Well, we’re all having a moment together, aren’t we? Everyone listening to this all over the world is slowed down, sheltering in place. It’s really quite remarkable, our world is having a pause and reset, and a much-needed change in perspective. In some very good ways, we will never be the same.
And on some level, we’re all experiencing grief & loss. Personal loss — my hip replacement was cancelled, our son’s wedding postponed — and also collective loss, the loss of a way of life we took for granted & that has disappeared in a blink of an eye. And our small private griefs & disappointments pale in comparison to the grief of those mourning loved ones who have died during this pandemic. There’s a collective need for us to acknowledge the loss & the grief and mourn for all that is gone.
As of today here in Oregon, we have about 1200 cases and 38 deaths. We started social distancing early here because we saw what was going on up the road in Seattle & it scared us so most of us took it seriously. I look at what is going on in New York and it breaks my heart. Reading about the individual acts of heroism & kindness all over the world in the midst of this pandemic also breaks my heart, but in a different way. It breaks it wide open with the acknowledgement that here is the best we can be as humans. Mr.Rogers said, look for the helpers. Even when things are really bad, there will always the helpers to inspire us.
So, our world is going to look very different after this, there’s no denying that. But more importantly, what are WE going to look like when it’s over? It’s a cliche, but the only way out of this is by going in.
One sweet outcome of the quarantine is that we’re doing a virtual kirtan through Zoom for our Friday kirtan & meditation group, and so far it’s going beautifully. Another delightful outcome is the way we’re doing these virtual kirtans makes it easy for me to take our Friday night sets and post them as podcasts so you can recreate these healing kirtan & meditation sets at home. Just prepare your space, and start the set, you can even use it to help you fall asleep if you wish!
Our podcast set is the one we played last Friday night, and it was for Divine Healing. 
We always start with an Om chant by Jane Winthur. This week we have a teaching by Deva Premal & Miten on the great healing mantra to Shiva, the Maha Mitrunjaya mantra, with two renditions, the first by Deva & Miten, followed by another version by Brenda McMorrow. Then a powerful chant to Shiva by Dave Stringer. Two versions of the Kundalini Chant Ra Ma Da Sa — in Kundalini teachings Ra Ma Da Sa is said to tune the soul to the frequency of Diving Healing. The first version is by Satkirin Kaur Khalsa, the other toward the end of the set is by Snatam Kaur. In between the Ra Ma Da Sa chant is another offering by Deva & Miten, a live version of Teyata Om Bekanze, one of the most important mantras for healing from the Buddhist tradition.
We always end the set with a prayer for peace, Lokah Samasta Sukino Bhavantu. This week’s version is by Mukti with Prajna Vierra.
After the music ends we meditate for a few minutes, then have a closing prayer.
I hope you’ll find the set powerful, and use it for personal & global healing. My wish for you in the midst of these precarious times is that you can find moments to be grateful and that you’ll also find moments when you can lift someone else up, even if it’s just with a smile. Have faith in the Divine Plan, my friends and make it a practice to release your fear. Fear is a creation of your mind.
I’m going to end with the prayer I always say to end our kirtan.
May we be filled with loving kindness.
May we be free from inner and outer dangers.
May we be well in body & mind.
May we be at peace and happy.
Namaste.