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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

BHNN: Healing at the Edge – Ep. 84 – Mantra Repetition with Nina Rao and Dale Borglum

Published on Aug 15, 2022
Nina Rao joins RamDev Dale Borlgum to share in the simple yet powerful devotion of repeating mantras. 

Both Nina and RamDev share in the magic of repeating mantras. Nina says that even just repeating the name Ram is enough to ground you into the moment and offer clarity. We can let go of obstructive thoughts and emotions when we put all of our focus onto the mantra, over and over again. We do not even need to think about what the mantra means, just saying it is enough.

Nina Rao – BHNN Guest Podcast – Ep. 117 – Inner Mountains with Wasfia Nazreen

Nina Rao speaks with Wasfia Nazreen about her adventures as a mountaineer, her friendship with the Dalai Lama, her work as an activist, and how she climbed her own inner mountains.

Wasfia Nazreen is best known for being the only Bangladeshi and first Bengali in the world to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of every continent. She is also the only woman to hold the simultaneous titles of National Geographic Explorer & Adventurer. An outspoken activist since her late teens, her passion has always been driven by causes close to her heart. A human-rights activist, an environmentalist, a writer, educator, pilot, and producer – Wasfia wears many hats, all of which are grounded in strong foundations of meditation and self-realization practices.

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Nina Rao – BHNN Guest Podcast – Ep. 114 – The Grace of Sri Siddhi Ma with Dr. Jaya Prasada

Nina Rao visits Dr. Jaya Prasada in India for a conversation that explores the spiritual legacy of contemporary Indian Saint, Sri Siddhi Ma.

Nina Rao and Dr. Jaya Prasada come together during May 2022 in Teertham, India—Siddhi Ma’s retreat home in the hills—for a Dharma-filled discussion reflecting on their time with contemporary Indian Saint and devoted Neem Karoli Baba lineage-holder, Sri Siddhi Ma. To begin, Nina invites Jaya to describe her early life and transformative destiny which brought her to the path of Bhakti with the grace of sitting at the feet of Saint. From here, Jaya describes the influence her mom and grandpa had on her spiritual path.

“If you ask me why I wrote this book—it was a deep desire within me to share with everyone that came my way the endless love that I received from [Siddhi] Ma.” – Dr. Jaya Prasada

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The Practice of Connection Interview with Yandara Yoga Institute

This week we had a beautiful conversation about connection and trust. Nina Rao, who is a beautiful Kirtan musician, had a very interesting path. She was first introduced to chanting in south India by her chanter-musician grandfather at the age of 9 years old. Nina and her family moved abroad and actually her early work life began in the banking world in NY and then organizing and leading photographic wildlife safaris in Africa and India. It was only when Nina met Krishna Das in NY that her path returned to chanting. Nina spoke with our host Yael Ginzburg about the simplicity of singing together to bringing people together, trusting the pull towards connection, allowing the benefit of the practice to motivate us to continue, not having to ask permission to trust ourselves and more. We had a bird in the studio with us so when you listen, it will be a beautiful reminder of how it is to be in the studio with us on our grounds in Baja.

"We surrender to what is. And what is includes what we want. And then whatever we receive will be the gift.“ -Nina Rao. This clip is about the power of being able to trust ourselves. The way Nina speaks is so heartfelt and moving that it makes one believe in the good of the world.

The Vocal Sanctuary Podcast (Nina Rao Ep 7)

Show Notes:
Today, I’m joined by the graceful and world recognized bhajan traditional singer Nina Rao.
Nina Rao learned traditional chants (bhajans) 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 accompanies him musically as well. In 2007, she recorded the track 'Nina Chalisa' on Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace " ; January 2013 she released her debut album, "Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts"; August 2017 her second album “Anubhav” was released. Nina regularly leads kirtan workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. 

Podcast Recap: 

  • The power of chanting and how anyone can do it.

  • Beautiful mantra practice of Jai Ram Sita Ram by Nina Rao

  • Her story of recording with Krishna Das for the first time.

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Nina Rao – BHNN Guest Podcast – Ep. 95 – Sita’s Fire w/ Vrinda Sheth & Keli Lalita Reddy

Nina Rao and Keli Reddy interview author Vrinda Sheth about Sita’s Fire, a retelling of the Ramayana that brings Sita and the other female characters from the story to center stage.

Vrinda Sheth was raised in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition in Sweden. She is an alumnus of the reputed Kalakshetra institute, holding a First Class Diploma in Bharata Natyam, Indian classical dance. She remains devoted to tradition while exploring ways to bridge the gap between the modern and the ancient. Vrinda is passionate about bringing women’s voices and stories center stage and is the author of the award-winning Sita’s Fire Trilogy. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Florida and is pursuing a Masters in Literature. She lives in Florida with her husband and three children.

Check out the Sita’s Fire Trilogy at sitasfire.com