Description of Classes & Events       July–Sept. 2008

Browse through Ananda classes and events below, in date order. Or view by category (see links at left). Many classes are offered over several weeks; if you'd like to just attend one or two in a series, you may drop in any time. Sunday worship is weekly at 10 am, and is not included below. Special events of popular class series are noted with a lotus. Lotus

July

Meditation 2: Energy
Thursdays, July 3, 10, & 31, 7:30, $40  Register
Pre-requisite: Learn to Meditate (Meditation 1)
To generate, concentrate and direct energy at will is the secret to success in meditation. Otherwise, the mind runs wild. A unique method of energy control invented by Yogananda, develops physical, mental, and spiritual strength. Also of benefit to athletes, artists, businessmen, parents, children, entrepreneurs, and other creative thinkers and dynamic doers.
Instructor: David Praver

July 4th Picnic & Partylotus
Friday, July 4, 2 pm–6 pm, Cost: $10 adults, $5 children
Location: Ananda Community
An old-fashioned 4th of July outdoors, with games food, and fun for adults and children. Be a spectator or a participant in a highly competitive balloon toss and many other games. Or just enjoy the pool and the sunshine. We’ll serve smoothies and ice cream sundaes along with a vegetarian barbecue by the pool. You may enjoy a tour of Ananda’s intentional community while you are here. The day ends with some patriotic music and entertainment.

 

The Law of Success
Using the Power of Spirit to Create Health, Prosperity, and Happiness
Wednesdays, July 9–30, 7:30 pm, $50  Register
or $15 per class (Drop-ins welcome)
Your success in life does not altogether depend on ability and training; it also depends on your determination to grasp opportunities that are presented to you. Opportunities in life come by creation, not by chance. In this series you will learn to overcome obstacles and reclaim your innate magnetism to draw success from God's all-possessing, all-powerful, all-bountiful hands. This course is based on the fourth book in the Wisdom Series by Paramhansa Yogananda, How to Be Successful, and his previously published booklet, The Law of Success.
Instructors: Raghu and Tyagini Clark

 

Learn to Meditate
Thursdays, July 10, 24, & 31, 7:30–9 pm, $40  Register
In just a few weeks, you can experience the benefits of meditation in your life—inner peace, health, and spiritual awakening. Ananda is one of the oldest and largest centers for meditation training in the Bay Area. Thousands of people from every walk of life have learned to meditate in Ananda classes over the past forty years.
Instructor:

 

Meditation 5: Aum
Thursdays, July 10, 24, & 31, 7:30, $40  Register
Pre-requisite: Devotion (Meditation 3)
The vibration of AUM is your own true nature. A simple method of inward listening opens a mystic doorway within. AUM is the Holy Spirit, the Divine Mother, the Christ Consciousness manifest in creation, the sound of “many rushing waters” described in the Bible as the Day of Pentecost. All spiritual traditions describe the same experience, variously known as AUM, Amen, or Amin.
Instructor: Raghu Clark

 

Kirtan (Group chanting)
Friday, July 11, 7:30-9 pm at the Ananda Community, free
Join us in an evening of sacred chanting together. Chanting has the power to transform and uplift the soul, and to open the heart. Most chants are simple to learn, so you’ll be able to join in easily even from your first time. We’ll sing many of Yogananda and Kriyananda’s beautiful chants in English, as well as some traditional chants of India in Sanskrit, accompanied by harmonium and guitar.

 

Learn to Meditate
Saturday, July 12, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
Meditation is one of the most natural and rewarding of all human activities. It gives direct, intuitive experience of higher realities, and is the cornerstone of true spirituality. It also brings balance, rest, and a growing inner peace. The Saturday session is an abbreviated version of the 4-week series offered on Thursday nights.

