Chanting, Meditation, and Winter Solstice Ritual with Jai Uttal, Frank Ostaseski, Nubia Teixeira and Prajna Vieira

The season of light is often the busiest of the year, and it is easy to arrive at the winter solstice carried along by what the source calls "holiday mind." This evening of chanting, meditation and ritual at Spirit Rock in Woodacre, CA, offers another way through: a turn toward the great love, joy and sacred light that, as the organizers put it, are found within our own hearts.

Kirtan artist Jai Uttal is joined by Buddhist teacher Frank Ostaseski, Nubia Teixeira and Prajna Vieira for a meditation and mindfulness gathering that blends call-and-response chanting with silent practice. Together, they guide the room from frenzy toward what the organizers describe as "the ocean of the awakened heart."

Whether you come as a longtime practitioner or simply feel drawn to mark the solstice in community, the evening is built around shared participation. You are invited to sing, sit, and, if you feel moved, dance.

What to Expect

The evening moves through a few connected movements:

- Chanting (call and response): Voices gather in sacred sound, with no performance to watch, only a practice to enter together.
- Meditation: Stillness balances the energy of the chant and deepens the sense of presence.
- Candlelight ritual: The evening concludes with a candlelight ritual honoring the winter solstice.

The atmosphere is uplifting and communal. The gathering is also framed as a time to practice and pray together for the healing of our world, and to experience the nourishment of interconnection. Participants can expect to share in the innate joy that is uncovered when a group chants together.

About the Lineup

Jai Uttal was born in New York City and grew up in a home filled with jazz, rock and world music, an early immersion that shaped his appreciation for music as expression and connection. That path led him toward kirtan. For nearly five decades he has been a prominent figure in the world music scene, leading kirtan and teaching the ancient practice of chanting.

Frank Ostaseski is a Buddhist teacher. His presence at this gathering brings the contemplative, meditative strand of the evening alongside the devotional chanting.

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. Her teaching draws on 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.

Prajna Vieira joins the evening as a featured guest alongside the teachers above.

Venue & Logistics

The event takes place in person at Spirit Rock, 5000 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Woodacre, California. The organizer's listing does not specify what to bring or wear, or give accessibility details, so it is best to contact the venue or organizer directly with any questions before you travel.