Baja Sur, Mexico: Prayers to the Goddess with Nina Rao

Prayers to the Goddess is a two-hour meditation and chanting workshop at Casa Éter in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, led by kirtan artist Nina Rao. It is for anyone drawn to devotional practice, mantra and the feminine face of the Divine, and no previous experience with mantra, kirtan or Sanskrit is needed.

The gathering explores the Goddess in her many forms and qualities through traditional prayers, mantra, music and kirtan. It is a chance to sit, listen and sing in a small room, rather than to watch a performance.

What to Expect

Nina Rao guides the group through chants that invoke and honor the Divine Feminine. The practice is simple and participatory: you sing, you listen, and you explore prayers that honor the feminine expression of the Divine through devotion. Chanting is the way in, and the workshop is built around it.

Nina also shares teachings from her years with her guru, Sri Siddhi Ma, whom she met in the foothills of the Himalayas in 1998 and spent time with regularly for 19 years. For Nina, chanting became her core sādhana, a source of focus and refuge, and a way of opening the heart. Those teachings give context to the songs and to why she returns to them.

The workshop runs for two hours around midday. It is one of two events Nina holds in La Paz on consecutive days, and a Kirtan Night with Nina Rao takes place the evening before, for those who want to experience both the teaching and the full call-and-response of a kirtan.

About Nina Rao

Nina Rao was born into a family deeply rooted in Indian spiritual and musical traditions. She grew up in a household filled with devotional music, and her early life blended Western and Eastern influences as she found her way as an Indian-American. That background shaped her artistic voice and her connection to her cultural heritage.

Her work centers on chanting and the exploration of sacred sound. She has released several albums that reflect her devotion to kirtan, the call-and-response chanting at the heart of the Bhakti tradition. Her own path as a student of Sri Siddhi Ma informs how she teaches: chanting as a daily practice and a place of refuge, not only as music.

The Setting

The workshop takes place at Casa Éter, in the Zona Central of La Paz, on Melchor Ocampo, in the heart of the city in Baja California Sur.

Before You Go

No experience is required. If you have never chanted, or never sung in Sanskrit, you are welcome to simply listen and join in as you feel ready. Space is limited, so reserving in advance is recommended. A combined option is offered for those who wish to attend both the workshop and the Kirtan Night with Nina Rao.