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Why Is Rock, Pop, and Jazz Not Advisable For Yogis?

Tyagi Jayadev

Question from Rajat: Hello and a happy New Year to everyone at the Ananda family, I would like to know the reason why spirituality advises not to listen to rock/metal/pop/jazz music or songs. I am on a spiritual path and would like to ban anything which affects my journey. Currently, I listen to rock and metal songs which keep me motivated to do…

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Can Music Be a Meditation?

Nayaswami Hriman

Question from S: In the hong sau technique, we need to observe our breath with concentration.What if the same concentration is given to something else like classical music.Why breath only..Eg..if I sing for very long with concentration,I feel the same peace which people feel in meditation.Does it mean,there are expressions of meditations…like some people feel that peace through photography, dance etc.It is also…

A Place Called Ananda, Music and the Arts

Become a Singing Spiritual Superhero

by David Eby

You have a self-realization superpower. The world is in dire need of spiritual superheroes, and Ananda Music is a key to unlocking your hidden abilities. Paramhansa Yogananda writes in Cosmic Chants that: Sound, or vibration, is the most powerful force in the universe, and music is a divine art, to be used not for pleasure but as a path to God-realization. Vibrations resulting from…

A Place Called Ananda, Music and the Arts, Spiritual Community

Wishing You a Noble New Year

by David Eby

Fireworks were already booming from the surrounding neighborhoods as we entered the Portland community chapel last night for our New Year’s Eve ceremony. It was a blessed evening complete with purification ceremony, 108 repetitions of the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and a deep meditation til midnight.  I was struck by the simple yet powerful contrast of the fireworks and my inner experience: the big loud outward…

A Place Called Ananda, Music and the Arts

Also Starring God (as Himself)

by David Eby

Last weekend marked the culmination of an extraordinary year as over 700 people filled the Del Oro Theater in Grass Valley, California to watch the debut screening of the film Finding Happiness. I had the great honor to be part of the cast and also produce the soundtrack for this exquisite film by director Ted Nicolaou which was based on…

A Place Called Ananda, Health and Healing, Spiritual Community

The Moments that Changed Everything

by David Eby

“Honey…David…wake up! Swami passed – he died tonight!” The words melded themselves into my dreaming consciousness, challenging my sleeping brain to accept the shocking news. Rising quickly out of bed, I honestly couldn’t tell if I was still in a dream or in some kind of altered reality. The clock read 12-midnight, and I closed my eyes and felt the…

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Music that Raises – or Lowers – the Emotions

David Eby

Question from Alan: Why is it that I get easily moved by some secular music, like soft rock and others, but when I listen to spiritual hymns, chants and kirtans I don’t feel very moved by it? Does this mean that I am not really very spiritual?

A Place Called Ananda, Music and the Arts, Spiritual Growth

Learning to Sing Ananda’s Music

by Nayaswami Rambhakta

When I moved to Ananda Village in 1976, I was offered a job at “Pubble,” the department where Swami Kriyananda’s books were published. Not long after I arrived, Swamiji invited the staff to his home to discuss some projects. Swami’s house was on the other side of the ridge from the main part of the Village. I hiked over the…

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How to hit the right note

David Eby

Question from Jaya: I am an aspiring singer. I put in a lot of hardwork for my music. In addition, during meditation, I use the prayer demand from the whispers of eternity which says ” Every sound that I make let it have the vibration of Thy voice” to get the Lord’s grace. Will it help? Also whenever I am not able to…