 

Ananda Yoga & Chakras
Saturday, July 12, 9 am–noon, $25  Register
Understand and experience the characteristic of each chakra. Learn how specific postures affect each chakra and how to harmonize and strengthen the energy in each one. This is a deeper level of practice, suitable, however, for all levels of skill. It is based on concentration and focus, rather than flexibility or physical strength.
Instructor: Ramani Peterson

 

Healing Power of Sound
Tuesdays, July,15–29 (3 weeks), 7:30 pm, $40  Register
or $15 per class (Drop-ins welcome)
Untapped healing energy lies within us all.  Certain specific sound vibrations can unlock that energy and direct it wherever needed.  We’ll attune ourselves to particular sound vibrations, learning how to focus their special qualities to uplift our state of being, and how to infuse our environments with energy for healing and spiritual growth.  Discover the ability to recognize and align with the body’s subtle inner sounds, relaxing into their constant flow.
Instructor: Steven Manus

Swami Kriyananda in Bay Arealotus
Visit Swami2008.com for information and tickets
Oratorio “Christ Lives” — Friday, July 18, 7:30 pm, Spangenberg Theater, Palo Alto
An evening with Swami Kriyananda — Saturday, July 19, 7:30 pm, San Jose Center for the Permorming Arts, San Jose
Hope for a Better World — Sunday, July 20, 2 pm: Open House, 4 pm: talk by Swami Kriyananda, Ananda Community, Mountain View

 

August

Joy Heals
Yogananda's Healing Techniques
Saturday, August 2, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
“He who finds joy within himself discovers that his body is charged with electric current—life energy, not from food, but from God.” Paramhansa Yogananda claimed that a genuine smile distributes life force, “prana,” to every body cell. Mind/body medicine continues to demonstrate that stress has a negative effect on our health, while the qualities of God, especially joy and calmness, create health and longevity.

In this class you will  have the opportunity to practice Yogananda's healing techniques. You will also be guided through exercises that help relax and attune the body, mind and spirit to your divine healing power and inexhaustible joy.
Instructors: Connie Hernandez and Tyagini Clark

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita lotus
Guidebook for Right Living
Tuesdays, 7:30 pm, August 5, 19, 26 and September 2–30, $80 for 9 weeks (August & Septmeber) Register or $10 per class (Drop-ins welcome)
A study course based on The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, explained by Paramhansa Yogananda,, as Remembered by His Disciple, Swami Kriyananda

The whole of the Bhagavad Gita can be read in an afternoon. To absorb its wisdom, however, is the task of a lifetime—many lifetimes, in fact. Yogananda’s explanation, however, makes the task easier. It is the “airplane route” to understanding the Gita. “Millions will find God through this work,” Yogananda declared. “Not just thousands: millions! I have seen it. I know!”

This commentary is thoroughly modern in language and content, with examples from life as we know it now. Yogananda does not dismiss the material world as merely an illusion, the way some teachers do. All parts of human nature need to be developed—physical and mental as well as spiritual—or lacks in one area may obstruct progress in others. Yogananda shows how the Gita can and should be applied to all levels of reality.

The commentary is deep so we’ll move slowly, about 10 pages a week. This is just Part I in a series. It will take several courses to cover the whole book.

The story behind the story
The Gita is one small section of a much larger epic called the Mahabharata. It is the story of war between cousins. The two families represent our inner
qualities; the field of battle is our own consciousness.

Who dies?
The allegory is war. It is kill or be killed. Even Arjuna, the great hero of the Mahabharata, hesitates. The Gita is Krishna’s response. Civilizations rise and fall, but the task for man is ever the same: to realize God within himself.

Passage to freedom
Chakras, kundalini, the hidden workings of karma, the need for guru’s grace. Esoteric secrets of spiritual success. Hidden pitfalls to the soul’s progress. All are contained (and explained) within the Gita.

