Winter Solstice Chanting, Meditation & Ritual — Spirit Rock

A winter solstice kirtan evening at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, this gathering blends call-and-response chanting, meditation and a closing candlelight ritual. It is open to anyone who wants to step out of the rush of the holiday season and into a shared evening of devotional singing and quiet. It is led by Jai Uttal, Frank Ostaseski, Nubia Teixeira and Prajna Vieira.

What to Expect

The evening runs from 6:30 to 9pm. It is built around the idea that the love, joy and sacred light this season celebrates are found within our own hearts. Chanting and meditation are used together to carry people from what the organizers call "holiday mind" toward the awakened heart.

The chanting is call and response, so there is nothing to prepare: you listen, then sing back. Meditation gives the voice a place to settle. If you feel moved to dance as the singing builds, you are welcome to. The evening closes with a candlelight ritual honoring the winter solstice.

The spirit of the night is community. People practice and pray together for the healing of the world, and share the joy that comes up when a room chants as one.

About Nubia Teixeira

Nubia Teixeira is a yoginī, dancer, teacher and author who has spent more than 35 years teaching Bhakti yoga and Hatha practices through the lens of the Divine Feminine. She founded Mother Goddess Yoga and the Bhakti Nova School of Yoga & Dance, which make classical Indian yogic and devotional traditions accessible through embodied, feminine-centered teaching.

Her work draws on two interwoven lineages: Bhakti yoga, the devotional strand of Indian spiritual practice, and Odissi, one of the eight classical dance forms of India, which originated in the temples of Odisha. Rather than foregrounding asana and alignment, she structures her classes around mudras, pranayama and mantra, layering in Odissi movement and honoring the goddess traditions within Hinduism. She teaches that the body itself is a site of devotion.

The Setting

The gathering takes place at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, in Marin County.

Before You Go

The chanting is call and response, and dancing is optional, so no prior experience with kirtan or meditation is needed to take part.