“My grandfather's harmonium melodies were the soundtrack of my childhood, carrying the spirit of devotion that would later resonate through my own life's journey. As I sit down with Nina Rao, a celebrated Kirtan leader, her stories echo my experiences, weaving a tapestry of spiritual connection rooted in the vibrant chants of Kirtan. We delve into the essence of communal chanting, finding joy and peace within its harmonies, and discussing how these practices cultivate emotional and spiritual fulfillment. Nina's narrative transports us from the Satsang of her youth to the dynamic Kirtan circles of New York, highlighting the profound impact of community and shared devotion on our paths to inner happiness. Our conversation takes an introspective turn as we navigate the role of women in spiritual practices and the melding of Eastern traditions with Western consciousness. I share my own pilgrimage back to my roots, studying Vedic chanting with a teacher in India, and how this journey illuminated the significance of feminine voices in these sacred spaces. The episode unfolds further insights into the evolution of bhakti and kirtan in the West, the reverence for sacred texts, and the shifting perceptions of spirituality and the Divine in our modern society. We are humbled by the legacy of those who have cleared the way for us, acknowledging the profound gratitude for the spiritual inheritance that enriches our lives today. Finally, we embrace the transformative power of daily spiritual rituals, discussing how they enhance compassion, foster an enlightened mind, and contribute to a holistic sense of well-being.”
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GoOD Friends w/ Nina Rao and Curly Nikki - The Power of Mantra, the Real Meaning of Ram, and the Hanuman Chalisa
"I'm here because I followed the path of practice that my Guru laid out for me." - Nina Rao
In this chat she shares about her Guru, Sri Siddhi Ma, her powerful and anchoring experiences on the pathless path, the real meaning of the Ram mantra, and the importance of service and constant God remembrance. She leads us in to Presence by chanting Sri Ram Jai Ram and the Hanuman Chalisa.
Show notes:
Vinayaka Always (the track featuring her grandfather) (Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts, 2013)
Sri Siddhi Ma: The Story of Neem Karoli Baba's Spiritual Legacy
Nikki's favorite kirtan w/ Nina - Sri Ram Kirtan Sadhana
Flow of Grace (book by Krishna Das about Hanuman Chalisa)
Hanuman Chalisa in English (PDF)
Chant the Hanuman Chalisa w/ Nina - Free Course
Learn the Hanuman Chalisa w/ Nina via Insight Timer
*To claim your free gift, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it and send it to me at nikki@curlynikki.com!
Traditional Vedic Chanting and Devotional Kirtan as Sound Medicine
Recorded April 2023: This is a one-hour conversation and practice session hosted by Stephen Dinan of Shift Network with Nina Rao. Nina has been studying Veda chanting with her teacher from the Mysore lineage for a couple of years, as she continues to lead the singing of kirtan as a
Read MoreThe Goddess Experience
During this 20-week program, Acharya Shunya weaves together inspiring, authoritative goddess stories with immersive practices (including mantra chanting and meditations) to evoke the energy of each goddess from within you. Taking the teaching one step further, Shunya links the goddesses to our individual chakras, creating an embodied and systematic pathway to transformation.
Read MoreRam Dass's Yoga of Heartfulness
In this four-week course, Ram Dass' Yoga of Heartfulness, you will learn how to integrate wisdom from Bhakti, secular, and inter-spiritual traditions into your daily life as an antidote to division, polarity, and tension.
You will follow in Ram Dass' footsteps by learning how to revive your heart and, in the process, help to germinate goodness in the hearts of others. Not in a "phony holy” or “spiritual bypassing” way, but by authentically embracing your humanity while simultaneously tapping into the abiding space of loving awareness that is your true nature.
Read MoreFinding Harmony In Today's World
This 6-week course weaves timeless teachings with present-day introspection and provides context for walking confidently through a rapidly evolving world. We are thrilled to announce the release of the re-mastered original footage from Naropa in an updated 6-week virtual course: Finding Harmony in Today's World: Ram Dass on the Mystical Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita
Read MoreWaiting For Grace with Nina Rao Finding Harmony Podcast
It is with great pleasure that we introduce our esteemed and most honorable guest: the beautiful, humble, and one might say, divinely inspired human, Nina Rao!
What Nina enchants us with is an opportunity to reflect more deeply on what it means to cultivate a spiritual practice.
And, the shadow side, which is to examine just how often we fail at this noble endeavor. As she reminds us, this too is OK -- even part of the path. We all have families, obligations, children, and the whole point is that we keep trying to do better every day. Even when we can’t always be at our best.We also had a wondrous opportunity to talk about cultural appropriation and our earnest efforts to have an authentic experience in a post modernist world of self construction.
For those of us not born into a specific lineage, we have the gift and freedom to resonate and choose different spiritual paths and practices.
However, there is something to be said about digging a single well and going deep. Discovering what insight lays buried within the repetition. True learning. And, in the end, we touch something beyond this behavioral reality — we begin to transcend our ego-selves
As Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji) said, “Go on chanting your false “Ram, Ram” some day you’ll get it right.” And, perhaps you’ll also find yourself running across the lake after your guru seeking to get the pronunciation exactly correct as you embark on your chosen path to enlightenment.
Spiritual practice is something that’s continually evolving as we grow and change as ‘spiritual beings having a human experience.’ And it's our birthright -- It's our dharma!
(A side note: The movie referenced in the beginning of our conversation was For the Benefit of All Beings.)
Also available on Spotify:
Everyone is Everything Podcast Ep 26 with Nina Rao
Live Talk with Kavitha Chinnaiyan
Śabdollāsa | Live Talk with Kavitha Chinnaiyan (@kavitha_chinnaiyan) and Nina Rao (@nina_rao) | Part 1
Śabdollāsa | Live Talk with Kavitha Chinnaiyan (@kavitha_chinnaiyan) and Nina Rao (@nina_rao) | Part 2
David Nichtern – Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck – Ep. 39 – Chanting, Music, & Sri Siddhi Ma with Nina Rao
Nina Rao joins David to share the clarity and wisdom of her Guru, Sri Siddhi Ma, and discuss chanting, music, Maharaj-ji, the Goddess, and Hanuman.
“It’s all about purifying. The practice is helping us drop all the stuff considered obscurations or kleshas to seeing clearly. If we see clearly we can understand. If we understand we can have a compassionate heart. With that compassionate heart we can feel our interconnectedness. Then what else is there to do in this body but feel that interconnectedness, feel that love, and share.” – Nina Rao
In this episode Nina and David discuss:
How all aspects of our self and life weave together
Nina’s relationship to Sri Siddhi Ma, Maharaj-ji (Neem Karoli Baba), and Hanuman
Sri Siddhi Ma as a fully integrated being of wisdom, clarity, love, and presence
Meeting Maharaj-ji through Krishna Das’ chanting
Nina’s life-changing first darshan with Sri Siddhi Ma
Western culture, Eastern spirituality, and cultural appropriation
Kirtan, chanting, music, and creativity
Goddess, Shakti, and the Divine Feminine
Connections between Bhakti and Buddhism