Supported Silent Retreat
Spring dates: April 22-25, May 13-16, June 3-6
Still your mind and rejuvenate your spirit in a COVID-safe group environment. Our meditation gardens and serene forest setting provide the perfect backdrop for you to go deep into silence and re-connect with your true Self.
Morning Mini Retreat for Men & Women
Hosted by Ananda’s Meditation Retreat
Recharge your spirit with a morning of relaxation, meditation, and inspiration that will leave you refreshed, and help you bring more calmness and joy into your life!
Spiritual Q&A
What Is the Soul?
Dear Friend, In general terms, yes, “higher Self” refers to the individual soul and the “lower self’ is the ego and personality identified with the body. While different schools of thought may place different emphases on specific words, like “atman” ... Read More
Am I as Special as Jesus?
Dear John, It sounds like you had an inner energetic awakening. That voice you heard is true, but you have to be very careful. Yes, you are unique, beautiful, special, just as Jesus, but only on a soul level. His ... Read More
Did Our Bad Karma Cause Us to Lose a Loved One?
Dear Sathya, I am sorry for your loss. Please see the loving arms of Divine Mother embracing you and your family, filling you with comfort, surrounding you in Light. Know that your sister is in Divine Mother’s loving care now, ... Read More
Shall I Write Letters to a Saint?
Dear Nityaa! Yes, of course: do write letters. I love to write letters. (In the case of saints, what’s the address?!) Rather than run a monologue through your mind throughout the day, run a dialogue with God and the gurus! ... Read More
Soreness From Long Meditation
Dear Sam, If you are feeling physical discomfort, I think it’s safer to assume the cause is also physical: meaning that during a longer meditation period your posture and head position must have been off slightly with perhaps some underlying ... Read More
In Meditation My Arms and Legs Are Jolting All Over the Place
Dear Patrick, I have seen a lot, but this seems rather extreme. It might feel kind of good to you, but still, you should control it. Even the strongest kundalini awakening doesn’t jolt your legs and arms all around like ... Read More
Why Do Millions Suffer Back Pain?
Dear Frank, Thank you for your question born of sympathy and compassion. Hmmm, well: we all will die, too, right? What did we do to deserve that? The great ones, saints and sages down through ages, attempt to share with ... Read More
How Do I Find My True Spiritual Path?
Dear Mihir, We find our spiritual path, and become ready for the guidance of a guru, by putting out continuous positive energy in our spiritual search. For most people, this begins with exploring various spiritual writings and spiritual practices from ... Read More
Can Busy People Practice Kriya Yoga?
Dear Mihir, Kriya Yoga is designed for our modern age, where most people are quite busy, not living a hermit’s life. Most people at Ananda are quite busy too. Mahavatar Babaji, when he gave Kriya Yoga to the world through ... Read More
I Need Help With My Teenage Stepsons
Dear Marcel, I feel for your difficulty as there are few circumstances in modern life as challenging as being a stepparent to teenagers. It has been well said down through the ages that “Patience is the quickest route to God!” ... Read More
I Have a Dead Twin Brother. What Does That Mean?
Dear Lake, Spiritually speaking, you have a karmic connection with your twin brother. This means that you have known him in other lives, otherwise he couldn’t have become your twin brother this time around. So you are right: you know ... Read More
How to “Manifest” a Child
Dear Maral, In all aspects of life it is important to remember who is ‘in charge’. You are right to understand that there is a higher Power, and it is this Power, not any earthly ‘powers’, that determine when and ... Read More
What’s the Difference Between Soul and Spirit?
Dear Brian, You will always find varying definitions of these terms. In Yogananda’s teachings, the soul is a part of Spirit, just like the wave is a part of the Ocean: it’s the same substance, just individualized. Spirit is God. ... Read More
I’m Having Dreams About the Kriya Path but I’m Not Interested Yet
Dear Mihir, Have you read Autobiography of a Yogi written by Paramhansa Yogananda? You can read it for free here. Rather than try to interpret your dreams, why not read this book — one of the most influential pieces of ... Read More
Is the Time of Death Predestined?
Dear Sathya, I am very sorry for your loss. Your pain is understandable, but please don’t be regretful for what you might have done or what could have happened differently. It was the karmically destined time for your sister to ... Read More
Help for Insomnia
Dear Sangeeta, Swami Kriyananda and Yogananda have given a number of suggestions, based on the yogic teachings, to help with insomnia which I will note below. But one thought I have to raise is, have you had a medical work-up ... Read More
Does Kriya Yoga Teach Bodhicitta and Emptiness?
Dear Aasheesh, As a Kriya Yogi and disciple of Yogananda (I suppose) you can now leave behind Tibetan Buddhism. Comparisons of different paths will confuse one. There are many different approaches, valid techniques, great methods, and deep explanations. All of ... Read More
Knot-Points in the Mahabharata
Dear Jeff, The “knot-points” revealed by Lahiri Mahasaya (and expanded upon by others in the lineage, that is, Swami Sri Yukteswar and Paramhansa Yogananda) in the great epic of the Mahabharata are found in the names of the main characters. ... Read More
Does Black Magic Still Exist?
Dear Sathya Krishna, Black magic does still exist but is very uncommon. If a disease is not identified, it’s extremely unlikely that it has been caused by a black magician. This is superstition in almost all cases. Black magic means ... Read More
Can My Deceased Sister Be Reborn as My Child?
Dear Sathya, I am sorry to hear of your sister’s death. Yes, of course, it is possible she could return as your child. However, I would caution you with the universal caution to “be careful what you wish for!” There’s ... Read More
Recent Posts
Upcoming Events
Treasures Along the Path Study Group
April 12, 5:00 pm PST
Guided Healing Prayers with Mary Kretzmann
April 14, 12:00 pm PST
Guided Meditation and Satsang with Jitendra
April 16, 12:00 pm PST
Saturday 3-Hour Meditation
April 18, 7:00 am PST
Ananda Village Sunday Service
April 18, 10:00 am PST
The Expanding Light Retreat
Sharing the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda – Learn How to Live!
Online Ananda Meditation® Teacher Training
July 7 – September 15
A Camino Spiritual Pilgrimage
September 19 – October 9
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