Celebration!

We just made it to the finish line with my heart’s project, my first CD of kirtan music, Heart Beats OneThe album—a collection of soulful interpretations of sacred chants from the traditions of yoga— took way longer than I first anticipated. As it took shape, four things happened: I deepened my practice of meditation through music, I came up with all kinds of new ideas for the music, a number of stellar musicians and production people became available to contribute their gifts, and I redefined “good enough” over and over and over.

When I listened to the final product, I was filled with gratitude. It was worth the wait. I actually found myself in tears listening to the title track—my own song—as I thought of all the other souls whose hearts have been beating in time with mine while the CD evolved. My gratitude spills over.

But that’s not the only cause for celebration. I’ve got a beautiful new web site, redesigned from the ground up to better serve all of you. It now includes jukeboxes for sampling each of my albums, Many of the sample tracks play all the way through, and all are available for download with a clickthrough to CD Baby, where you can also buy physical CDs at discount prices. (In a few days the album will be on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and other Web music outlets, but why wait? CD Baby has it now!)

And then there’s the ever-growing list of exciting events on my calendar. For starters, I’ll be singing and chanting at Bhaktifest, the gigantic yoga/kirtan festival in early September in Joshua Tree, California. On the opening morning of the festival I’ll be playing for Kristin Olson’s yoga class and on the closing day I’ll be singing with David Newman -and others throughout the beautiful weekend. For years I’ve longed to attend, but other things always got in the way. I never thought that I’d be going for the first time with my own just-released CD under my belt. (Again, when I say “my own,” I really mean “the CD that so many talented individuals—and the Universe—supported me in creating every step of the way.)

At the end of September I’ll rejoin the RhythmAsana team for our first Moving-Into-Deep-Joy event in several months in my Corvallis hometown. and then I’ll start packing for the One Heart One Soul Tour with Mike Cohen. We’ll be doing joint kirtans, Lullaby Yoga classes, mini-workshops, festivals (including the Om Festival with Girish) and more from Seattle to San Diego. (See Events in the sidebar.) If you’re interested in bringing us to your area, let us know right away; we still have a few open dates.

In the meantime, I’m happily imagining all the ways I’ll be connecting with each of you, as you listen to my songs, sing along, come to a kirtan or Lullaby Yoga class.

May our hearts continue to beat as one.

Johanna