People often talk of relaxation, but few know how to achieve it. Complete mental relaxation is voluntary withdrawal of consciousness and energy from the entire body and identification with one’s true nature in Spirit.
11-11-11 — an obviously auspicious day for writing a blog. May all sentient and non-sentient creatures be blessed with inner and outer peace today and always. I was/am amazed at the number of favorable responses to my last blog, wherein I told the story of my husband’s broken leg and how we are working our way through that challenge together. … 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
In one of Asha Praver’s excellent lectures she expressed a remarkable thought that I like to remind myself in many situations: When we are worried and anxious about things that can happen to us, the cause of this is that we actually don’t trust God enough. So, even though I have not yet achieved the ultimate trust that God will … Read More
What do you do to think of God, remember Him, or feel Him with you during your daily activities?
Please add your experience in the comments below — or reply to the suggestions of others!
The summer I turned 24, life fell apart. I lost one job, and my closest friendship crashed and burned. My parents didn’t understand me, and I considered giving up on them, as well. “Wait,” I thought. “Have you tried explaining yourself? It would be dumb to give up without having done your part. Besides, if you took the time, there’s … Read More
Swami Kriyananda asked a group of people to move to Los Angeles and help Ananda happen down here. So last fall 10 or so of us packed up and moved down to the big city. We are now quickly coming up on our one year anniversary. I think all of us have been stretched in ways we couldn’t have even … Read More
Finances are tough for everyone, especially now and usually the thought is “We must save and pinch our pennies!” Now this isn’t a bad thing; in fact we should be smart with our money. Though, as with everything on the spiritual path, the better question would be, “Am I being more contractive or more expansive?” Even though we might have … Read More
Always be wise in your seeking. The emotional excitement of finding new ways must always be balanced against the truth that “loyalty is the first law of God.” Eclecticism indicates a lack of serious purpose.
The ultimate culprit that holds us back spiritually is the non-use of Paramhansa Yogananda’s techniques. The failure to use the spiritual tools given by the Guru puts us out of attunement with him.
