Sound Healing, Kirtan, and Gayatri Mantra, Meet Noelani Love!

By Karyn Chambers

Cover Photo by Karen Chambers

Every Sunday at Kalani’s Bluemoon Room from 4-7 pm in Seaview, a group gathers to experience sound healing, the Gayatri Mantra, and Kirtan. During sound healing–crystal singing bowls, gongs, drums and high frequency harmonics–folks lay in shavasana (corpse pose) on yoga mats to receive the vibration, providing an opportunity for complete relaxation, moving out of the mind’s chatter to experience a fine tuning of one’s nervous system. From my own experience, I feel a temporary release of the body-mind and an expansion of my auric field, which brings deep healing and a quieting of any stress in the body/emotions. 

After the sound bath, the group returns to sitting and joins in chanting the Gayatri Mantra 108 times. The Gayatri Mantra is a powerful ancient Sanskrit prayer for purification and emotional well-being. The mantra is dedicated to the sun god, Savitri, who brings radiant healing energy, removing anxiety and any emotional blockages held in the body, connecting the participant with higher consciousness and enlightenment. Some in the community use a mala–a string of 108 beads used for counting the prayers. 108 is a sacred number among the Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs, representing 108 energies in the body or 108 deities.

Gayatri Mantra (24 Syllable Prayer found in the Rig Veda)

“Om Bhur Bhurvah Svaha, Tat Savitur Varenyam, Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat” (Translated as “ ‘O Divine mother, we meditate on you, and your positive radiant light”)

Each week at Kirtan and Sound Healing, the community experiences a rotation of facilitators trained in this form of bhakti yoga (the path of love and devotion). Each leader has his/her own style, talents, and gifts. As a regular attendee, I’ve personally experienced the blessing of this alternating leadership. I have been especially moved by Noelani Love, a Hawaiian native who discovered the powerful gift of using her voice when she was preparing to give birth to her son at home. She discovered that utilizing the depth of her voice miraculously transformed her labor pains. This experience empowered her to assist/coach other women for childbirth. Eventually, she learned the ukulele because she wanted to sing to her beautiful son. In 2013, she traveled to Rishikesh, India, to complete Kundalini Yoga teacher training. The following year she embarked on a 200 hour mantra training– two 100 hour sessions a year apart for integration, also in Rishikesh, taught by Anandra George called The Heart of Sound. Anandra George pioneered Nada Yoga–“the Yoga of Sound”-teacher training (200 & 500 hr training), twenty five years ago. Nada Yoga focuses on internal and external sound as a tool for self-discovery and spiritual growth. You can learn more about Anandra’s courses at www.heartofsound.in. She offers a 30 minute free consultation call and an online Preparation for Teacher Training. She also offers teacher training and chant retreats on Kaua’i as well as Rishikesh, India.

During Noelani’s teacher training in Rishikesh, she played her ukulele near the holy Ganga and began formulating her own chants, which later became her album Laksmi Lullabies. After her training, she opened a yoga studio where she sang her mantras to her students, further strengthening her gift. She eventually went to Bali to assist a friend in a retreat and connected with a producer who guided her in the creation of her album.

What’s unique about Noelani is how beautifully she weaves together the Hawaiian language and spirituality with Sanskrit, revealing their similarities and oneness. Along with her talented musicianship and singing, she’s an educator who delights in sharing the meaning of the words to add depth to the practice. She radiates joy and beauty when leading the group, bringing in gratitude for all of the blessings of living in Puna–our lovely rain and lush gardens, along with our beautiful sunshine and the ocean. According to The Ancient Science of Mantras, “Real devotion makes you humble; it melts you, transforms you.” Noelani embodies true devotion and passion, radiating love and grace.

For most Westerners, when they hear the word yoga, they think of the studios where students practice difficult asanas wearing brightly colored leotards. However, in the Vedic tradition, yoga means “to yoke,” “to unite,” and there are four branches in which a devotee can “yoke” or “unite” with Higher Consciousness, experiencing Enlightenment:  1. Karma (selfless service)  2. Bhakti (devotion/love for God) 3. Jnana (self-inquiry/inner wisdom) 4.Raja  (the royal path). A sadhana (spiritual practice) can include daily meditation, sacred reading, bodily postures/movements, breathwork, and chanting. The goal or outcome of these regular practices is ultimately union with the Divine; it’s training the body-mind to relax into the energy of peace and joy. The Ancient Science of Mantras states, “When you become one with a mantra, you no longer remain the individual you, the tiny you. Instead, your entire being is elevated to a different, higher consciousness.” It has the power to “make you the master of your destiny.” Now add Nada (sound) Yoga to the ways we can heal and unite our energies into higher consciousness and become an instrument for peace. 

Tomas Mendola, who organized and initiated bringing kirtan and the Gayatri Mantra to Seaview, said regarding Noelani, “She weaves together the Hawaiian culture with the Yoga culture into a beautiful experience of voices together in sacred chanting.

Her presence and professionalism brought us all together into the magic of our coherent hearts and minds together in song.” This magic that Tomas speaks of is the power of love and devotion (bhakti) where the longing of the heart becomes manifest into self-surrender and oneness. Tomas’ dream is to have 108 attendees at Kirtan. Our numbers are increasing, reaching 80 on one Sunday. 

Sound Healing and Kirtan is supported by Puna Rising’s A Moveable Feast, designed to build community with its ultimate goal to empower residents through cultural preservation and create a community center where artisans and teachers can offer a variety of workshops and creative endeavors. There is a communal meal/potluck afterwards where building relationships is encouraged and sharing of talents and resources. A $10 donation at the door is suggested to assist with expenses. 

Noelani Love has a website noelanihawaii.com showcasing her self-designed jewelry. She also offers online Vocal Awakening courses, sound healing, and weddings. You may also download her digital album. I will say after listening to her beautiful E Ho Mai chant, that it played automatically in my head for several days. What a gift! Noelani travels to our other islands to perform and lead kirtan. Her schedule can be found on her website. She’s also a licensed minister who loves guiding couples and performing weddings and retreats.  In addition to her talent as a singer/musician/healer, she creates lovely delicate jewelry available for purchase on her website. Definitely check out her jewelry and courses on her website! 

When we come and sing together, magic happens. Deep healing can occur, and new relationships are forged where we bless each other with our strengths, gifts, and talents. The sharing that happens and releasing blockages/barriers is how we together build a stronger, more prosperous, beautiful world, radiating this energy of love and light out to our mother earth and fellow humans. Come join us on Sundays at 4 pm. Bring a pillow,  yoga mat and a smile. 🙂