I’m Thomas, leader of the Sacred City Community.
Below is the story of how this all began.
And the path I never saw coming…
HEY FRIEND!
The story begins in the back of a cafe in Bali.
It was my third night in Bali and I found myself in a cafe with a stranger from Germany, Marcel. We were meeting to see if I was aligned for the conscious living space he was creating. Afterwards, he took me to the back of the cafe into an event space where there were people gathering around a few musicians. It was strange at first. Everyone was sitting on pillows with their eyes closed not saying a word. When the experience finally began, I heard a sea of voices singing mantras over and over and over. As a newer person in the world of embodied practices at the time, I wondered what the heck is going on and how did I end up here. By the middle of the journey I sobbed as the vibration went through my being. I felt a pure connection with my heart space. It was just beautiful. Since that first Kirtan experience, my life was never the same. The leader of that first experience, Rouzbeh, became a friend. Week by week, he encouraged me to take this medicine music back to the United States and share it with all. While I didn’t how it would unfold, I knew this powerful practice would come with me long after my journey in Bali.
I was given my first shot to lead.
After a month back in the states, a dear friend who spent time with me in Bali sent me a message inviting me to lead Kirtan at her retreat. Tension came up at first from two thoughts: 1. I’ve never done this before and 2. this retreat is in the middle of the Colorado Mountains in the middle of blizzard-like weather. Per my usual tendencies, I jumped at the uncomfortable opportunity and said YES. As I drove up the windy mountain roads, my mother was reading me meanings and stories of different deities and spiritual beings we would be calling out to during Kirtan. Not having my guitar with me or having my harmonium at the time, I used a borrowed keyboard to lead the journey. It ended up being TRANSFORMATIONAL for everyone involved, especially me. I felt my heart crack open a little wider and I felt that for the people in the circle that evening. I did it and was ready to keep doing it.
I started chanting in my studio apartment.
Months went by without an opportunity to participate in or lead a Kirtan journey. So one day I decided I was going to create my own experience at my studio apartment in Orlando where I was living at the time. This 3 month chapter consisted of me, 2 other brothers of mine who had no idea what Kirtan even was initially, and an occasional guest. It became a deeply devotional practice for our little crew and we did it every week until I left for Saint Petersburg, FL.
It began to grow in a backyard yurt in St. Peace, FL.
After the final Kirtan in Orlando, an invitation was sent my way by a dear friend to lead a Kirtan in St Pete. She said she didn’t know who would come or what would happen, but she had a yurt in her backyard and felt the call to chant. I accepted this as an opportunity to serve this beautiful medicine and revel in it as well. What started with 4 people in a circle chanting mantra, turned into groups of 15 in a backyard sanctuary in Downtown St. Pete. These wonderful people were the foundation of the Kirtan Gang I know and love today. They showed up every week, sang their hearts out, and banged on drums until they touched the sacred within themselves.
The Kirtan Gang was birthed in a living room.
The yurt was near and dear to everyone’s hearts, but it ran out of square
footage. There was an imminent need for an upgraded space. A devoted regular of the Kirtan in the yurt days offered her beautiful home for the people to gather and share this heart-opening practice. Every Friday, we dropped deep into Kirtan, ate abundance potluck style meals, and rejoiced in meaningful community. More and more people showed up every week through word of mouth and it became clear that a movement was growing. A Facebook page was made with a quickly made up name that ended up sticking…that name was “Kirtan Gang”. After a magical journey in this space, we again ran out of room and began to search for a new, larger, home.
We found the place we call home today.
A friend in the Gang reached out about our need to the owner of a large space for healers and practitioners in the St. Peace area. The moment she heard Kirtan her eyes lit up and she jumped on a call with me right away to offer me the space. My one request was that it remain a free experience for attendees. She granted that wish and the rest was history. We now gather together comfortably on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month in this space, The Collective St Pete. With candles lit, a stunning mandala front and center, cozy vibes all around, and a group of people ready to let loose and express themselves.
The Sacred City Emerged.
After a few months of being in the our new space and feeling the vibes of hundreds more people, it became clear that what was happening in this community was deeper and bigger than we imagined. Our gatherings became a portal for people to tap into the place where spirit and society merge, and do it together. It began to become clear that this isn’t just a kirtan experience, it is a sacred gathering of people who are doing the inner and outer work to build the Sacred City. And the experiences we host are just a part of the infrastructure of this beautiful city. Now, the call to action for our people are to take the energy they experience here, and go out into their world and lay their own bricks to build the Sacred City. If you are resonating and are ready to play your role, join us.
