Nina Rao joins RamDev Dale Borlgum to share in the simple yet powerful devotion of repeating mantras.
Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond.
Nina’s Path to Devotional Music
Nina grew up hearing her grandfather chant in India. She also frequently witnessed her village coming together to chant in a beautiful display of community. In fact, even local businesses contained the mantras she heard in the chants. Despite being surrounded by devotion, she did not begin chanting herself until hearing Krishna Das perform in the 90s. The feeling brought on by hearing chanting stayed with her, and she remembered this during Krishna Das’ chants. It inspired her to begin herself and reminded her that she did not need formal training.
“Chanting is a refuge, first and foremost. It’s the place where I can go to adjust myself from being pulled away in all kinds of directions.” – Nina Rao
Repeating God’s Name (12:40)
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.
Click here to tune into No Mantra Beyond the Name to hear Krishna Das talk about the transformative power of saying God’s name.
Seeing Through the Guru’s Eyes (31:18)
If you feel adrift in the world and wish you had a guru in bodily form, fear not. Nina and RamDev discuss that gurus are always doing spiritual work, in bodily form or not. We may not witness any special miracles in our life, but gurus like Majaraj-ji are still participating in the divine play. Nina says that in her experiences with Siddhi Ma, the most profound ‘miracle’ was how she learned acceptance and openness to life’s unfolding. When we chant, we become one with God and see with the eyes of our guru.
“The greatest miracle in my point of view from meeting Siddhi Ma and being with her is understanding that through practice you can open your heart and find that place of comfort and well-being.” – Nina Rao