The Power of Chant

Imagine three days immersed in the ancient art of sacred chanting—not as a spectator, but as an active practitioner, your voice joining thousands of years of devotional tradition. At the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in Nassau, Bahamas, kirtan artist and spiritual musician Nina Rao invites you into The Power of Chant, a transformative retreat that weaves together classical Vedic recitation, devotional kirtan, and the timeless Hanuman Chalisa. Whether you're drawn to mantra practice for the first time or deepening an existing meditation path, this three-day immersion opens the heart and stills the mind through the vibrational medicine of sound.

Led by Nina Rao—trained in South India under her guru Sri Siddhi Ma—this retreat honors the authentic lineage teachings while remaining completely accessible to beginners. You'll learn three distinct chanting traditions, each with its own spiritual power: the Gāyatrī mantra in its classical Vedic form, kirtan dedicated to the feminine divine, and the 40-verse Hanuman Chalisa, chanted for centuries in Hindu practice. The days are structured to balance learning with direct experience: morning and afternoon workshops introduce technique, history, and context, while evening satsang concerts invite you to chant alongside Nina Rao and guest artist Brenda McMorrow, whose synthesized sonic palette deepens the transformational resonance of the practice.

What to Expect

Daily workshops guide you through proper pronunciation, breath awareness, and the spiritual significance of each chanting practice. You'll discover how rhythm becomes meditation, how sacred sounds attune the nervous system, and how these practices root you in devotion and lineage. Evenings flow into satsang—traditional call-and-response kirtan with live musical accompaniment, where your voice merges with others in a field of collective intention. By the final day, you'll carry both the practical tools and the lived experience of how chanting opens inner transformation. No prior experience is necessary; this retreat welcomes seekers at all levels.

About the Artists / Teachers

Nina Rao is a kirtan artist and spiritual musician whose practice blends traditional Indian devotional chanting with contemporary influences, rooted in authentic Bhakti yoga traditions. Trained in South India with her guru Sri Siddhi Ma, Rao brings both scholarly depth and embodied wisdom to each mantra and chant, offering participants access to lineage teaching grounded in lived practice.

Brenda McMorrow is a distinctive conscious music artist whose synthesized sonic palette creates transformational experiences for spiritual seekers. Her performances at yoga festivals and retreat centers weave together layers of sound to support the meditative and devotional dimensions of the kirtan experience.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in Nassau, Bahamas, February 10–12, 2027. Wear comfortable, modest clothing suitable for seated practice. Bring a notebook if you wish to take notes on teachings. The ashram provides a sacred, supportive environment for practice; contact the venue directly for accessibility accommodations and arrival details.