Music

YM: How did you get here?
DN: As a youth I was a musician. Later, I found Yoga. When I discovered Kirtan, my interests in spirituality and Music found each other. The Yoga of Sound as an expression of my spiritual connection made perfect sense to me. I have been captured by it ever since.
YM: What does Kirtan mean to you?
DN: Kirtan literally means "to praise that which is exalted". I feel that there is something fundamentally spiritual and illumined within us all. Singing Kirtan (devotional chanting) quite naturally puts me in touch with this. I have noticed that others feel the same.  When I chant, my heart opens and I feel joy. Experiencing this in a group, with others, is one of the things that to me, makes Kirtan so unique and special!
YM: What is Bhakti Yoga?
DN: Bhakti Yoga is an ancient Yoga practice. It arose as an offering for seekers to awaken the love that dwells within them. It utilizes practices such as Kirtan (chanting), ritual and meditation. More importantly, though it is a way of perceiving reality. Simply stated,  the Divine lives in everyone and everything. Awakening to this is the Bhakti revelation. At the heart of Bhakti Yoga is an attitude of Surrender and a reliance on Grace!
YM: What is Nada Yoga?
DN: Nada Yoga is the Yoga of Sound. It states that all reality, including physical, is constructed of sound vibration.  The premise of Nada Yoga is to use sound to return to our original state. Ancient Seers found that certain sounds organized and uttered in certain ways were able to communicate states of being that were too subtle to be expressed through ordinary language. Yoga is union. So, Nada Yoga is accessing that union through sound, or letting the sound bring you there…or should I say here!
YM: What inspires your music?
DN: My music is inspired by my devotion.  My most familiar and gratifying state is awe for the vastness of this creation. I feel that there is an inherent intelligence to the universe and that my life is an intimate and very personal dance with that intelligence.  Sometimes the dance is filled with joy and sometimes it is a struggle just keeping up. Regardless, though, it is always exciting and filled with mystery and surprise.  So, my music is an expression of that dance – mostly a celebration.
YM: Tell us about your book, Merging with Grace.
DN: This book came out of my inner practice.  Bhakti meditation centers around merging with the object of one's devotion. The Sanskrit name for this is Ishta Devata. This practice emerged for me as a result of a desire to be closer to the presence of my Guru – Neem Karoli Baba.  I found there were certain meditative tools that enabled me to accomplish this goal. I therefore chose to write about them in Merging with Grace. In doing so, I was particularly sensitive to present the information in a way that honored and enabled the reader to open to their own unique guidance and way of connecting to Spirit.
YM: What does your yoga practice look/sound like?
DN: It is a combination of times of solitude for meditation, asana, pranayama, chanting; joyful service through my travels and events; continued attention to cultivating and manifesting kindness and compassion toward others; and remembering my Beloved with each breath and in every moment.
YM: What is the Hanuman Chalisa
DN: This is a sacred 16th century hymn composed in praise of Hanuman – the Monkey God.  Hanuman demonstrates strength through devotion and selfless service. Singing the Hanuman Chalisa reflects and awakens these qualities within us.
YM: What is the best part of your job?
DN: Sharing and celebrating the Personality and Presence of the Divine with individuals and communities around the world.
YM: Who is on your i-pod?
DN: Let's see… Mira, David Sylvian, Citizen Cope, Paul Simon, Sean Johnson, Sufjan Stevens, Ammachi, Jai Uttal, Govindas and Radha, Donna De Lory, Daniel Lanois, Coldplay, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Kate Bush, Jagjit Singh, Girish, and lots more…
YM: What environmental issues are you most concerned about?
DN: So many.  I am greatly concerned about our relationship to Mother Earth…in particular our lack of respect for the soil, toxic farming practices, genetically modified food and the way in which all this adversely affect our food chain. Also, the wanton abuse of animals, and of course the lack of concern for the environment resulting in the widespread polluting of our air and poisoning of our waters. There are more…
YM: What is next?
DN: In September I will release my fifth CD – "Love, Peace, Chant". The CD comes out on Nettwerk/Nutone Records led by a visionary music executive named Terry McBride. Nettwerk works with some amazing artists such as Sarah Mclachlan, among others, has branched into Chant music.  In the fall they will also release CDs from Krishna Das, WAH!, Wade Morissette and Reema Datta. They have been a joy to work with and it is a great gift to have their support.  It will most definitely bring Kirtan and Sacred Chant music to a wider audience.  As far as tours – that is never ending. Traveling is part of my Seva and an aspect that I deeply enjoy. At the moment, I am in in Saskatchewan, Canada!
YM: Where can we find out� more about you?
www.davidnewmanmusic.com
www.myspace.com/davidnewmandurgas
I am also on facebook and have clips and interviews on youtube.