Ananda's Spiritual Heritage

Ananda Village

Ananda Worldwide

World Brotherhood Colonies

Living Wisdom Schools

Ananda Sangha

Ananda is a global movement based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, who showed how everyone can realize God in their daily lives as a tangible, loving reality.

Ananda was founded in 1968 by Yogananda's direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda, widely recognized as one of the leading spiritual teachers in the world today.

Yogananda's teachings embrace the truths that underlie all the great religions. People from all faiths and backgrounds are welcomed at Ananda. We invite you to join us at our temples, yoga retreats, meditation groups, and communities to experience the joy of your own being.

We invite you to expand your sense of God's loving presence through ancient and effective techniques of meditation, Kriya yoga, spiritually oriented hatha yoga, community, and divine friendship.

The Ananda Joy Logo (seen above, and at the upper left of all Ananda web pages), represents the soul's aspiration upward toward God, and outward to embrace all beings in its quest for enlightenment. The downward curve shows the corresponding descent of divine grace.

Ananda's Spiritual Heritage Ananda was founded by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. What are these spiritual teachings that people at Ananda practice, and where did they come from? Also learn more about Kriyananda, Yogananda, and the line of spiritual Masters that are behind Ananda's creation.

Ananda Village Ananda began in 1968 with the first world brotherhood colony near Nevada City, California. Ananda Village is home to The Expanding Light Retreat, Crystal Hermitage, Ananda Schools, weekly Sunday services, and more.

Ananda Worldwide Go to the Retreats and Classes section of this website to see Ananda's worldwide scope, and find an Ananda Center near you.

World Brotherhood Colonies Ananda fulfills the dream of Paramhansa Yogananda: to establish 'world brotherhood colonies.' These are communities where people can practice 'plain living and high thinking,' based on the spiritual principles that Yogananda taught. Learn more about Yogananda's dream, and Ananda's fulfillment of that dream.

Living Wisdom Schools Ananda's Living Wisdom Schools are world renowned for the refreshing approach they take toward helping to teach children the 'how-to-live' principles taught by Yogananda, and expressed by Kriyananda in his book Education for Life.

Ananda Sangha Ananda Sangha is the worldwide circle of friends, sharing the spiritual teachings of our path. To learn more, visit the Ananda Sangha section of the website.