Don’t worry! I’m in very good health, and I hope you are, too! Still, I am the last part of my 6th decade, so the subject of the best ways to face into old age and death are important ones for me to consider now. Actually, this is true for everyone, no matter what your…

A few months ago my wife and I watched an inspiring documentary called “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” which prompted us to take on the challenge of an extended juice fast. I had no idea what to expect, except from what I had experienced doing Yogananda’s Nine Day Cleanse (also highly recommended!) many years ago.…

How about — to affirm our underlying oneness with all beings. This may sound like quite a leap, but today I had an experience that brought this truth home to me in a very unique and unexpected way. Let me explain how. I never minded sending healing prayers after meditation when I first learned how…

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…

Our beloved friend, Nayaswami Maria, requested I blog about how I apply yoga teachings in the world as a householder and doctor living outside of Ananda Village. She said, “Those who read Ananda’s blogs have an abundance of information about living in spiritual community. Many people want to know how these teachings help folks in…

As you walk into Hansa Mandir, one of the first things you notice is a quote from Yogananda stencilled beautifully over the entrance that reads “The time for knowing God has come!” I must confess, for the past few years, I’ve thought “yes, yes, someday…” However, there have been positive changes in my life over…

It was one of those days (a few months ago)…I was trying to deal with a disappointment about the way I felt I was being treated (whine whine whine), feeling a distinct lack of respect from someone that generally has the ability to push my buttons. Also that day I was fighting off the summer…

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…

It’s a little hard for me to understand why I have self-acceptance or self-esteem issues. I had a decent childhood, with no major abuse that I can remember. But certainly I’ve had this issue to deal with. And it certainly seems to me that this problem is epidemic in the world around me. I thought…

“Sue, I need to know what’s going on!  What’s happening?  Why are young people sick and dying all around me?” was a tearful telephone call to me at home from a distressed work colleague. In the Intensive Care Unit where I work we see many deaths and tragedies of God’s Lila (Sanskrit for divine play),…

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…

Read the Stories of Yogananda Introduction Mukunda’s parents were deeply devoted to Lahiri Mahasaya. They always kept a beautiful picture of Lahiri on a small altar in their home. Many times Mukunda could be found meditating in front of the altar with his mother. He learned to love Lahiri more and more as the years…

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…

Wow. What a week! Spiritual Renewal Week 2008 was probably the biggest event we have ever had. We had hundreds of guests at the village and The Expanding Light and we must have had hundreds of people helping put on the events. It was quite amazing how everything came together, it is true: Many Hands…

Earlier this year, I took a 17-day (Feb. 10 -27, 2008) trip to Kerala, South India, specifically to an Ayurvedic Health Resort called Somatheeram (translation “Moon-Seashore”). This trip was sponsored by Ananda’s Expanding Light Yoga and Meditation Retreat near Nevada City, California and led by Gyandev and Diksha McCord—it was their third year to take…

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…

Ananda’s Expanding Light Yoga and Meditation Retreat recently hosted a group of people with early stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to conduct a Yoga Therapy Workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to investigate yoga’s effect on the functional abilities of an MS patient to maintain an active and fulfilling life. I have had a…

Lifestyles for Radiant Health: Last October we offered an exciting new program at the Expanding Light, Ananda’s Yoga and Meditation Retreat. It was called Lifestyles for Radiant Health: Personalized Coaching for Optimal Wellness. Our goal was to reach people who wanted to make healthy lifestyle changes, but had not been able to do so on…