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Latest update: 19 June 2024
Sound healing, fire puja, kirtan: welcome to spiritual Koh Phangan in Thailand. The hippie culture is definitely present on the island. But for the non-hippies among us: what do those activities actually entail? And is it also easily accessible for the less spiritual people?
During my Yoga Teacher Training in Koh Phangan, I decide to go all out. I live in my yoga bubble for a month: I eat in vegetarian restaurants, I skip coffee and alcohol, and I want to experience all spiritual, airy-fairy gatherings. And as a consequence, I dance wildly with only a glass of water on Sunday morning, offer flower petals to the fire, and lie on the floor with dozens of others listening to sounds. Curious about what spiritual Koh Phangan has to offer you? Here’s what you can expect from different practices.
Sound Healing in Koh Phangan
The idea behind sound healing is that you relax and heal thanks to sounds. The sounds send out vibrations and energies, and you feel them in your body. They penetrate your cells, organs, and bones – and aura and chakras. But don’t stare blindly at those two if you’re not into that. During a sound healing, a facilitator makes sounds with the voice, singing bowls, drums, tuning forks, and other instruments and objects. Think of it as a concert while lying comfortably on the floor. Close your eyes and just listen.
I join two shamanic sound healings at Orion. Shamanic means that shamanic medicine songs are sung. The first time is fantastic. The group starts breathing together to ensure we are all in the here and now. Then everyone lies down on their mats, and it is up to the facilitator. When the facilitator moves through the room with his instruments, I actually feel the vibrations. I leave the sound healing wonderfully relaxed and feeling rosy. The second time, it’s nice, but I don’t feel anything is happening. My expectations may be too high, or the facilitator didn’t have his day. No idea.
- Difficulty level: easy; you just need to lie down and listen
- Airy-fairy level: average
- Where to go: Orion, check the schedule and make sure you’re on time. Reservations are not possible.
Ecstatic Dance in Koh Phangan
I had never heard of Ecstatic Dance before visiting Koh Phangan. But it is popular; you can even join dances in the Netherlands.
In short: Ecstatic Dance is exuberant dancing barefoot, without shame or judgment, with just a glass of water to keep you going. The spiritual effect is that by dancing, you come closer to yourself, let go of your worries, and open your heart. So you do the dancing for yourself and with yourself. You are not allowed to talk on the dance floor, you are not allowed to take pictures, and you are not allowed to judge people.
On Koh Phangan, I go to Ecstatic Dance twice. Once in the morning and once in the evening. The one in the morning is really a big step for me. Slowly people trickle in. The regulars start to dance quietly. I find a spot sitting on the side – I’m perfectly ok with being a wallflower first. The music stops, and we start with a joint meditation moment. The rules of Ecstatic Dance are explained again, and then the dancing begins. A little awkward at first, but soon all shame disappears. At Ecstatic Dance, someone always dances crazier / worse / more exuberant than you. And it doesn’t matter, everything is fine here. It feels wonderfully liberating.
You are not allowed to talk on the dance floor, and you also can’t touch someone uninvited. Fantastic for women: no unwanted butt squeezes and no annoying guys who think it’s nice to rub/dance against you. The second time I go in the evening, it is just like a night out, but without alcohol. Both times are pretty sweaty experiences: so many people, so many dance moves, and that on a sweltering tropical island.
- Difficulty level: easy; you don’t even have to dance to the beat
- Airy-fairy level: low, just dance
- Where to go: Pyramid (calendar). Reservations are not possible.
Yoga in Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan has embraced yoga. There are countless yoga schools where you can take a class. Ashtanga, vinyasa, hatha… You name it. Of all the spiritual experiences in Koh Phangan, yoga is probably the most accessible. Of course, it depends a bit on which lesson you choose, both in terms of difficulty and vagueness. Yoga is about connecting your body and mind. One of the ways to do that is through yoga poses. You can also learn all kinds of breathing techniques. Those are the two main elements of a yoga class.
If you want to go deeper and learn more, consider a Yoga Teacher Training. I did mine in Koh Phangan. Please read this blog about the practical side of my Yoga Teacher Training and this blog for my personal yoga experience in Koh Phangan.
- Difficulty level: depends on which class you choose
- Airy-fairy level: low to high
- Where to go: Orion (calendar), Pyramid (calendar), or one of many other options.
Tip! You can also enjoy a short retreat on Koh Phangan; check out BookYogaRetreats.
Kirtan in Koh Phangan
A kirtan is a singing session in which the facilitator sings, and the group repeats it – call and response. It’s mainly simple mantras that are repeated over and over. A ‘song’ can last up to fifteen minutes! The idea is that you are so engaged in singing that nothing else is left; you’re in the moment. You chant all kinds of Hindu gods’ names, which puts you in a meditative state. If that’s too far out there for you, you can see it as unashamedly singing for a few hours.