That which was hidden can now be revealed
Eternal truth is never out of date. From time to time, though, the expression of that truth needs to be renewed. To Yogananda was given the divine task of reinterpreting this ancient scripture for modern times.
Instructor: Asha Praver

 

Communicate with Heart, Mind and Intuition
Wednesdays, August 6, 20, & 27, 7:30 pm, $40  Register
or $15 per class (Drop-ins welcome)
Whether as a professional, or as the confidant and guide for friends, children, or co-workers, everyone is asked for opinions and advice, sometimes in sensitive matters of great importance to those involved. It's easy to jump in from the mental level with answers that are reasonably true. Yet, out of love, what we are really trying to do is to be channels for highest wisdom, reflecting the best in us and bringing out the very best in others.
Instructor: Shanti Rubenstone

 

Learn to Meditate
Thursdays, August 7, 21, & 28, 7:30–9 pm, $40  Register
In just a few weeks, you can experience the benefits of meditation in your life—inner peace, health, and spiritual awakening. Ananda is one of the oldest and largest centers for meditation training in the Bay Area. Thousands of people from every walk of life have learned to meditate in Ananda classes over the past forty years.
Instructor: Steven Manus

 

Kirtan (Group chanting)
Friday, August 8, 7:30-9 pm at the Ananda Community, free
Join us in an evening of sacred chanting together. Chanting has the power to transform and uplift the soul, and to open the heart. Most chants are simple to learn, so you’ll be able to join in easily even from your first time. We’ll sing many of Yogananda and Kriyananda’s beautiful chants in English, as well as some traditional chants of India in Sanskrit, accompanied by harmonium and guitar.

 

Learn to Meditate
Saturday, August 9, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
Meditation is one of the most natural and rewarding of all human activities. It gives direct, intuitive experience of higher realities, and is the cornerstone of true spirituality. It also brings balance, rest, and a growing inner peace. The Saturday session is an abbreviated version of the 4-week series offered on Thursday nights.
Instructor: Asha Praver

 

Restorative Ananda Yoga
Saturday, August 9, 9 am–11 am, $20  Register
Restorative yoga is ideal for those with intermittent or chronic physical tension and pain. This type of practice is unique in that there is no effort. You rest supported by pillows and folded blankets in poses designed to open the areas of the body where most tensions are stored.
Instructor: Susan Brochin

Spiritual Renewal Weeklotus
August 10–17 at Ananda Village in the Sierra Foothills, Reservations
Spiritual Renewal Week has been the highlight of Ananda’s summer
for 40 years. It’s a time when Ananda members join guests to enjoy the dynamic energy and blessings, the fellowship and the fun. This year’s Spiritual Renewal Week will celebrate Ananda’s 40 years of sharing joy and inspiration. A highlight will be Swami Kriyananda, Ananda’s founder, visiting from his home in India.

 

Babaji-Krishna Kirtan (Group chanting)
Friday, August 22, 7:30-9 pm at the Ananda Community, free
Join us in an evening of sacred chanting together. Chanting has the power to transform and uplift the soul, and to open the heart. Most chants are simple to learn, so you’ll be able to join in easily even from your first time. We’ll sing many of Yogananda and Kriyananda’s beautiful chants in English, as well as some traditional chants of India in Sanskrit, accompanied by harmonium and guitar.

 

When Trouble Calls
Saturday, August 23, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
Everyone faces times of serious challenge. Our beliefs, values, health and welfare are bound to encounter difficult tests, and decisions have to be made. Inwardly, we must know what the lesson requires: to be like the willow that bends but does not break, or the rock that is steadfast and strong. In this class you will focus on building spiritual power—how to respond with willingness, courage, energy and calmness.
Instructor: Asha Praver

 

September

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita lotus
Guidebook for Right Living
Tuesdays, September 2–30, 7:30 pm, $10 per class (drop-ins welcome)
A study course based on The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, explained by Paramhansa Yogananda,, as Remembered by His Disciple, Swami Kriyananda

The whole of the Bhagavad Gita can be read in an afternoon. To absorb its wisdom, however, is the task of a lifetime—many lifetimes, in fact. Yogananda’s explanation, however, makes the task easier. It is the “airplane route” to understanding the Gita. “Millions will find God through this work,” Yogananda declared. “Not just thousands: millions! I have seen it. I know!”

