This is addressed to my past self of December, 2004, just after I decided to move to Ananda Village.

The time finally arrived for Michael and me to leave the island home we had known for 8 years, and the UK itself where we have lived for all our lives. As we left the house we had sold I looked back, but not with any regret or emotion. A short while later we sailed…

Q: What inspired you to come live here? A: I’d never seen anywhere else a large amount of people dedicating their lives to God. I saw the results happening here that I had longed for in my own life. I could see the joy in their eyes and in their lifestyles and attitudes. For the first time…

Workers were out all over the property when we arrived on Saturday. Building a chicken coop, raising fence around garden, hauling trash, building an altar, cleaning, installing windows, and of course, cooking for the 100+ Anandans who converge from all the different communities to add their energy to the growing vitality that is rapidly becoming…

Time marches on and the move to India is almost upon us. Our home is sold and we have left our jobs. Yet had Michael and I known how difficult it would be to opt out of the ‘rat-race’ we might have planned things slightly differently. Not that it has affected our decision to move…

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…

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how being part of a community changes a person, in both subtle and obvious ways. I’m in a good position to speak, because after taking a fairly wonderful and much-needed break from my previous life, I’ve been living at Ananda for three wonderful months… …first as part of…

Sadhana Devi and I shifted last month to Gurgaon from Pune after being away since 2008. In our absence, the Ananda center/ ashram went through significant changes, making our return like coming back to a different place. Even Delhi seems to have changed for the better but my guess is that these transformations are more…

Originally written February 10, 2011. On the 23rd, Dharmadas and Nirmala [the spiritual directors of Ananda India —Editor] led our annual Christmas meditation at the community in Watunde Village, thirty kilometers outside of Pune. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but gaze from time to time out the window from Swami Kriyananda’s home to…

I was very inspired by Nayaswami Savitri’s talk for Inner Renewal week 2011, at Ananda Village, California. In it, she spoke of how important it is to live just outside of ones comfort zone; to push the boundaries of limitation just that bit further with each new experience. Since my husband and I made the…

I had two titles in my mind for this blog post. The second one was to be something like, Riding the Wave with Yogananda. I went on a pilgrimage this past weekend to sites in the Los Angeles area made sacred by Paramhansa Yogananda. In some ways it was a very fast paced weekend trying…

Last week, Ananda Village and many fellow gurubais from as far away as the East Coast, and even via the internet, took time to go deep in spirit. This was our third annual Inner Renewal Week and it was hosted by The Expanding Light. Jyotish and Devi Novak came up from Los Angeles to share…

This elegant building is the Church of the Recessional. It is framed by clouds that are lit up by the city lights of Los Angeles. The courtyard was warmly lit and the open doors welcome guests who came to hear Swami Kriyananda’s Oratorio—Christ Lives. Fifty-four dedicated people travelled literally from the world over to sing…

Our progress here in the Pune community has been steady these past weeks. We hosted two retreats in October: one for future residents, and one to celebrate All Saints Day:  “How to Become a Saint.” Ananda Pune residents All the members of Ananda Pune put out a lot of effort to make both retreats wonderful.…

Last weekend we went to Los Angeles to spend time with my friends and family and to see Swami Kriyananda. We had a great time! There is an amazing group of people doing a great work there. Swami Kriyananda gave a powerful and compassionate talk to the packed house. Swamiji, since he moved to LA,…

Sometimes life seems complicated, stressful or sad. And sometimes we get to enjoy simple pleasures that allow the heart to swell with gratitude. Harvest Day was one of those days. I tried to post this sooner but life has been quite busy for me. Some things have been challenging, but for the most part there…

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…

After getting off to a rather late start, this season on Ananda Farm is showering us with abundance. Ananda farm and “unpredictable weather” are one and the same. During the years 1976 – 1986 we had a frost every month of the year except for July! Ananda Farm This year, May 26th, we had a”killer…

