Ask Ananda’s Experts
Questions and answers about meditation, yoga, the spiritual life, and more

Nayaswami Shivani

Ananda Assisi, Italy

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Dear Aditya,

The power of prayer is truly astonishing: it helps seeds to germinate, plants to flower, and human beings to overcome their difficulties and limitations and grow in their divine nature.

Your intuition to pray to the divine Self of your friend is precisely what Yogananda recommends as the best way to pray. Her soul is longing to be free from the harmful habits she is manifesting, and when you direct your prayers to that divine soul, they will help her to awaken to her higher consciousness.

Nayaswami Asha

Ananda Palo Alto

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We think that life is about pleasure and fulfillment. It is not. We are here for Self-realization. Some lifetimes include very difficult karmic lessons. Before we incarnate we see what we will have to face. The ego may shrink from the challenge when it actually comes, but the soul embraces it — joyfully, without hesitation.

Nayaswami Savitri

Ananda Village

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Dear Michael,

There are various ways to address your question. First, it would be important for you to have a check-up from a physician.

Digestive problems like this, no matter when they are occurring, may be something you need to take care of medically.

Nayaswami Anandi

Ananda Village

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Dear Heidi,

People have really loved the affirmation walks, and they are quite simple. We walk very briskly and repeat an affirmation the whole time. You'll want to choose an affirmation that goes well with quickly moving feet! You might find the affirmation begins to change a bit as the walk goes on. Sometimes it seems to go into new words that are even more applicable than the first words you chose. Have fun.

Joy to you,

Anandi

Nayaswami Savitri

Ananda Village

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Dear Deepak,

Meditation certainly can be a help to anything which is wrong with our bodies. But there are other meditative healing techinques which might be of help to you also.

Below I include a section from Swami Kriyananda’s book The Art and Science of Raja Yoga. This book contain a great deal of information healing weaknesses in just about every part of the body.

Nayaswami Anandi

Ananda Village

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Dear Dimple,

It is definitely possible to completely heal people from a distance. You will find examples of this in Autobiography of a Yogi. Also, there are many recorded examples of Yogananda healing people at a distance, which you can read in The New Path. (You can read both of these books online at ananda.org)

Nayaswami Anandi

Ananda Village

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Dear Sandy,

I have never seen anything on the subject of Reiki written by Yogananda (it may not have been popular when he was alive), nor have I heard Swami Kriyananda speak about it.

At Ananda we share a technique of healing taught by Yogananda. Divine energy is the healer, so it is really a matter of the technique you use and the ray of divine grace you are tuned into when you share it.

Tyagi Shanti, M.D.

Ananda Palo Alto

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Dear Nirmal,

Right now there is a lot of research going on at Stanford University that is looking at this question of why some people have transformative experiences and others do not.

They are looking into the neurobiology of it and perhaps will have a scientific answer for us soon re: what happens during some of these profound biochemical and electrical changes that happen and effect people.