This commentary is thoroughly modern in language and content, with examples from life as we know it now. Yogananda does not dismiss the material world as merely an illusion, the way some teachers do. All parts of human nature need to be developed—physical and mental as well as spiritual—or lacks in one area may obstruct progress in others. Yogananda shows how the Gita can and should be applied to all levels of reality.

The commentary is deep so we’ll move slowly, about 10 pages a week. This is just Part I in a series. It will take several courses to cover the whole book.

The story behind the story
The Gita is one small section of a much larger epic called the Mahabharata. It is the story of war between cousins. The two families represent our inner
qualities; the field of battle is our own consciousness.

Who dies?
The allegory is war. It is kill or be killed. Even Arjuna, the great hero of the Mahabharata, hesitates. The Gita is Krishna’s response. Civilizations rise and fall, but the task for man is ever the same: to realize God within himself.

Passage to freedom
Chakras, kundalini, the hidden workings of karma, the need for guru’s grace. Esoteric secrets of spiritual success. Hidden pitfalls to the soul’s progress. All are contained (and explained) within the Gita.

That which was hidden can now be revealed
Eternal truth is never out of date. From time to time, though, the expression of that truth needs to be renewed. To Yogananda was given the divine task of reinterpreting this ancient scripture for modern times.
Instructor: Asha Praver

 

Superconscious Living
Wednesdays, September 3–24, 7:30 pm,  Cost: $50  Register
or $15 per class (Drop-ins welcome)
Your Subconscious is who you are now, the karma you were born with, your strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears.
Your Superconscious is who you can become, your divine potential, your way out of boredom and suffering into bliss.
Your Conscious mind is where the Subconscious and the Superconscious battle it out.
Don’t you often feel caught in the middle? This course is a step-by-step method to free yourself from the Subconscious and open yourself to
Superconscious Living.

Nature & Purpose of Life
Your consciousness is not a fixed reality, but a moment-by-moment choice. It all depends on how you answer the questions: Who am I? Where does my happiness come from?
Overcoming Subconscious Traps
You subconscious remembers everything that’s happened to you, in this life, and in all the lives that came before. It contributes nothing of its own. It just feeds back whatever you put into it. You created it. You can change it. Not by force, but by systematically and lovingly re-training it.
Centering & Attunement
Live on the periphery of yourself and you’ll feel helpless and alone. Live in your center and you’ll feel linked to God and all of creation. Superconsciousness is not far away in time or space. It is within you. You just have to learn to tune in.
Energy & Magnetism
The superconscious is the source of happiness and creative intelligence. It is a flow of energy, a magnetic force drawing you into the heart of Spirit. Free yourself from subconscious resistance and flow effortlessly with this current of bliss.
Expansion of Consciousness
Vow to My Self * I vow from this day forth, to be true to my higher superconscious Self * To be a channel of light, of blessing and love to all * To live in joy, not sorrow * In truth, not error * In victory, not failure * To blame no one in adversity but myself * And then, instead of blame, to accept responsibility, with God’s help, for changing myself.
Instructors: Dambara Begley, Marilyn Holm, and Steven Manus

 

Learn to Meditate
Thursdays, September 4–25, 7:30 pm, $50  Register
Start with the fundamentals: What is meditation? How does it work and why?
What could be simpler than the breath, or more subtle? Always with us, seldom
noticed, breath is the definition of life itself. If you breathe, you can meditate. Learn to understand, and then influence, the relationship of consciousness, thought, heartbeat, and breath.
Instructor:

 

Meditation 2: Energy
Thursdays, September 4–25, 7:30, $50  Register
Pre-requisite: Learn to Meditate (Meditation 1)
To generate, concentrate and direct energy at will is the secret to success in meditation. Otherwise, the mind runs wild. A unique method of energy control invented by Yogananda, develops physical, mental, and spiritual strength. Also of benefit to athletes, artists, businessmen, parents, children, entrepreneurs, and other creative thinkers and dynamic doers.
Instructor: David Praver