Sean, when introducing Swami Kriyananda to the audience of 1150 people called this event “The Miracle Show”. Swamiji has been dealing with considerable fatigue and a fall (which happened the week after SRW) that resulted in an injured hip and all the pain and debility that can accompany something like that. He had many very…

The following is the second half of a two part interview with Dr. Aditya Gait, a resident medical doctor and member of Ananda’s Kriya Yoga Community in the countryside outside of Pune, India. Dr. Aditya is also a Brahmachari member of the Ananda Renunciate Order. Aditya and a fellow monk with Swami Kriyananda Jaya: There…

Aditya Gait is a member of Ananda Sangha helping to build a “Kriya Yoga Community” in the countryside outside of Pune, India. He trained as a medical doctor before joining Ananda and is now beginning a medical clinic to serve the needs of local villagers and community members. Aditya is a brahmachari member of the…

This past weekend was a very busy and joyful for the folks at Ananda Village. We hosted people from all over to celebrate the 41st Anniversary of Ananda and Independence Day. Friends from all over came to help us celebrate, of course, but especially they came to see Swami Kriyananda who has just returned for…

It has been several years since I made that first trip from Los Angeles to Ananda Village, but the experience stands out in my memory for several reasons. I still remember clearly the morning I stepped into the reception area of the Expanding Light Retreat. I don’t remember being ever greeted by strangers anywhere so…

Hi Everyone, It has been an amazing Spring here at Ananda Village. It was very long and wet, but the result was a very vivid wildflower season, a very long tulip season and some great clouds and luscious flowers and skies. I have been pretty busy with all kinds of stuff, just like everyone else…

My husband and I returned to live at Ananda Village in March of 2009 after living at Ananda Sacramento, California for the last 23 years. There we served as the Colony Leaders and Spiritual Directors. Ananda Farms today… We are now working with the young adults at Ananda Village and working with some of them…

I’ve lived in quite a few Ananda communities and centers over the years. While reflecting on my experiences, the thought occurred to me that Ananda is not a place, but rather, a choice. Let me explain. My first experience of Ananda took place in 1975, when I was in my teens. I had flown to…

The past two days were the first weekend of the long-awaited-for Springtime at Ananda Open House. After many, many months of preparation the doors were thrown open and the public was invited to share in the glorious colors of the Crystal Hermitage Gardens. As you can see, the weather was not spring-like. In fact, it…

Note from the editor: Krishna Deep, a monk at Ananda’s new community in Pune, is writing about Yogananda’s birthday celebration there in March 2009. Dear Gurubhais, Wish you all happy Master’s birthday!!! Entrance to the community, graced by Master’s presence. Today is a special day for all of us, no doubt. The sacred ceremony of…

Dearest friends, Many of the Ananda India staff and devotees from Gurgaon – Delhi – Noida (also known as India National Capitol Region – NCR) went to Pune the weekend of March 27–29 for a retreat on our new community land. It was hard to believe just how much things have progressed in just one…

Many inspired and dedicated souls are, for many reasons, unable to live in Ananda communities.  So they read the website and books by Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Kriyananda and others. They meditate. When possible many visit our communities worldwide for inspiration, renewal and spiritual satsang fellowship. Yogananda said that “Environment is stronger than will”.  In order…

This past week at Ananda Village and The Expanding Light has been filled with inspiration and spiritual friends. It seems impossible that 12 different talks in six days about the spiritual path could hold one’s attention from beginning to end. But it did. The theme for Inner Renewal week was: Going Deeper into God. The…

Happy New Year! I can’t believe it is almost the end of January 2010. We have had here in California some of the biggest storms in a long time. After several dry years we really need the water. It has snowed twice, but each time it melted pretty fast. Ananda Village looks very different in…

The year 2009 was one of great expansion for Ananda Sangha outreach. All of it came through the grace of God, which is reflected in the title of this post.

