Sacred Sound Sanctuary at Yoga Conference SF 2027

Sacred Sound Sanctuary is an evening kirtan at Yoga Conference SF, held at the Kabuki Hotel in downtown San Francisco, California. Shantala leads the sacred chanting. It is open to anyone drawn to mantra and devotional singing, whether you are a long-time kirtan participant or have never chanted in a group.

The gathering is a communal celebration of light, compassion and connection through music. It is part of the yoga conference, and it is also open to people who want to come for the kirtan alone.

What to Expect

The evening runs from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Shantala shares ancient mantras alongside original compositions, and the invitation is to take part: to sing, not just listen. The call-and-response nature of kirtan means you learn each phrase as you go, so no prior knowledge is needed.

The spirit of the night is chanting for peace, remembering our shared humanity, and embodying love for the world and for one another. Shantala is known for bringing an audience into a vast and loving experience, blending voices with the instruments of India and the West.

About Shantala

Shantala is the kirtan duo of Heather and Benjy Wertheimer, who have led sacred chanting around the world for many years. They have released albums of sacred chant music, including Living Waters, Jaya, Sri and The Love Window. Yoga Journal described Sri as "an intoxicating mix of Eastern and Western."

About Heather Wertheimer

Heather Wertheimer is a kirtan artist, singer, songwriter and guitarist who brings together her love of music and yoga to lead devotional chanting. She draws on a healing background as a therapist and as a teacher of meditation and yoga. Her debut album with Shantala, Church of Sky, was named one of the year's top ten albums by New Age Retailer. She has toured with Benjy, Steve Gorn, Manose, and Deva Premal & Miten.

About Benjy Wertheimer

Benjy Wertheimer is an award-winning musician, composer, vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, equally at home on tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar and keyboards. He began his musical studies at age five with piano, later adding violin, flamenco guitar and Afro-Cuban percussion. For over 40 years he has studied Indian classical music, sitting with masters of that tradition including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z. M. Dagar. He trained in audio engineering at San Francisco State University and works as a producer, engineer and studio session musician. He makes his home in Portland, Oregon.

The Setting

The Kabuki Hotel, in downtown San Francisco, is the home of Yoga Conference SF, and the kirtan takes place within the conference there.

Before You Go

Sacred Sound Sanctuary is included with full registration for the conference. Those who want only the kirtan can attend on its own. The organizers expect the evening to sell out quickly, so plan ahead if you hope to be in the room.