Ananda Portland recently purchased a former Seventh-Day Adventist Academy. The academy buildings sit on 55 acres of rolling hills 30 minutes west of the city of Portland. The setting is rural, but not isolated – the school once housed, fed and educated hundreds of students and was the heart of life in the valley. A…

Ananda Portland got an early start on the Easter season this year with a performance on April 2nd, of the Oratorio – Christ Lives! composed by Swami Kriyananda. It began as a joint effort by the choirs of Ananda Portland and Ananda Seattle, but we were joined by singers and musicians from Ananda Village, Ananda…

If you listen to any of Swami Kriyananda’s talks or interviews, or have the blessing of being with him during his classes, you may have the same experience I do – an incredibly sweet upliftment of consciousness and expansion of the heart’s sympathies. I’m deeply touched to witness the compassion and kindness and wisdom I…

Yesterday I wasn’t feeling particularly aggravated or irritable, I thought I was quite centered and calm as I worked on the computer and answered multiple phone calls. There were several tasks to be done at once and I was emailing documents back and forth when the phone rang again. This time it was a telemarketer…

My holidays were packed – even the Advent candle lighting each week felt a bit too squeezed in between other parts of our Sunday service. The weekly observance of Advent is a favorite part of the Christmas season for me. I’ve written about it before and that posting is still available in the archives. I…

In my role as teacher at the Portland Living Wisdom School, I watch the simple dramas of life enthusiastically played out by the children and, if I pay attention, I learn. Two second grade boys decided to try jumping UP the four steps that lead from one level of the play area to another. One…

Greetings friends, There is so much happening in the expanding world of Ananda right now, one can tune into all the energy and enthusiasm or get a bit overwhelmed with trying to keep track of it all. Illustration for affirmation, “God is Everywhere, Within Me and Around Me.” Everyone connected to Ananda, at every level,…

Guru night is a devotional event that takes place annually at summer’s end. Ananda Portland has the tradition of having the festivities outside, and despite our reputation for rain, there has been only one Guru Night that had to be moved due to the weather. It is a night of pilgrimage; a rare opportunity to…

In my last post, I promised this one to be short and sweet. I have had many experiences since coming to Ananda that I would describe as sweet. But the sweetness I’m feeling lately is the awareness that the outward complexity of the spiritual path is an illusion. All the seeming separate pieces of life…

Lorna with the fellow trainees Once we are sincerely seeking God, and the longing for truth becomes stronger than the call of the material world, God sends a guru. When we feel that we can give our life to the spiritual path and the guidance of the guru, we become a disciple. When we become…

First, I’ll tell you about the play. At the Portland Living Wisdom School, the primary class (first, second and third grade) performed “Frog’s Dream”, a musical play set in the rainforest. I co-teach the class and my job was to sit on the sidelines and hit the play/pause button on the CD player at the…

I lost the battle last night. Yogananda said that life is a “battle for joy” – and I lose more often than I like to admit. When you find a true teaching, a true guru, and a spiritual family who reflect and support your ideals, it is a major victory, and life seems infinitely more…

A few days ago I got into the car at 5:30am to begin my day of activities. There was a meditation, a meeting, then school and then work at the temple waiting for me. It was dark and cold and my family was still sleeping in the house. The car wouldn’t start. I woke my…

This week I became an Ananda minister. I’ve played the role of assistant minister for some time so this step was a natural one, but I still found myself a bit surprised. Ananda doesn’t have a seminary or a list of requirements that must be met before one can serve as a minister. There is…

Do you feel joy when using your physical skills to learn and grow and experience life? Perhaps you lead with your heart and feel most alive when you are in a beautiful natural setting, or caring for animals or babies. Maybe you live for a challenge – such as tackling a new project, or raising…

Swami Kriyananda has often said that music has the power to change consciousness, and I have always believed that to be true. But there are always new levels of understanding to discover. I have been singing in the Ananda Portland choir now for many years and find that my consciousness is always uplifted when I…

Dear Friends, Writing and posting on this site has been moved up the priority list in my life; I hope to be sharing more regularly with you. Paramhansa Yogananda said we should regulate our lives – approach our days with a sense of order. We also have to flow with life and be willing to…

Reentry – that’s what I call the process of returning to the everyday world after spending some time in a deep spiritual environment. It can be a difficult transition, even painful. I spent 2 weeks at Ananda Village during the 40th anniversary celebration and the 4th of July. Swami Kriyananda returned to the Village during…

I’m always conscious of the fact that living the teachings of Ananda – the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, is an every day, every moment decision. But, sometimes that decision seems to stand out in bright, beautiful contrast to the way most of the rest of the world lives. This is a long blog, but I…

It’s been months since I’ve written. Life is full to overflowing, and every day is a new challenge just to keep up. I’m sure that sounds familiar – I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel busy and pressed for time. I have found blessings in busyness though. More than any other time in my life,…

I’ve been on this path for almost 30 years and I’m just beginning to realize how much my consciousness has been changed by the teachings of Yogananda and the guidance and influence of Swami Kriyananda. “How would he respond in this situation?” has become part of my thinking, and it is a remarkably easy way…

Dear fellow students, I’ve been teaching at the Living Wisdom School in Portland for about six weeks now. It’s new to me and I’ll admit I was a bit anxious about taking on the challenge. I was told I have all the skills and experience needed to be a good teacher and I would be…

My son is away at camp this week and my daughter is taking swimming lessons. We finished our homeschooling for the year and it seems summer is under way – but my mind is leaping ahead to September and the start of the new school year. It will be a year of changes for us,…

Twenty years ago my husband and I welcomed our firstborn into the world, and the Ananda Portland meditation group became a true Ananda “colony”. There may have been other significant events in 1988, but I don’t remember them. As we plan the 20 year anniversary celebration of Ananda Portland, my memories of those growing up…

Long ago, I began mingling with the people who are part of Ananda and noticed several things: the joy in their eyes, the easy way they spoke of God, and the emphasis they placed on energy. I had not heard the term “energy” used in so many different ways before, and in relation to so…

I haven’t posted for a couple months – life gets very full with a family of five! We all seem to be going separate directions these days, but part of me really enjoys all the activity and seeing three children grow and explore their potential is fun. Many friends my age are watching their children…

Christmas is a holy time, a joyful time of remembering Christ’s life and mission and taking those blessings deep within. It is also a fun-filled, busy time for families, which can become frantic and harried, with all feelings of blessing and holiness lost in the hustle. Over the years we have used many different traditions…

I’m a mom, an oldest daughter, a nurse, a teacher, a karma yogi, – any way you look at it, I have “the heart of a servant”, as one friend described me. I am happiest when serving others, I always have been. An attitude of service is helpful when I am in a new situation…

Like most parents, I often ponder how I am doing at my job. I realize that even the most sincere efforts by my husband and myself are not enough to do it all – the list of responsibilities is unimaginably long. So if I had to choose one thing to impart to my children, out…

Music touches people on a deeper level than words alone. The music composed by Swami Kriyananda is written to change consciousness; the experience of listening to, playing, or singing such music goes beyond the sensory experience, into the soul. Being part of the choir at the Ananda Center in Portland has become a vital part…