I’ve seen two movies in recent months that kept me riveted to the screen. Both were dramatic survival stories about one person facing impossibly challenging circumstances alone. Both stories were portrayed by excellent actors, Sandra Bullock in the film Gravity, and Robert Redford in All is Lost. I was immediately sucked into both movies; caught up in the tense battle … Read More
Recently, I watched a fascinating documentary film about the Chauvet cave in France, where the oldest known cave paintings have been found. The best scientific dating techniques we have in this modern age of energy estimate the paintings to be over 30,000 years old. The film shows the beautiful cave art in living color – vivid and rich, many with … Read More
I was 8 years old when I finished third grade. It had been a challenging year mixed with triumphs and failures, but I remember feeling pretty positive about it. My father, a U.S. Army officer, had been transferred to Germany and that meant a move for our family. Moving was exciting and I appreciated the opportunity for new friends and … Read More
Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Yogananda said we all have our own kind of craziness, and after 32 years on this spiritual path, I’m discovering just how crazy I am. There seems to be no end to all the crazy ways I sabotage my own spiritual efforts. But … Read More
Editor’s note (2019): the center and retreat at Laurelwood has moved out of the hands of Ananda after many years. We wish it the best in the next phase of its life! Ananda Portland is expanding – you may have read about the new educational campus, Ananda Center at Laurelwood, and the new assisted living venture, Ananda House. But we … Read More
Editor’s note (2019): the center and retreat at Laurelwood has moved out of the hands of Ananda after many years. We wish it the best in the next phase of its life! 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 … Read More
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 Sacramento and Ananda Palo Alto. … Read More
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 see expressed. But I realize … Read More
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 and not one of the … Read More
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 love the way Advent can … Read More