Here are some of the year’s highlights. …

Ananda’s founder, Swami Kriyananda, spends his time primarily in 3 countries: America, Italy, and India. As he recently quipped, “Well I have these [8] communities that I’ve started, and I have to check in every now and then.”

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 ones, My name is Medardo Vargas Muñoz. I am an architect in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan, Mexico. I am a Bramachari (1) at heart. “Truth simply is, it cannot be created. Everyone has to perceive it in the Self within.” These are the words by my Guruji Yogananda, which stir my mind, a mind that…

Greetings all. In my last posting, I revealed Ananda’s blessed treasure, as given to me…. Attunement! Ananda Isle of Man Meditation Group Altar Attunement to such a wonderful, sacred and healing vibration, that I must share it with all. Well this is one of the ways I have begun doing just that… For some time…

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…

Dr. Aditya with young patients Dear ones, I am grateful for this opportunity to share with you all, my spiritual family. My name is Aditya. I am a medical doctor, and a recent addition to the ever-expanding Ananda family in Pune, India. I’m a monk. Since joining my brothers in the monastery, my life has…

After hearing of my decision to embark on this time as monk, a friend here at Ananda Village sent me an excerpt of a talk by Swami Kriyananda where he talks about monasticism. He starts by explaining how it fits into the community of Ananda as a whole. “I feel that spiritual communities need a…

Greetings everyone. I have spent the day going through over 400 photographs taken this past weekend in Los Angeles. Fortunately for you, I will not be posting all of them. It was a challenge to pick out just a few photos that would hopefully portray what a visually and spiritually beautiful event occurred the past…

I decided during Spiritual Renewal Week in August to join Ananda’s monastery for one year at the Ananda Meditation Retreat. In celebration of Swami Kriyananda’s discipleship anniversary, the vows of monasticism were taken last Sunday. The idea of monasticism had often inspired me, but in the past I had never quite felt like I would…

This weekend we celebrated Swami Kriyananda’s 61st year of discipleship to Paramhansa Yogananda. It was a very colorful weekend filled with beautiful blue skies, sunsets, flowers, and altars. Fall is in the air here, still a little warm during the day, but cools off a bit at night. The angle of the sun highlighted the…

The Expanding Light piazza sparkled with the decorations, the friendships, the laughter, the yummy food, the singing, the setting sun, radiant smiles and the light in everyone’s eyes. Spending a week immersed in the joy and teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, the devotion and example of discipleship of Swami Kriyananda and in the company of hundreds…

Oh my. This has been an amazing week. I might be repeating myself, but I also heard it from about everyone I talked to today. I am again posting photos out of order by first putting up just a few from today’s Sunday Service. Swamiji seemed to bound up the driveway and on to the…

This has been an action packed Spiritual Renewal Week. It will take me a few more days to catch up and post photos from the various classes and happenings. What I am posting today is a bit out of order. Yesterday, Friday, Swamiji spoke to a packed house at the amphitheater at The Expanding Light.…

Hi Everyone. Spiritual Renewal Week 2009 is here! This is a quick update on some of the things that have happened so far at our annual SRW at Ananda Village. My guess is that at least 300 people were at The Expanding Light amphitheater to listen to Swami Kriyananda give the opening talk on Monday.…

It has been a busy summer here so far. And in the midst of it all we took a breath and celebrated the marriage of two dear friends. Peter & Hassi planned their wedding for July during a time when Ananda is typically very hot. And it was. However, when the wedding started and the…

Happy 4th of July. I am posting a collection of photos from yesterday’s (Saturday) celebration of our 40th anniversary and our nations anniversary. We had beautiful songs, yummy food, and great company. Swamiji visited each of the booths that showed the many aspects of Ananda Worldwide. He sang with the choir and also greeted many…

Happy Ananda Anniversary! The first day of our three day celebration was lovely. It was so nice to see all of our friends at the morning talk and the evening concert. The morning included talks from 5 different and wonderful speakers. The concert was beautiful. I never get tired of watching the choir members channel…

