“Our lives are lived between the Cosmos above and our beautiful Earth below. We are walking antennae for vibrations and energies. Sacred sound practices slow our worlds down and align us with celestial and planetary resonances. They align us with our deepest humanity, with our be-ing-ness. You can find sacred sound events and recordings on this website, including sound baths, meditations, mantra classes, kirtans and fun versions of my favorite mantras. I offer these humbly to create conditions that help us all drop in, deepen and expand in ourselves.”
About Gaya
Finding sacred sound
Gaya grew up in Northern California loving nature, creativity and movement. In her twenties, she earned a Masters of Fine Arts at UC Davis and spent time dancing with Catapult Dance Theater and Contraband Dance Company.
Her love of nature soon blossomed into curiosity about True Nature...leading her to the Diamond Heart practices of the Ridwhan School where she learned the practice of self-inquiry. Living at the Ananda Seva Mission's ashram gave her time to immerse in all aspects of yoga and yogic philosophy. Here she became a yoga teacher, trainer and yoga therapist. Her yoga teaching style centers around drawing awareness to somatic experience, building health and wellness through movement, and teaching the skills of meditation.
One of the practices at the Ananda Seva ashram was daily bhakti chanting. And this is where the power of chanting revealed to Gaya a universal connection to divine states. She began to chant on her own and eventually joined Atmanna, a local kirtan band. That led her to study Indian classical music and vocalization with Kiranjot Kaur and Gina Sala. She also honed her kirtan leadership skills with Mike Cohen.
Eventually Gaya formed her own kirtan band, Gaya's Earth & Spirit Band, and recorded music and meditations with Grammy-nominated producer Ben Leinbach. You can find her offerings here on the Meditations and Mantras page and also on YouTube, Insight Timer and Spotify.
Gaya now leads chanting, sound healings and teaches yoga in Northern California. She lives on a little homestead with her spouse in Placerville where she communes with nature, farms and listens daily to the silence that is the beginning of all sacred music.
Gaya will be featured in all three dates of the Hometown Kirtan Tour.
Serenity Sound Sisters
with Toni maita
Serenity Sound Sisters is a healing duo dedicated to creating transformative sound bath experiences that promote deep wellness, relaxation, and inner peace. We prioritize the comfort and care of our beloved participants, guiding them through immersive journeys woven with rich, healing frequencies. Our soundscapes are crafted using gongs, Tibetan and crystal singing bowls, Native and tongue drums, and harmonium creating a lush and restorative sonic environment.
The duo is composed of Toni Maita, MFT and shamanic practitioner, and Gaya Shelton-Ostadi, yoga musician and mantra specialist. Together, they blend Toni’s deep-rooted Shamanic healing practices with Gaya’s expertise in yoga, sacred sound, and musicality to offer a unique and powerful sound healing experience.
Based in Placerville, California, Serenity Sound Sisters travels throughout Northern California, sharing their sacred offerings with communities seeking connection, balance, and healing.
MANTRA MUSICIANS
JACQUES PICHON
Guitarist
Jacques grew up in small town in the French Alps. His grandfather was a music teacher, so he began to play at a young age. Today, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Jacques' first love is guitar. He has a recording studio in Santa Rosa, California and plays in various settings. Jacques introduced me to French Reggae and led the first kirtan band I was in, Atmanna. His improvised guitar riffs are poetry. Jacques will be featured in all three dates of the Hometown Kirtan Tour.
NICOLE BRUNS
Vocalist
Nicole is a member of a the Sacramento Goddess Choir and has a lovely soprano voice that reminds me of a clear running mountain stream. Her interest in music leans toward Celtic and Earth-Based Spirituals. Nicole will be featured in all three dates of the Hometown Kirtan Tour.
EDEN STRONG
kirtan leader
Eden brings her soothing, soulful alto voice to many offerings at her yoga studio in Placerville, HomE Studio. Here she is the heart and soul of a beautiful yoga community. Eden will be featured in the Oct 17 date of the Hometown Kirtan Tour.
BLUE SKY AGIN
kirtan leader
Blue Sky is a multi-instrumentalist with a beautiful baritone voice. He is a man of spirit and song and touches deep with his mantra musings.
PAZ DE LA CALZADA
Drummer
Paz de la Calzada is a San Francisco–based artist and drummer originally from Spain, whose work and practice explore the intersections between rhythm, spirituality, and collective ritual. Rooted in Brazilian traditions such as maracatu and samba, and shaped by the flamenco influences of her upbringing, she brings a fresh, improvised trance energy to ritual performance, weaving percussion into moments of presence, connection, and embodied devotion.