The gentle strains of Krishna Das' chants greet many a downward-facing dog or lotus pose.

The musician's work is heard at yoga classes, healing retreats and in concerts, like the one tonight at Hawai'i Convention Center.

We caught up with the chantmaster in San Francisco, where he was touring for a few weeks. Born and raised in Long Island, N.Y., Krishna Das traveled to India in the late 1960s, where he met yogi Shri Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharaj Ji in an ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas, immersing himself in devotional chanting. In the ensuing years, he's recorded eight albums.

You were here before (with Ram Dass back in 2003). Do you usually travel with him, and how was that?

"It's always great to be with Ram Dass. I met him first in 1968, when he first came back from India. We've traveled a lot over the years. He had a stroke some years ago. (The 2003 stop) was wonderful. I found people in Hawai'i very open and attentive."

What was your birth name? How did you come to be known as Krishna Das?

"I was born Jeff in Manhattan. As they say, I'm Jewish on my parents' side. In India, Krishna Das is the name given by my guru. It means servant of God. The ideas that God lives in all beings and that to serve all beings is to serve all people. To take care of yourself is to serve God. It's a path of service, in a way."

Your music's been played all over, from India to Iceland to South Africa to Hawai'i. What's the inspiration for your music?

"Inspiration is very internal. It's about entering into a deeper place in my own heart and trying to learn to live in that place all the time, no matter what's going on around me, to develop that kind of strength, to not get wiped out by the vicissitudes."

The whole, "living in the moment" thing — tell us, how hard is it to do that when you're touring?

"Easier. Everything is dedicated to getting ready to sing. No distractions; you don't have to clean up the house. (Laughs.) It's a wonderful discipline. Especially because I get to sing with people at the end of it. That's the best part of it, of course."

Can you call what you do a religious practice?

"No, it's a personal way of finding peace of heart. It doesn't involve believing anything. It doesn't involve faith. It certainly doesn't involve visualizing any weird gods. As the Dalai Lama says, kindness is my religion. Through these practices and reducing stress and increasing the strength of one's heart, people are more naturally kind to one another and less fearful. That reduces the amount of fear in the world, one by one."