 

Kirtan (Group chanting)
Friday, September 5, 7:30-9 pm at the Ananda Community, free
Join us in an evening of sacred chanting together. Chanting has the power to transform and uplift the soul, and to open the heart. Most chants are simple to learn, so you’ll be able to join in easily even from your first time. We’ll sing many of Yogananda and Kriyananda’s beautiful chants in English, as well as some traditional chants of India in Sanskrit, accompanied by harmonium and guitar.

 

Learn to Meditate
Saturday, September 6, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
Meditation is one of the most natural and rewarding of all human activities. It gives direct, intuitive experience of higher realities, and is the cornerstone of true spirituality. It also brings balance, rest, and a growing inner peace. The Saturday session is an abbreviated version of the 4-week series offered on Thursday nights.
Instructor:

 

Is God Provable?
Saturday, September 6, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
We live in a world of appearances. Even the densest materials are composed mainly of space, and countless other mysteries abound. Why? Is God playing games? Indian Shankya philosophy states, “Ishwar ashidha: God is not provable.” Is that true? What are we supposed to think, or is thinking the root of the problem? In this class you will look at why our world has been created not only with realities we can grasp, but also with greater realities that our reasoning minds are incapable of comprehending.
Instructor: Asha Praver

Swami Kriyananda Anniversary Weekendlotus
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, September 12–14, at Ananda Village
A celebration of Swami Kriyananda’s 60th year since becoming a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. To reserve a place for the weekend or to learn more, contact The Expanding Light Retreat at Ananda Village.

 

Kirtan (Group chanting)
Friday, September 19, 7:30-9 pm at the Ananda Community, free
Join us in an evening of sacred chanting together. Chanting has the power to transform and uplift the soul, and to open the heart. Most chants are simple to learn, so you’ll be able to join in easily even from your first time. We’ll sing many of Yogananda and Kriyananda’s beautiful chants in English, as well as some traditional chants of India in Sanskrit, accompanied by harmonium and guitar.

 

Working with the Chakras
Saturday, September 20, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
Everything about you is determined by your chakras: gender, health, hopes, fears, even your hour of birth and DNA. The chakras are subtle energy centers that not only store your unresolved karma, they carry it from one incarnation to the next. Understanding how they work, and especially how to affect the karma within them, can be vital to our spiritual growth.
Instructor: Asha Praver

 

Ananda Yoga & Devotion
Saturday, September 20, 9 am–noon, $25  Register
Different postures emphasize different states of consciousness. This yoga session gives special emphasis to those postures that open the heart, increase the flow of energy there, and make one more receptive to the inflow of spirit.
Instructor: Tushti Conti

 

The Path of Kriya
Saturday, September 27, 10 am–1 pm, $30  Register
Compared to the light of inner freedom, this physical plane is like a dark room.  We spend our lives trying to escape through the walls, when all the while a doorway inside awaits our discovery.  Join us for insights into the promise of Kriya Yoga, a direct inner route to freedom, from earthly desires and delusions, to the light of soul liberation, leading the way to Self-realization.
Instructor: Steven Manus


How to find us:

Nearly all of our classes and events take place at the Temple in Palo Alto, except for a very few which take place at the Ananda Community in Mountain View (those are specially noted, so you’ll know).
Directions to Ananda Temple in Palo Alto.
Directions to Ananda Community in Mountain View.

When you come to a class or event at the Temple, even if you registered ahead of time, please sign in at the gift shop so we can greet you and direct you to the right classroom. The gift shop is located in a one-story building just behind the main sanctuary (enter through the sliding-glass door). Map of Ananda Temple grounds (PDF).

You may pay and/or register for classes and events. Payments are processed In a secure manner through PayPal. Fees shown are for an entire series unless indicated otherwise. If you need to miss a class in a series, an audio recording is available.