Often, the person facilitating the kirtan will place candles, small statues, and images of gods in the front of the space. Usually, one ‘lead singer’ and a few other people sing along and play instruments. In principle, you sit with your face towards the facilitators, but you can also lie down or dance if you feel like it. You don’t even have to sing; you can just listen.
In Koh Phangan, I join a kirtan from my yoga teacher Akari a few times. You can also find her music on Spotify. The kirtan is opened by a short collective meditation. Then the music starts. What I like is that Akari explains what we are singing about. The words are inimitable, and we deliberately do not get them on paper – we would be more concerned about the correct pronunciation than being here in the moment. I love the kirtan: Akari’s voice is so beautiful, and I forget about time and space. If you are in Koh Phangan and want to try kirtan: join one with Akari when she is on the island. You’re not going to regret it.
Exactly how a kirtan is set up, depends very much on who organizes it. In Amsterdam, I also visit a kirtan, which is next level for me. I wanted to sing anonymously in a group, but here I have to get up, sing to strange people 1-on-1, and you can also sing on your own for the whole group. This is a bridge too far for me.
- Difficulty level: easy, you listen, or you reproduce the sounds you hear
- Airy-fairy level: average
- Where to go: Orion, check the schedule and make sure you’re on time. Reservations are not possible.
Fire puja in Koh Phangan
A fire puja is a ritual with smoke and fire in which offerings are made to gods and spirits. The smoke itself is an offering, and so is the fire. In addition, flower petals, sesame seeds, or twigs are thrown into the fire. Each offering represents something different. This is done to appease the gods and spirits and remove obstacles and worries in your life. It is a cleansing of your soul.
I experience a fire puja on the beach. My yoga group has all dressed neatly in white, but the bare shoulders are a no-go. We didn’t know that, so the fire puja starts awkwardly. Everyone gathers around the fire and waits. The facilitator chants mantras, gives some explanations, offers flower petals, and rings bells.
I like the idea of throwing your worries into the fire, but this fire puja does nothing for me. I check my watch regularly and get a little bored. When I look around the group, there are also plenty of people who experience it intensely. It’s all good; at least I learned that a fire puja (at the moment) is not for me.
- Difficulty level: easy, you listen and throw some things in the fire
- Airy-fairy level: high
- Where to go: Orion, check the schedule and make sure you’re on time. Reservations are not possible.
Get more spiritual in Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan has many more spiritual/airy-fairy/hippie experiences on offer. Contact improvisation, cocoa ceremonies, Ayurveda sessions, tarot, palm readings, or astrology? You can really experience it all here. The great thing is that in the Sri Thanu area, everyone thinks this is the most normal thing in the world. So you don’t have to be ashamed or hesitant. If there’s one place to try it all out, it’s Koh Phangan.
Tip! In for some non-spiritual activities? Check out this extensive list of Koh Phangan tips.
Meer Thailand inspiratie
Handige links voor je Thailand trip
- Accommodatie. Favoriet blijft toch Booking.com. Verblijf je het liefst in een hostel? Check Hostelworld.
- Activiteiten. De leukste tours en activiteiten boek je bij GetYourGuide en Viator. En WithLocals heeft ook leuke tours. ‘Gratis’ wandeltours boek je bij Freetour.com of GuruWalk en voor fietstours moet je bij Baja Bikes zijn.
- Attracties en musea. Neem ook een kijkje bij Tiqets voor tickets voor musea en attracties (je krijgt 5% korting met de code KIMOPREIS22)
- Autohuur. Ik huur het liefst bij EasyTerra en Sunny Cars vanwege hun all-inclusive / worry-free aanbod. Als je meer prijzen wilt vergelijken, kun je bij Discover Cars terecht.
- Geld. Op sommige plekken wordt je Nederlandse bankpas misschien niet geaccepteerd, regel daarom een prepaid creditcard bij Revolut.
- Reisgidsen. Krijg je al helemaal zin in je Thailand trip? Snap ik! Om je voorpret verder aan te wakkeren kun je alvast een reisgids bestellen, bijvoorbeeld bij Bol.com of Amazon.
- Simkaart. Pas op voor onverwachte hoge bel- en internetkosten. Koop een lokale simkaart ter plekke of regel er eentje online via Airalo.
- Trein, bus en boot. Reserveer bussen, treinen en boten in Thailand met Busbud, 12Go of Omio.
- Vliegtickets. Vergelijk je opties! Check in ieder geval Momondo, Skyscanner en Kiwi.
- Verzorgde reizen. Liever compleet verzorgd op vakantie? De keuze is reuze: van ANWB vakanties tot Sawadee, of liever Tui, Corendon, Shoestring of de Vakantie Discounter? En dan heb je ook nog D-reizen.
- Yoga retreat. Of, ga lekker op yoga retreat in Thailand.
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First published: May 2019. The article has been updated since.
