Jahnavi Harrison was raised in a family of bhakti yoga practitioners at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, England. She is a writer, musician and artist who aims to channel her creative expression as a path to self-realization and service. She is trained in both Western as well as Carnatic (South Indian) classical dance and music, as well as writing and visual arts. After graduating with a BA in Linguistics and Creative Writing, she travelled internationally with the sacred music band, ËœGaura Vani and As Kindred Spiritsâ„¢, for five years, presenting the dynamic stories and spiritual culture of India for a fresh, contemporary audience. She has also been a member of sacred music collective ËœSita and the Hanumenâ„¢, and has often collaborated with kirtan artists like Krishna Das, Shyam Das, Wah!, Shantala and Jai Uttal. In 2012 she was presented with a Youth Achievement award at the UK House of Lords for her efforts to bring upliftment to society through sacred music. In 2015 she released her debut sacred music album, ËœLike a River to the Seaâ„¢, and also took part in the Grammy nominated, ËœBhakti Without Bordersâ„¢ album.Many Moons Podcast: The Vedic Women- Ideal or Unattainable with Garuda Das
As Srila Prabhupada dramatically underscored that, ‘you are not your body’, how do we deal with the fact that we are our bodies? Some propagate that following Vedic culture and gender norms is the panacea for solving all of ISKCON’s social issues. However, do Vaishnava and Vedic culture always align? Will being ‘Vedic’ help or hinder vaishnavis to flourish? Do we even really know what Vedic culture is? If we are conscious that we are spirit-soul, then why should we limit any devotional potential based on the body? The answer is ātma-nivedanam . . . we offer the body fully in our loving sevā to Śrī Śrī Rādhā Krishna. But there is no set formula for this; each devotee will fill her live with bhakti in a unique way. If we impose cultural norms on devotees, which discourages them, this literally is aparādha, or "opposing devotional service." So can we harmonise being Vaishnavis, being Vedic and practicing Bhakti in 2022?Watch the discussion here - The Vedic Women Podcast[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzOjj9foHws[/embed]
Where are we going?
~presented by Ananda Vrndavan Devi
This is a good question to ask ourselves at the end of the year. Or better yet, where do we want to go? And, are we headed in the right direction? We'll take a look back and also share some thoughts and ideas for 2020.
Please click here or on the image below to play the talk.
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/iskconofdc/where-are-we-going-ananda-vrindavan-devi-dasi-last-30-minutes?in=iskconofdc/sets/sunday-open-house-talks-2019[/embed]
Ananda Vrndavan is one of my dearest friends. She is the community president of ISKCON of DC. Please visit their website at iskconofdc.org — Rukmini
"Something Understood" - Faith and the Body
-presented by Jahnavi Harrison
The birth of her nephew prompts musician Jahnavi Harrison to explore what she calls "the adventure of embodiment". She looks at how physical activities, both ritual and everyday, can lead to a state of transcendence.
Click here to listen in to this inspiring BBC Radio session.
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/jahnavi_harrison/bbc-radio-4-something-understood-faith-and-the-body-august-2018[/embed]Jahnavi explains how yoga teaches the practitioner to see the body as a temple dedicated to the glory of God; how pilgrimage, by engaging the body in repetitive movement, makes an internal journey of prayer and sacrifice easier instead of just sitting in an armchair thinking about it; and how physical work can become a spiritual blessing.Readings include the wisdom of Saint Teresa of Avila and the Bhagavad Gita. The music includes tracks from George Harrison, Thomas Newman and the Monteverdi Choir.Presenter: Jahnavi HarrisonProducer: Jonathan MayoA TBI production for BBC Radio 4.
Something Understood: Brides of God
-presented by Jahnavi Harrison
Musician Jahnavi Harrison interweaves music, prose and poetry in a celebration of the women who choose to dedicate their lives entirely to God. Click here to listen in to this inspiring BBC Radio session.She explains that she has always been fascinated what it is that drives a woman to leave behind worldly affairs and adopt a life of seclusion and near-constant prayer. Though the tradition is timeless, with today's calls for feminine independence and gender equality the choice to be a nun feels just as radical and relevant as it might have in the past.Jahnavi explores the life of Emahoy Maryam Tsegue-Gebroue, an Ethiopian nun whose prodigious talent as a pianist has led to her records being adored all over the world. We also meet the "maharis", Indian temple dancers who were dedicated at a young age, considered to be brides of God, taking part in a wedding ceremony and wearing all the markings of married women.With readings from the 13th century Christian mystic Mechtild of Magdeburg, St Saint Clare of Assisi, the Bhagavad Gita and ancient Buddhist poetry from the Therigatha and music including the work of Christian polymath Hildegard of Bingen, The Flamingos and Yamuna Devi.Presenter: Jahnavi HarrisonProducer: Max O'BrienA TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.Click on this link to listen to the BBC radio session ~ https://soundcloud.com/jahnavi_harrison/bbc-radio-4-something-understood-brides-of-god-may-2018[embed]https://soundcloud.com/jahnavi_harrison/bbc-radio-4-something-understood-brides-of-god-may-2018[/embed]
Sacred Botany
BBC Radio 4 - Something Understood - 'Sacred Botany', Presented by Jahnavi Harrison
Musician Jahnavi Harrison enters a world of sacred plants revealing that, in many religious traditions, plants are seen as spiritually symbolic - sometimes acting as intermediaries with the divine world.Jahnavi invites us on a journey to Vrindavan, a town two hours south of New Delhi, a place of pilgrimage and worship for Hindus. Vrindavan is named after the goddess Vrinda who is said to take the form of the holy basil plant Tulasi in the worldly realm. Jahnavi reveals that this same plant is lovingly cultivated in the Hertfordshire temple where she grew up and is brought into the main shrine each day during the morning worship.She goes on to explore the significance of the lotus flower, a key symbol in many Eastern religions.The use of plants in worship is not confined to the East. The presence of Ocimum Basilicum - which many of us know as the basil we cook with - is a common sight in regional denominations of Orthodox Christianity, especially in the Greek church. Jahnavi explains that Orthodox Christians believe the herb sprung up where Jesus's blood fell near his tomb. Ever since, basil has been associated with the worship of the cross, particularly during Great Lent.Drawing upon the Zen poetry of Matsuo Basho, Jahnavi discusses the lessons we can learn by paying close attention to the plants around us. Basho's vivid depictions of the plant world are complemented by the words of Sam Taylor Coleridge, whose poem To Nature is described by Jahnavi as "a prayerful study of the plant kingdom".To listen to this presentation click here or on the arrow in the image below. [embed]https://soundcloud.com/jahnavi_harrison/bbc-radio-4-something-understood-sacred-botany-february-2018[/embed]Producer: Max O'Brien/A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4.
