Ramana Erickson - (tabla)
Ramana Erickson has been a tabla player and kirtan singer for over thirty years. In addition he has led Sanskrit and yoga philosophy workshops and courses for over twenty years in the United States, India, and Japan.
Ramana first started practicing yoga and singing kirtan at the ripe old age of ten under the tutelage of Swami Vishnudevananda at Vrindavan Yoga Farm in Grass Valley California. At 13, Ramana became the youngest hatha yoga student to graduate from the Sivananda Yoga teacher training course taught by Swami Vishnudevananda himself.
After meeting Swami Muktananda in 1974, Ramana and his family moved to Muktananda's Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland, California, and then again to the main ashram in Ganeshpuri, India in 1976. It was here that Ramana spent his high school years, and where he practiced all aspects of kirtan music: tabla, harmonium, hand cymbals, and singing. He also immersed himself in the study of Sanskrit, Vedic chanting, Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, tantric puja, and yoga, and was guided in his studies by Swami Tejomayananda, a Vedantic scholar and close disciple of Swami Muktananda. Ramana and family spent eight years on the Siddha Yoga staff until Swami Muktananda’s passing in 1982. In 1988, Ramana met his Parama Satguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Ammachi), and he has now been her devotee for over twenty years. He has traveled extensively with her in India and on her world tours. Ramana traveled with Amma from India to Japan and then stayed on, initially with the goal of simply teaching English as a second language to raise more money to travel with Amma. He ended up staying for two years in Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northernmost island; in addition to teaching English, he joined the budding Japan Ammachi satsang and taught beginning Sanskrit, tabla, harmonium, kirtan and Vedic chanting, and hatha yoga. His years in Japan culminated in the great honor of hosting Amma for three days of programs in Sapporo in 1994. In 1998, Ramana married his wife, Shubha, in Tokyo, where they were both helping to establish a permanent center for Ammachi. In 2000, Ramana returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he remains deeply involved in the activities at the San Ramon MA Center, playing tablas, singing kirtan, and teaching Sanskrit.
He also teaches tabla, harmonium, kirtan and Vedic chanting to private students throughout the Bay Area; his classes are noted for their emphasis on correct pronunciation and rapid acquisition of Sanskrit reading and chanting skills. In 2006, Ramana was touched by hearing Mukti lead vocalist Prajna sing kirtans for a Saturday evening program at MA Center. Her heartfelt devotion and vocal virtuosity would send listeners into a state of blissful absorption. Ramana asked if she would be interested in collaborating in a spiritual music project; Prajna agreed, introducing Ramana to Don Fontowitz (guitarist extraordinaire!); and, after an unforgettable first practice together, Mukti was born. Soon after that first practice, Ramana brought in his sister Veena, also well versed in Sanskrit and kirtan from their ashram childhood, to provide backing vocals and expert hand cymbal playing. Ramana cannot properly express the gratitude and happiness he feels being a member of Mukti, surrounded by a talented assortment of friends and family, all with the united purpose of sharing the peace and blessings of kirtan music with each other and the world.
Ramana Erickson has been a tabla player and kirtan singer for over thirty years. In addition he has led Sanskrit and yoga philosophy workshops and courses for over twenty years in the United States, India, and Japan.
Ramana first started practicing yoga and singing kirtan at the ripe old age of ten under the tutelage of Swami Vishnudevananda at Vrindavan Yoga Farm in Grass Valley California. At 13, Ramana became the youngest hatha yoga student to graduate from the Sivananda Yoga teacher training course taught by Swami Vishnudevananda himself.
After meeting Swami Muktananda in 1974, Ramana and his family moved to Muktananda's Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland, California, and then again to the main ashram in Ganeshpuri, India in 1976. It was here that Ramana spent his high school years, and where he practiced all aspects of kirtan music: tabla, harmonium, hand cymbals, and singing. He also immersed himself in the study of Sanskrit, Vedic chanting, Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, tantric puja, and yoga, and was guided in his studies by Swami Tejomayananda, a Vedantic scholar and close disciple of Swami Muktananda. Ramana and family spent eight years on the Siddha Yoga staff until Swami Muktananda’s passing in 1982. In 1988, Ramana met his Parama Satguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Ammachi), and he has now been her devotee for over twenty years. He has traveled extensively with her in India and on her world tours. Ramana traveled with Amma from India to Japan and then stayed on, initially with the goal of simply teaching English as a second language to raise more money to travel with Amma. He ended up staying for two years in Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northernmost island; in addition to teaching English, he joined the budding Japan Ammachi satsang and taught beginning Sanskrit, tabla, harmonium, kirtan and Vedic chanting, and hatha yoga. His years in Japan culminated in the great honor of hosting Amma for three days of programs in Sapporo in 1994. In 1998, Ramana married his wife, Shubha, in Tokyo, where they were both helping to establish a permanent center for Ammachi. In 2000, Ramana returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he remains deeply involved in the activities at the San Ramon MA Center, playing tablas, singing kirtan, and teaching Sanskrit.
He also teaches tabla, harmonium, kirtan and Vedic chanting to private students throughout the Bay Area; his classes are noted for their emphasis on correct pronunciation and rapid acquisition of Sanskrit reading and chanting skills. In 2006, Ramana was touched by hearing Mukti lead vocalist Prajna sing kirtans for a Saturday evening program at MA Center. Her heartfelt devotion and vocal virtuosity would send listeners into a state of blissful absorption. Ramana asked if she would be interested in collaborating in a spiritual music project; Prajna agreed, introducing Ramana to Don Fontowitz (guitarist extraordinaire!); and, after an unforgettable first practice together, Mukti was born. Soon after that first practice, Ramana brought in his sister Veena, also well versed in Sanskrit and kirtan from their ashram childhood, to provide backing vocals and expert hand cymbal playing. Ramana cannot properly express the gratitude and happiness he feels being a member of Mukti, surrounded by a talented assortment of friends and family, all with the united purpose of sharing the peace and blessings of kirtan music with each other and the world.