I consider myself to be a very open-minded person. With that, I try to let myself experience new things while placing all judgments aside. That being said, this evening I had the chance to attend a Kirtan, which entails various chanting of Sanskrit, (be it music or a cappella) and storytelling by members of a group. Thankfully, my cousin Marianna invited me to this, so we were able to go experience this together.

Coming from a background in Christianity, it made me question if participating in this event went against my religious views. I initially wondered if I was somehow giving praise to a God other than my own. Was I going against the ideals I had been taught in youth group and Sunday school? Or could I somehow praise my God through this new kind of worship?

As I sat there, eyes closed and focusing on my intentional breathing, I realized that I was indeed doing what I had been taught by my pastor and the leaders of various youth church retreats. I was meditating and allowing myself to be open and present in the moment. However, I was doing so all the while giving thanks to the Father and the Son. As a Christian, I am more than justified in quiet meditation and prayer, and this was exactly what I was doing in that room.

I joined in with the various chants and sang along where I saw fit, and I let myself be open to the wonderful messages that the leaders of the group were teaching. They had a centered focus, from the beginning, on love. Not just the word love and how our society throws it around so easily, but the kind of love that you can feel deeply and that excites your soul. I felt like I was able to connect with these ideals, because it is exactly what I have been taught through the Bible. The Bible teaches me to love unconditionally and whole-heartedly—which gave me a way to link myself to the mood and message of the Kirtan.

Another message that I was able to center back into my own roots was being open and willing to grow in your faith—knowing that someday, when you are fully ripened, you will be picked like the fruit from a tree. This brought me a strong connection to the idea that someday the Father will call me home again, when I am ripe and have done all that he has planned for me. I will be ready.

As you can tell, I felt that I got a lot out of this experience (and I might have had a little fun too). It also connected with my new experience on a deeper level. I opened myself up and I am so grateful for that. I know there will be more chanting in my future.