice through facilitating four successful trainings, and the workshop is structured around her Pillars of Leading Kirtan. This taster retreat is for anyone who is inspired to explore the basics of offering kirtan. If you have already begun your kirtan leader journey it offers tools to enhance your leadership skills.
This workshop is for you if:
- You are a yoga teacher and would like to begin offering a short kirtan at the end of your yoga class
- You simply love the practice and would like to share it with friends
- You are inspired to lead kirtan at a festival
- You like to share this uniting community practice with your team at work
Nikki says
It is inspiring to witness people who never imagined they would ever have the confidence or ability to use their voice as a Kirtan leader and to watch them open up and blossom throughout the experience many of who are inspired to take their journey deeper and sign up to my 200hr training.
What to expect
Workshop content
- 9am – Herbal Tea Welcome
- 9.30am – Introductory Circle
- 10.15am – Yoga for Grounding
- 11am – Break
- 11.15am – Pillars 1&2
- 1.15pm – Lunch
- 2.15pm – Pillars 3&4
- 4.15pm – Break
- 5.45pm – Closing
Content covered in Vocal Technique Sessions:
- Pillar One of leading kirtan: Preparing your vocal instrument Nikki will expertly guide you in inspirational and fun processes for opening the voice that will enhance your ability to chant for sustained periods without losing your voice. This will also support you in having a voice that reflects the devotion that you are connected to when you chant. Nikki strongly encourages students to combine these vocal practices with a grounding practice such as asana or qigong.
- Pillar Two: Devotion (Bhakti) This is a beautiful enquiry into the path of devotion known as Bhakti Yoga. You will immerse yourself deeply into the path of devotion, whatever that may be for you, in the Yoga of Sound and express that through your chanting voice. We will explore heart opening processes and open to melodies (known as Ragas) that bring different moods (Bhavs) to the chants.
- Pillar Three: Mastery of the inner critic One of the major obstacles to leading kirtan is “getting out of the way of ourselves”. As kirtan leaders, what people are thinking about us can be a distraction, causing us to lose the experience of being a channel through which the ‘shakti’ or divine energy flows. Nikki will share several empowering processes to address this issue, all of which have been hugely well received by students on the triyoga 200+ hour foundation teacher training and the triyoga advanced teacher training on which Nikki has been a guest teacher.
- Pillar Four: Leadership skills with the harmonium Nikki will provide a harmonium for you to share in smaller groups, allowing you to explore the way this instrument complements and deepens the experience of chanting. She will teach you how to play a simple drone to accompany your voice, and you will have the opportunity and be empowered to lead a chant with a drone in your group, bringing together and consolidating all the day’s teaching modalities.
- NB you do not have to be a singer to attend this workshop.
- This workshop is for 18yrs and up.
What to bring to this workshop
Comfortable clothes to move in
A yoga mat
Water bottle
If you have a harmonium please bring it. don’t worry if you don’t have one
Who is this workshop for
It is for anyone who has a desire to lead Kirtan and is often popular with Yoga Teachers, Sound healers and Therapists however this is definitely not a prerequisite. All are welcome
NB: If you are considering Nikki’s full kirtan training we highly recommend that you click on the link below to take a look at the dates.
If you are unsure whether this class is suitable for you, contact our Teaching Team at reception@samestaryoga.com or call on 01206 615400 for a chat.
Message us
What our students say
Amanda Roper
Thank you for the class on Saturday. I haven't been to yoga for so long and I really enjoyed it. You made it really interesting too - beyond the poses.
April
The retreat for me it was a very illuminating, connecting and sacred space that was created! We had space to be alone and to be together, and that balance was so spot on and allowed us all to honour ourselves and one another is such a loving way! I learnt more about my own energetic boundaries and when I need to prioritise recharging to stay focused and present with others! It was a LOT in one week but that’s what made it so transformational! I also had some amazing mystical experiences in that week, the presence of my nan with me during meditations and an overwhelming heart opening and expansion in one of your classes! Lots of tingles and magic!
Tara Perlaki
Loved everything about the retreat week – and the fact that this created and put together off the back of massive changes, was so impressive.It felt like the first time in the course, that I had got to know my fellow yogi’s on the course and that made it even more special.The whole experience was so positive!
Holly Aldred
The space created on retreat did feel very special. The venue made me comfortable in unique times. The subjects covered were very enjoyable and really diverse.
Anonymous 6
Lovely dedicated well equipped calm ... bliss. I had never experienced restorative yoga before: incredible!
