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…

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…

I find that parenting is a lot like Paramhansa Yogananda’s analogy of the spiritual path: running at top speed and doing stunts along the way. I thought I was fairly well prepared for fatherhood. Many years ago I was part of Ananda’s first monastic order. Richard as a monk, working in the dairy During that…

Last month saw the first anniversary of Ananda Meditation Group, Isle of Man. It was an event that I knew in my heart would come to pass; however the odds against the group’s very survival have been great. Paramahansa Yogananda taught that nothing is sent to us that we cannot handle, and it is something…

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…

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…

Yesterday was an interesting day. The morning at work began fine, outwardly, but my heart and mind were not in the right place. This showed up in a lack of kindness to some of my co-workers. In the afternoon, this lack of harmony, as if reflecting itself in the world around me, began to express…

Living in a spiritual community isn’t all it’s cracked out to be. It’s much, much more. Besides the fountainhead of bliss gushing forth amidst daily spiritual practice, service and fellowship, there come truly beautiful, blessed and rewarding opportunities. Such was our recent two-day trip, as myself, along with my six fellow 20-something-year-old gurubhais (fellow disciples)…

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…

Often I tell Kriya Yogis, particularly those who are math-challenged, that there are only two ‘mathematical equations’ one needs to memorize in order to achieve success on the path of Kriya. The first I mentioned in my blog post “Kriya Yoga Plus Devotion Works Like Mathematics” The other equation is this: “Twenty-five percent of spiritual…

I recently completed the Yoga Teacher Training course at the Expanding Light. It was an amazing month filled with great joy and laughter, profound wisdom, and personal growth. Some of my fellow trainees/teachers/friends on a hike to Bald Mountain The program was an incredible experience. It was a blessing to receive a broader and deeper…

My blog this time is going to be a fairly shameless effort on my part to convince you that you need to take the Ananda Meditation Teacher Training Course. The next one starts June 18th.  It is 9 days long: a week plus two weekends on both ends. Wait, wait, don’t go away! I’m guessing…

Swami Kriyananda May 19 is Swami Kriyananda’s 84th birthday. We invite you to post your greetings and birthday wishes for him here. Thank you, Ananda Sangha Worldwide.

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 Sunday I was speaking at the Sunday service at our local Ananda Center in York, Maine and the scripture reading included Christ’s words in the Bible, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”. One can contemplate and meditate upon these words for a lifetime or for many lifetimes to…

This year I’ve been teaching a class at Ananda’s Living Wisdom Highshool entitled, “Sharing Nature Leadership Training.” The Sharing Nature with Children book series was written by Ananda Village member Joseph (Bharat) Cornell and is used in virtually every part of the world. Joseph wrote the Sharing Nature activities to give inspiring nature experiences and…

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.”

Dear Ones: The statue of Madonna at Medjugorie As many of you know, I went to Medjugorie recently. This little village is in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is where the Madonna appeared to six children in 1981, and has been appearing to most of them ever since. I have always wanted to go to places where the…