There’s a rare kind of music that doesn’t ask for your attention so much as it gently receives it. Bay Area–based mantra artist and meditation guide Rina Rain operates in that liminal space, where sound becomes a threshold and listening becomes a form of devotion. Her latest release, “Om Mani Padme Hum,” arrives as a tranquil yet expansive offering, one that feels less like a song and more like a place to rest.
Rooted in ancient Buddhist tradition, "Om Mani Padme Hum" is a mantra whose meaning unfolds through repetition: the jewel within the lotus, a symbol of compassion, wisdom, and inner freedom. Rina Rain approaches this sacred phrase with reverence and spaciousness, allowing the mantra to breathe and evolve. The track opens slowly, carried by her soft, luminous vocals. She sings "I love myself / I love my life", before singing the mantra, gradually rising into a quicker rhythmic pulse, mirroring the realization that what we seek has always been within us.
“The slow, steady repetition opens space for presence and insight,” Rina shares. “Eventually it rises into a faster rhythm—a realization that the jewel we seek has always been within us.” Recorded with an almost otherworldly stillness, the track feels as if it’s being sung into infinity, where sound dissolves into silence and thought gives way to awareness.
Rina Rain’s work is deeply informed by her more than twenty years as a meditation trainer and mindfulness guide. Blending soulful vocals, ancient Sanskrit mantras, and modern ambient soundscapes, her music emotional, touching and important. Each chant unfolds like a prayer, inviting listeners to slow down, breathe deeply, and return home to themselves. Silence plays as important a role as sound, creating a spaciousness that feels both grounding and expansive.
“Om Mani Padme Hum” marks the third release from her forthcoming album Whispers of Rain, a project designed for contemplation and deep peace. The album follows her debut mantra track, “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu,” a heartfelt prayer for collective healing and interconnectedness, as well as “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha,” a chant invoking Green Tara for protection and liberation from fear. Together, these releases form a body of work centered on devotion, remembrance, and quiet transformation.
Connect with Rina Rain: INSTAGRAM