Greetings, everyone! Last week, there was a huge workday at Ananda Village to get ready for all our summer events and visitors. As you can see, there was a lot of activity and joy. We began the day with a prayer to bless our service and efforts. There were work parties at The Expanding Light,…

Editor’s note: Swami Kriyananda is visiting Ananda Europa at the time of writing. This is an account of his 83rd birthday celebration at Ananda’s center in Assisi, Italy on May 30-31. It is written by Asha Praver, spiritual director of Ananda Palo Alto, who traveled to Assisi to join the festivities. “I feel so much…

Greetings from Ananda Village. Lisa Powers wrote a wonderful blog post about the open houses at Crystal Hermitage Gardens. It was great to see people from the surrounding area come and enjoy the gardens. I spent a lot of time in the gardens recently. I have been working on a book of photos of the…

Looking for this year’s garden tour? Visit the Spring Garden Tours page for current dates and times that the garden is open, plus directions and more. For the past two years, spring tours of Crystal Hermitage Gardens have become a Northern California event. About 1,000 people drove from as far as the Bay Area during…

Recently, Ananda Sangha in Pune held the first Youth Campout and Retreat on the land where the future Ananda Community will be, an hour outside the city.

We defined “youth” as being “anyone willing to sleep in a tent.” Indeed, the participants ranged in age from pre-school to a youthful gentleman in his seventies.

My first assignment upon arrival in Pune was “to do the needful” regarding our newly purchased land and prepare the site by March 1st for our inauguration ceremony, known in India as a “Bhoomi Puja.” That date had been set months before, and plans were in motion for a hundred guests to arrive for a major weekend retreat.…

My wife Sadhana Devi’s first impression of India was of her ride from the Delhi airport to our ashram in the suburb of Gurgaon. This was before the new expressway was built, with the road still narrow, bumpy and chaotic. It was late at night, and I was escorting her through four lanes of interweaving…

For the past two years, I have had the blessing of living with Swami Kriyananda and many Ananda friends in India, our spiritual homeland. My husband Tim and I moved to the Ananda ashram in New Delhi in October 2006. This past November we moved to Pune with a few other “pioneering members,” taking up…

I should title this blog: It’s a Small World, since reports are now coming in about Swamiji Kriyananda’s return to India and his talk to a packed crowd in Delhi. But, I just wanted to share a few more photos with you of Swami’s visit in America and also photos of our beautiful fall colors.…

Today at the India International Centre (IIC) in Delhi, India, Swami Kriyananda launched his book, Hope for a Better World! (Links to the audio recordings are included.) Over 500 people attended!

Today Swami Kriyananda arrived back to his home in Gurgaon, India, just outside of Delhi. Swamiji had been away for about 10 months–his longest absence since moving to India. He spent that time getting needed rest and working on important projects (writings, interviews, lectures) in his homes in America and in Italy.

Swamiji doesn’t think of his “home” according to the common interpretation of the word….

I had the blessing to attend Ananda Portland’s 20th anniversary a few weeks ago. I had decided to go because I love being part of these celebrations with our greater Ananda family. I find it’s fun to be serving in that flow of energy. It was a wonderful weekend and I was grateful to have…

In the spring of 2007 a dear friend suggested that we build a new entry sign at Ananda Village to welcome people to the community. To help it happen, she volunteered money for the project. This started discussions in our monthly planning meetings about building an informational sign that was also “nice-to-look-at.” So began the…

Editor’s note: These are excerpts from a 77-page article by Bhasbuto, a young man who visited Ananda Village in the summer of 2008. For the sake of privacy, his online name is used here. Bhasbuto was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. At the age of 15 he received a gift from his father: Autobiography of a…

Last month I took my 3 year old daughter Caitlin on a 5 day backpacking trip in Yosemite with our friend’s 3rd and 4th grade class. While we were there, I had enough challenges to qualify, in my mind, as a karmic bomb. For those of you saying already “What were you thinking?!”, part of…

