Online Ananda Spiritual Counseling® Training
Be a channel of higher consciousness for those in need
Join Nayaswami Diksha for this one of a kind course exploring the art of Spiritual Counseling. Spiritual counseling is different from psychological counseling. It’s about counseling others from a space of uplifted consciousness in order to help them find deep, personal understanding and direction.
This training will enhance your interpersonal skills as you learn to listen actively, respond with clarity, and open the doorway for superconscious understanding and solutions. You’ll explore spiritual skills and effective communication principles that will help you guide others to find their own solutions. Nursing CEU 28 hours.
Spiritual Q&A
Will a Smudging Ceremony Drive Away Only Negative Spirits, or Also a Welcome Presence?
Dear Victoria, Evil spirits dislike holy objects, pictures, ceremonies, sattwic (pure) energies, and are driven away by them. Good spirits and beings like them are attracted to them. I don’t know the exact process of smudging, but the principles must ... Read More
With Whom Should We Share Spiritual Teachings?
Dear Kyle, I’ve often thought of that quote as proving Jesus did have a sense of humor, however dry-witted and perhaps slightly sarcastic it might have been. Jesus himself preached to crowds and exhorted his disciples to preach the gospel. ... Read More
What Is the True Dharma for Men and Women?
Dear Radhika, Thank you for your question. The Vedic term nari dharma for women refers to married women and describes the qualities of a wife as “being in observance toward the husband, always with devotion, always obedient, never angry, a ... Read More
Why Was Arjuna Scared Seeing Krishna’s Cosmic Form If the Ultimate Reality Is Blissful?
Dear Tom, The ultimate Reality is indeed pure joy, sat-chid-ananda (existence-consciousness-bliss), so the great Masters say. But to get there is quite scary. It takes a hero to leave one’s accustomed identification with a body and personality, and enter into ... Read More
Are We Seeing the Social Change — Revolution — That Yogananda Spoke of?
Dear Candice, You may indeed be correct. What I’ve been saying to friends is that we can expect increasing levels of social unrest: perhaps triggered unexpectedly and suddenly by events that may or may not seem to justify the response. ... Read More
“Incel” and Healthy Attitudes for Men and Women
Dear Mirza, I’m not a sociologist or one who studies and follows modern trends around attitudes and relations between men and women, but I do observe that the roles and relationships between men and women are evolving. The archetypal picture ... Read More
How to Increase Patience When Dealing With People?
Dear Koyal, What you are trying to learn is pure yoga: working on keeping the emotional waves (vrittis) calm and quiet. In this way, we go deeper in meditation and in daily life we live more superconsciously. Try, then, to ... Read More
How Do I Help My Family During the Pandemic?
Dear Leticia, Thank you for your question. What you are experiencing is not an unusual occurrence in families — especially now with difficulties on the planet surfacing from the worldwide pandemic. We need to be vigilant, be safe, and stay in the ... Read More
Worldly Success Versus Spiritual Success
Dear Yogesh, My goodness. Perhaps you should travel to these countries. There are many devout lovers of God in these so-called “rich” nations. Moreover, there are many poor in these countries, and while “luxury” is a relative term, few would ... Read More
What Is the Difference Between the Astral World and the Causal World?
Dear Radhika, Swami Kriyananda explained how the entire creation is structured, according to Yogananda. There are three worlds, causal, astral, and physical. Here is the story of creation: God, out of His pure Consciousness, first created a very subtle causal ... Read More
Why Can’t I See the Spiritual Eye?
Dear friend, Not everyone sees the spiritual eye right away. For some it can take several years, if it comes at all. It is a gift of the divine. Some devotees never see or experience inner consolations such as light ... Read More
Should I Pray to the Saints?
Dear Sinai, Thank you for your thoughtful question. The understanding of who the saints are, how they became saints, whether they really know God, should we pray to saints and what helpful purpose do they have for us have always ... Read More
What Is the Ultimate Goal of My Life?
Dear Varun, I recently read a quote from someone well-known in the fitness world encouraging people to “widen the aperture of what’s possible for yourself”. These are inspiring words but often the ‘aperture’ people are encouraged to expand into, in ... Read More
I Have Had Disappointing Results in My Work. I Can’t Hear Yogananda’s Guidance.
Dear one, Yes, the Guru does answer. And yes, he is never apathetic towards his disciples. He loves you. And yes again, sometimes we are simply not able to understand his guidance. So what to do? First of all, insist ... Read More
What Is Adultery?
Dear Brian, You raise questions that have been debated for centuries and by millions! A simple response by email seems a bit daunting but worthy of the effort. Ok, so some background is needed, drawn from the teachings of Paramhansa ... Read More
Residency at Ananda Village
Dear Suzanne, Congratulations and blessings upon your journey to Self-realization! Your note doesn’t say where or how far from Ananda Village you live, but a visit there would be an excellent start. Of course, right now travel is restricted, and ... Read More
Spontaneous Movement During Meditation
Dear Yann, In meditation the energy withdraws inward from the body into the astral or energy spine and then upward through the chakras (or energy centers) to the spiritual eye, also referred to as the 6th chakra, the point between ... Read More
Pure O – OCD
Dear Bob, As you relate, obsessions are types of behaviors and thoughts making up Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder’s (OCD) characteristics and recommended treatment. In writing to us here at Ananda, it is important to clarify that the specialized treatment offered by professionals ... Read More
Is the Third Eye a Black Dot One Sees in the Forehead? Does it Produce Lucid Dreams?
Dear Esoteric, The third eye, when it’s not seen clearly, can appear in various ways, also as a moving dot. What you see is, in other words, not yet really the spiritual eye. You are seeing a first little sign. ... Read More
The Need for Energy in Our Lives
Dear David, You’ve chosen a most unusual quote but a very interesting one, too. Fortunately for me, I think “I get it.” :-) One of the core insights that stem from Yogananda’s teachings, and one that our founder, Swami Kriyananda ... Read More
Recent Posts
Upcoming Events
Showing Results for North America
Guided Meditation and Satsang with Sagar
August 4, 6:00 pm PST
Guided Healing Prayers with Mary Kretzmann
August 5, 12:00 pm PST
Preparation for Kriya Yoga Webinar Class
August 6, 12:00 pm PST
Guided Meditation and Satsang with Jitendra
August 7, 12:00 pm PST
Saturday 3-Hour Meditation
August 9, 7:00 am PST
The Expanding Light Retreat
Sharing the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda – Learn How to Live!
Learn How to Meditate Retreat
October 2 – 4
The Chakras: Inner Guide to Self-Realization
October 2 – 4
Online Spiritual Counseling Training
September 16 – October 21
Costa Rica Ananda Yoga Vacation Retreat
November 29 – December 6
News
Yogananda 100: A Century of Spiritual Awakening
Celebrating 100 Years of Yogananda’s World Mission Uniting East and West. Learn more.
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Ananda Sangha Worldwide is a vehicle through which Paramhansa Yogananda’s important mission is being fulfilled today. By supporting this ministry, you become a part of Yogananda’s mission in the world.
