Since 2020 Aranka and Shunyam are leading special meditations based on silence and sound at the Quinta Quixote in the Algarve.

During these workshops mantras, kirtans and bhayans will be song together, sound healing will be presented and silence will be experienced.

The workshops are mostly on Saturday evening, either in the hills at the sacred circle, or in the cloyster-room with superb acustics.

Difference between mantra, kirtan and bhayan

A mantra is a a collection of words, one word or one sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. Mostly mantra’s are quotes from classical Vedic or Bhuddhist texts. Aum is one of the basis mantras. The Gayatri mantra is quite well known:

Aum Bhuh Bhuvah Svah Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat

A Kirtan is a Sanskrit word meaning “praise”. Mostly in a form of call-and-response chanting.

A Kirtan and a Bhajan are closely related, with both sharing common aims, subjects, musical themes and being devotional performance arts. A Bhajan has a free style and can be a simple melody that is performed by a single singer with or without one and more musical instruments. A Kirtan has a more structured team performance, based on call and response structure, and it includes two or more musical instruments with roots in the Vedic tradition.