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Paula Crossfield - Weave Your Bliss Podcast - Cultivating a Practice and Finding Purpose with Nina Ra‪o‬

Finding your practice is the most important step to finding your purpose. Today’s guest. Nina Rao, a learned traditional chanter and wildlife enthusiast, shares how finding her practice with chanting led her to her purpose.

Nina discusses how she fell into her career path, the impact and importance of having a practice, and what led her to start Saving Wild Tigers.

This episode is packed with wisdom and guidance. Join Paula in this exploration of the chanting practice and finding your purpose.

Show Highlights:

How Nina fell into chanting
What happens when you’re chanting
How to live each day in a “good way”
Nina shares how she met her guru
Nina shares a hanuman chant
The experience of recognizing your mentor for the first time
What it’s like to have a teacher
How we learn from things and people around us
How practices teach you to let go of negative feelings
Integrating parenthood into your purpose
Making your practice part of your home life
Ways to start a practice with chanting
Why we need to spend more time dissolving the sense of other
What is Saving Wild Tigers and why Nina started it

Nina Rao – BHNN Guest Podcast – Ep. 75 – The Untold Story of Sita with Dena Merriam and Mirabai Starr

Nina Rao welcomes Dena Merriam and Mirabai Starr for a conversation about Dena’s book, The Untold Story of Sita, and how the forces of Sita and Ram are still present in the world today.

Dena Merriam is a long-time meditation practitioner in the lineage of Kriya Yoga and the author of multiple books, including The Untold Story of Sita. Learn more about her at denamerriam.com.

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative nonfiction; her latest book is called Wild Mercy. Learn more about her at mirabaistarr.com.

Nina welcomes Dena and Mirabai to the BHNN Guest Podcast. She asks Dena how her book, The Untold Story of Sita, came about. Nina reads from the book, and asks about Sita’s connection to the natural world. Dena talks about how she fell in love with Mother Earth all over again while writing the book.

“The whole universe was just part of one consciousness at that point. That’s very important for us to try to remember, because it’s in our collective memory. We all hold that memory.” – Dena Merriam

Rebalancing Sacred Energy (21:56)

The discussion turns to the power of mantra and vibration. Nina brings up how Dena is telling the story of Sita as an equal to Ram, not an appendage. Dena talks about the opportunity we now have to bring the sacred masculine and the sacred feminine into balance, and Mirabai explores how women are reclaiming their stories across different spiritual traditions. Dena discusses her work with environmental activists.

“The collective mind wanted to see Sita as the weaker, feminine figure that had to be saved; her hero comes to save her. That’s what the collective mind wanted, and that’s how the collective mind interpreted the whole thing. But that’s not serving us at this moment, that’s not what our society needs or wants. And there’s this desire to understand and to acknowledge the Shakti energy, because our society has been out of balance for so long.” – Dena Merriam

Nina Rao speaks with Robert Thurman about preserving the wealth of nature on BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 52

The Presence of Sita and Ram (44:10)

Nina and Dena talk about how the forces of Sita and Ram are still very present in the world today. They touch on the idea of wisdom and love on the path of dharma, and Sita’s incredible trust in her own heart. Mirabai brings Hanuman into the conversation, and how selfless, loving service is the path to reunification of masculine and feminine.

“I think that when we turn to Ram and Sita, it should be that we are turning to living presences, invoking their help collectively with the Earth right now.” Dena Merriam

Be Here Now Network Podcast - Nina Rao - Women’s Stories of Neem Karoli Baba with Mirabai Bush, Parvati Markus, & Radha Baum

Nina Rao hosts Satsang elders Mirabai Bush, Parvati Markus, and Radha Baum in sharing stories from the female perspective about Indian mystic and Guru, Neem Karoli Baba.Joining together in a virtual remembrance and celebration of the life and teachings of Indian Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, on the anniversary of his Mahasamadhi, Nina invites powerful female Satsang elders Mirabai Bush, Parvati Markus, and Radha Baum to share stories of their time spent in his presence after following the path laid out by Ram Dass to India in the early 1970s.