On August 31st I was honored to be a part of something wonderful and new at Ananda: the start of a dynamic youth movement. Over 20 young people from Ananda centers around the world hosted a lunch-and-concert fundraiser at Ananda’s Institute of Alternative Living and Meditation Retreat. It marked the first time that a large…

This year’s production of the Peace Treaty was magical. The newly renovated amphitheater was very welcoming, the costumes were better than ever, and the lighting highlighted the beauty of the backdrop and the commitment of the actors. Each of the actors has made the part they played their own. It has been very fun to…

We have been on the run here for Spiritual Renewal week. I was hoping to write about the talks a bit, but I know Dave will post the talks soon. They will be in separate clips so they will be easy to listen too. They are each amazing. We have such great and inspiring teachers.…

Greetings everyone! Last nights performance was so beautiful. I hope you enjoy the sampling of photos from the evening. Blessings to you. Barbara Swamiji arriving at the evening concert in The Expanding Light amphitheater Swamiji rehearsing with musicians just prior to the concert The World Brotherhood choir singing the Ananda theme song, “Many Hands Make…

Swami arriving with Sri Kaarthikeyan Spiritual Renewal Week 2008 is here! Ananda Choir singing to an audience of 400+ 400+ beautiful people came to The Expanding Light amphitheater on this warm August Day to hear Swami Kriyananda give a talk entitled “World Brotherhood Colonies: Social Pattern for Dwapara Yuga” It was a great talk, it…

Blessings and greetings from Southern California. We are currently on the road (Hwy 99) on our way back to Ananda Village. We are basking in the glow of the wonderful weekend spent in the LA area with our divine friends and Swami Kriyananda. There is so much to share. The talks Swamiji gave will be…

Last night, July 18, a beautiful event took place in Palo Alto, California. As part of Ananda’s 40th Anniversary celebrations the Oratorio “Christ Lives” was performed. This was a special performance in that Swami Kriyananda sang many of his divinely inspired songs. The collection of songs depicts the mystic life and teachings of Christ. Swamiji…

Over the past month or so Ananda Village has played host to disciples from all over the world. They came on several pilgrimages from 15 different countries. Words are escaping me as I try to describe the joy! The depth of the friendship that devotees can have is amazing. As the European pilgrimage left I…

I recently returned from a trip to the Morni Hills where the Ananda Solar team is installing their first wind turbines and solar panels in India.

It has been an amazing few weeks at Ananda Village. Naturally, having Swamiji here is a real blessing. You have already heard alot about Swamiji’s birthday celebrations and probably heard the talks on the internet. His Sunday Service talk was wonderful. I have two groups of photos to share with you to show some other…

This is the home my parents built and my siblings and I grew up in. My parents came to Ananda 30 years ago with very little. They moved here, sight unseen, with just enough money to buy supplies to build a house. My Dad managed to find cheap lumber and built the house himself. As…

Greetings everyone. Yesterday was a beautiful and inspiring Sunday Service. The new amphitheater at The Expanding Light was packed! I don’t know how to estimate the size of the group gathered but a guess would be 300 people. Swami Kriyananda sat on the stage as the World Brotherhood Choir sang lovely songs. Then Swamiji spoke…

What a fantastic weekend. I hardly have words to describe the joyful gatherings at The Expanding Light and at the Crystal Hermitage. On Saturday morning there was a panel of speakers: Jyotish from the village, Dhyana from India, Hriman from Seattle, Asha from Palo Alto and Devi from the village. The insights about and experiences…

Calcutta was Paramhansa Yogananda’s boyhood home. Surprisingly, however, Ananda had only moderate success there. This April, our four monks decided to change that.

