Music is a refuge. Whether instrumental or with lyrics, the repetition of mantra or other inspirational poetry, it is a source of solace, a way to lift us up, a way for us to find our inner center. When we ride the waves of the world today, this is one of our sources of restoration and rejuvenation. Longtime mantra musician and master GuruGanesha is a believer in the power of music as well as the benefit of sharing that music through community. His mantra group GuruGanesha Band is doing their part to share positive vibes through song.
GuruGanesha is a force in the conscious music community. He has recorded mantra music with Grammy-winning singer Seal, toured with Snatam Kaur as her manager and guitarist/backup vocalist, founded Spirit Voyage Records, and toured as a solo artist. The GuruGanesha Band is his current transformational music project. He is collaborating with guitarist Sat Kartar, bassist Guru Sangat, and drummer Fabio Pirozzolo. They shared their music at Sat Nam Fest, have released their first single “Troubled Times,” will be touring the East Coat this fall and launching their album People of Love in September.
The music offers a place for people to find solace through song. GuruGanesha says, “We decided that the song needed to speak directly to the frustration, pain and confusion that many of us in the United States are currently feeling. We also made certain that the second half of the song included a prayer and positive affirmation that we hope will be a forklift to listeners’ spirits.”
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More than simply serving as a forklift, GuruGanesha says, “Music brings people together in a big way. In the 60s, music was the soundtrack for the movement. We’re trying to do the same today – we hope to be part of this generation’s soundtrack that can create positive change in the world.” Music can also help us to identify and make sense of our feelings. GuruGanesha Band member Guru Sangat says, “Sometimes music can give voice to emotions to the unspoken feeling of generations. It gets large groups of people together that otherwise wouldn’t get together.”
If you need a forklift for your spirit, listen to their single “Troubled Times.”
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.