Nina Rao hosts Satsang elders Mirabai Bush, Parvati Markus, and Radha Baum in sharing stories from the female perspective about Indian mystic and Guru, Neem Karoli Baba.

Joining together in a virtual remembrance and celebration of the life and teachings of Indian Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, on the anniversary of his Mahasamadhi, Nina invites powerful female Satsang elders Mirabai Bush, Parvati Markus, and Radha Baum to share stories of their time spent in his presence after following the path laid out by Ram Dass to India in the early 1970s. Illuminating the deep transmission of gathering in community and sharing stories of the Guru, Nina welcomes us all to meet where our rivers merge, joining in Satsang and darshan of the divine loving presence known affectionately as Maharajji.

Nina Rao - BHNN Guest Podcast - Ep. 65 - Women's Stories of Neem Karoli Baba with Mirabai Bush, Parvati Markus, & Radha Baum: https://youtu.be/xAyidt45BQUNin...

Sacred Music with Nina Rao - Podcast with Conscious Diva

How can the practice of Kirtan assist us with what’s happening in the world today - particularly with trauma. In this episode, renown kirtanwalli, Nina Rao explains the devotional music chanted in bhajans, kirtan and the practice of Bhakti, and how we become receptive to the flow of grace through chanting. Nina also shares the story of Hanuman from the Ramayana and how through the practice of Maha mantra, a transmission of wisdom is received by the practitioner.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
LISTEN ON iTUNES

CHITHEADS PODCAST: Nina Rao & Hari-kirtana das on Bhakti

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CHITHEADS from Embodied Philosophy

Interview with Phil Cartwright - Nina Rao "Anubhav" Album

ANUBHAV is the title of the album ~ Anubhav is a word Ma spoke when talking with Nina about how important it is to have a disciplined practice so it may blossom into each one’s own direct experience of the Divine, the Soul, the One. This inner knowing or perception or feeling, Anubhav, is what guides us on the Path of Life.
Nina Rao learned traditional chants (bhajans) from her grandfather in a village in south India when she nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. For many years Nina has been Krishna Das' business manager and assistant, often touring with him playing cymbals and singing. In 2007, she recorded the track 'Nina Chalisa' on Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace " and in January 2013, she released her debut album, "Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts". Nina regularly leads kirtan, chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa, and sings for yoga classes in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY and beyond.

ANUBHAV is the title of the album ~ Anubhav is a word Ma spoke when talking with Nina about how important it is to have a disciplined practice so it may blossom into each one’s own direct experience of the Divine, the Soul, the One. This inner knowing or perception or feeling, Anubhav, is what guides us on the Path of Life. Nina Rao learned traditional chants (bhajans) from her grandfather in a village in south India when she nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. For many years Nina has been Krishna Das' business manager and assistant, often touring with him playing cymbals and singing. In 2007, she recorded the track 'Nina Chalisa' on Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace " and in January 2013, she released her debut album, "Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts". Nina regularly leads kirtan, chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa, and sings for yoga classes in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY and beyond. http://www.ninaraochant.com

Mindrolling Podcast – Raghu Markus with Nina Rao on Nina's Anubhav CD

Nina Rao visits the Mindrolling Podcast for a chat with Raghu about the transformative power of mantra and the fruits of pursuing a spiritual path.

Nina learned traditional chants from her grandfather in a village in south India when she was nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. For many years Nina has been Krishna Das’ business manager and assistant, often touring with him playing kartals (cymbals) and singing. In January 2013, she released her debut album, Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts and her sophomore album, Anubhav, in 2018. Nina regularly leads kirtan, chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa, and sings for yoga classes in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY and beyond. Keep up with Nina Rao at ninaraochant.com.

Listen to this episode from Mindrolling with Raghu Markus on Spotify. Nina Rao visits the Mindrolling Podcast for a chat with Raghu about the transformative power of mantra and the fruits of pursuing a spiritual path.Find show notes and resources here: https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-ep-258-nina-rao/