This is a brief post to let you know that Swamiji arrived safely at Ananda village. He got out of the car to greet all of us before heading to his home at Crystal Hermitage. There was a crowd of about 100 people waiting to greet him and his party. Welcome home, Swamiji! I am…

Hello everyone. I hope this blog letter finds you all well. As you probably know, Swami Kriyananda arrived in the United States on Thursday. He is staying in the Ananda Palo Alto Community for a few days and will arrive at Ananda Village on Monday (today) most likely. On Sunday, Swamiji was scheduled to do…

Watching Swami in Italy watch us Last Monday, on May 19, 250 devotees in 7 different colonies celebrated Swami Kriyananda’s Birthday with a LIVE video conference. Early Dwapara Yuga sees many technological and social advancements. For instance, we have long offered the time shifting capabilities of viewing recorded videos of Sunday Services or recent talks…

Tomorrow, May 19th, is Swami Kriyananda’s birthday. There will be many celebrations throughout Ananda Communities worldwide—

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…

April 17-21 of this year, 2008, I was blessed to return to my “ole stompin’ grounds, deep in the heart ‘o Texas.’” Actually what that means, ya’ll, when translated out of Texan into Amurrrri-can, is that I flew to out Dallas to give classes and get-togethers at the Ananda Dallas Center. My flight was over…

After countless hours spent by the volunteers and staff of Crystal Hermitage, the gardens opened their doors to the public about a month ago. Nevada County’s local newspaper, The Union, featured a wonderful front-page article, titled “Spring glory over the Yuba”, talking about the beauty of the gardens and inviting the public to visit them.…

Hi Everyone, It has been a wonderful and awe-inspiring week. I live out here on the West Coast and woke up Saturday morning feeling like something good was happening. It was the morning that Swamiji gave his heart-opening and soul stirring talk in Rome. I think everyone here at Ananda Village felt a calm sense…

During his lifetime, Paramhansa Yogananda exhorted his students to create spiritual communities, places that would support their spiritual lives. As he put it, “Environment is stronger than will power.”

I moved to Ananda Village 3 years ago, and rarely leave it.…

Or, “What Happened At Our House During the Big Storm.” The short version A huge oak tree fell on our dome-home at noon on Friday in the middle of a large windstorm. We were at home, but not hurt. We have quite a bit of damage to the dome, but we have received tons of…

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…

A visual tour, with commentary, on the deer of Ananda Village. Includes cute baby deer!

Recently Ananda India celebrated its 4th anniversary. It was December 2003 when Swami Kriyananda and his “landing party” arrived in Delhi and moved into a house in the Gurgaon, Delhi suburbs. 4 years later, Swamiji, with the staff of Ananda India and some friends, gathered to reflect on our growth and accomplishments, and to look…

This past Sunday, December 2nd, was the 24th World Brotherhood Day at The Expanding Light at Ananda Village. It is a day set aside at the beginning of the Christmas holiday season where we consciously stop and remember the beauty of this season. World Brotherhood Day has been one of my favorite Ananda observances for…

It has been a very pretty fall season here at Ananda. We got alot of rain off and on and then in between the mild storms we have had beautiful sunshine and clouds. The mix of rain and sunshine brought a little green back to our brown summer landscapes. I am sharing with you a…

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…

It’s been over five years since I moved to Ananda Village. In 2001, when my wife and I had decided to move here, we also had to figure out our job situation. She was a nurse back then and it wasn’t hard for her to find a similar job in Grass Valley. I was (and…

The last weekend of September, Swami Kriyananda, with a dozen Ananda India members traveled to Pune and Mumbai, where Swamiji gave major discourses in each city, speaking to a combined audience of 800. He also inspected 3 pieces of property that could possibly be purchased for the creation of an Ananda community in India. For…

September 21, 2001 was a day unanimously adopted by the UN as an international day of peace. Ananda Village joined in spirit with people the world over by dedicating our prayers and positive affirmation toward world peace. We supported Peace Day by filling our day with prayer, meditation, focused healing energy and joyful chanting. The…

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…