Jahnavi Harrison was raised in a family of bhakti yoga practitioners at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, England. She is a writer, musician and artist who aims to channel her creative expression as a path to self-realization and service. She is trained in both Western as well as Carnatic (South Indian) classical dance and music, as well as writing and visual arts. After graduating with a BA in Linguistics and Creative Writing, she travelled internationally with the sacred music band, Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, for five years, presenting the dynamic stories and spiritual culture of India for a fresh, contemporary audience.
Mantras
Musician Jahnavi Harrison examines the ancient practice of mantra recitation and charts the spread of mantras from their Eastern origins to Western pop-culture.The origin of the word ‘mantra’ lies in the ancient Sanskrit language. It means literally ‘mana’ or mind/heart and ‘tra’ to transport or transcend. In a religious context, Jahnavi explains, a mantra is a sacred sound formula - an arrangement of words with meaning, that have the power to connect the reciter with a specific spiritual goal. But the meaning need not necessarily be understood in order to have an effect, just as you don’t need to know about all the ingredients in cough syrup to feel it doing something.Om, believed by Hindus to be a 'primordial sacred sound' is perhaps the most well known of the traditional Eastern mantras. Jahnavi introduces us to an extraordinary recording of 10,000 people chanting Om as part of a project organised by the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhatten. We also hear the music of George Harrison which features this ancient chant.The belief of Hindus and Buddhists, that reciting mantras can transform the body and mind, are now the subject of much scientific study which has shown that regular chanting brings about changes within the brain. In addition to reaping the spiritual and cognitive benefits, Jahnavi explains that she chants daily in order to put on a suit of "sonic armour" that seems to protect her from the noise and intensity of the urban environment.[embed]https://soundcloud.com/jahnavi_harrison/bbc-radio-4-something-understood-mantras-october-2018[/embed]
Jahnavi Harrison was raised in a family of bhakti yoga practitioners at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, England. She is a writer, musician and artist who aims to channel her creative expression as a path to self-realization and service. She is trained in both Western as well as Carnatic (South Indian) classical dance and music, as well as writing and visual arts. After graduating with a BA in Linguistics and Creative Writing, she travelled internationally with the sacred music band, ËœGaura Vani and As Kindred Spiritsâ„¢, for five years, presenting the dynamic stories and spiritual culture of India for a fresh, contemporary audience. She has also been a member of sacred music collective ËœSita and the Hanumenâ„¢, and has often collaborated with kirtan artists like Krishna Das, Shyam Das, Wah!, Shantala and Jai Uttal. In 2012 she was presented with a Youth Achievement award at the UK House of Lords for her efforts to bring upliftment to society through sacred music. In 2015 she released her debut sacred music album, ËœLike a River to the Seaâ„¢, and also took part in the Grammy nominated, ËœBhakti Without Bordersâ„¢ album.A Loan From God
Monday, September 10, 2018
A Loan From God, a podcast interview
Shaunaka Rishi Das, an Irish-born Hindu and Director of the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies, spent many years caring for his wife Keshava, who had chronic fatigue syndrome. In her mid-50s and suffering from depression, Keshava took her own life, with questions over the medical response leading to a traumatic two-day inquest. Shaunaka, who has never publicly told this story before, has found comfort in the Hindu idea that she was ‘on loan’ to him from God and eventually had to be returned. In this programme, he reflects eloquently on death, mourning and letting go from a Hindu perspective, with presenter Mark Dowd, who lost his own brother to suicide.To listen the podcast interview follow this link: http://www.thingsunseen.co.uk/podcasts/a-loan-from-god/_________________________________________________________________________*If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of hurting yourself or someone else, call 9-1-1 (or your local emergency number) immediately. Do not wait. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States is:
- 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
If you are calling from outside of the United States, find lists of international suicide hotline numbers here:
- The International Association for Suicide Prevention: http://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres
- Befrienders Worldwide: http://www.befrienders.org/need-to-talk
Photo credit: flikr/ejeej