Healing and Prayer classes at Ananda
through July, 2012
A Journey to Wellness
Wednesdays, May 2–30, 6-9 pm (continuing), (drop-ins welcome)
$20 for a single class Register
“Only in the unlimited power of spiritual methods may man find a permanent cure for the dis-ease of body, mind and soul.”
— Paramhansa Yogananda
How can we become truly well? This immersion in healing is guided by two lifelong medical professionals, Dr. Connie Hernandez, Naturopath, and Dr. Shanti Rubenstone, a Stanford-trained M.D., and a team of teachers skilled in Ananda healing.
Explore Yogananda's extensive teachings on the science of healing in this new 8-week, 9-class series.
Each week, we will share a light vegetarian potluck meal, then move into a lively discussion of the essentials of vibrant health and well-being.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing for occasional hatha yoga practice.
Syllabus:
May 2
Chakras: clearing the way
Chakras are the blueprints for the soul’s journey. Working through them allows deep healing to occur as we find our way back to our true nature, one with the Divine.
- A brief exploration of the chakras
- The power of positive and uplifting attitudes to heal
- The healing power of affirmation & visualization
May 9
Spiritual practices
Meditation, community, service
You might think, “Gosh, I know all about these practices already.” But there are some surprising healing benefits associated with them, especially with service and being part of a loving community, that most people don’t realize. The research is quite remarkable, in fact. Let’s explore the healing benefits of these practices, as well as ways to integrate them more into our lives.
May 16
Prayer and healing
The most astonishing, dramatic, and lasting healings on record are those that come as a result of a heartfelt, pull-out-all-the-stops prayer. What can we do to pray with more sincerity, and to hear a response when that response comes?
- How to pray so that God will listen
- Techniques of healing prayer, taught by Yogananda
- What is the best way to help others in need?
May 23
Transformational medicine
There has been a sea-change in modern medical practice in the last 25 years, with alternative modalities being accepted and incorporated into western medical practices (those who practice Integrative Medicine). There has been increasing recognition and acceptance of once-alternative methods such as Homeopathy and Naturopathy, with extensive testing underway for some years now by the NIH.
- The essence of all healing: learning to take energy in one form and change it to another
- Activate the power of the mind
- In Yogananda’s words: how to turn obstacles into opportunities
May 30
Bringing it all together
Living Wellness
Instructors: Drs. Shanti Rubenstone and Connie Hernandez, and our entire healing team
A Divine Romance
Saturday, May 12, 10 am-1 pm, $30 Register
True love is an aspect of God. In Swami Kriyananda’s words, “not personal love, but Love infinite … all absorbing and infinitely comforting. It is utterly untainted by selfish desire”. This class will focus on ways of seeking and finding that place in us where true love reigns; where fears are calmed, thoughts are focused, the heart opens, and healing happens.
Instructor: Dr. Shanti Rubenstone
Death, Dying, Karma and Reincarnation
Wednesdays, June 6-July 25, 6-9 pm
$120 for the 7-class series Register,
$20/class Register (drop-ins welcome)
“He who made us must surely also love us. His reason for ordaining death as the final act of life must, therefore, be somehow connected with His love.”
—Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained
Birth, death, and reincarnation seem to us fragmented realities. We have little memory of what came before, and no knowledge of what is to come. In fact, these apparently separate experiences are one continuous flow of expanding consciousness. Reincarnation is the highway, karma is the roadmap, astral and physical birth and death are the vehicles in which we travel.
6-7 pm Conversation, ceremony, celebration, release...
Share your story, and listen as others share theirs
7-7:30 Potluck: bring a vegetarian dish to share
7:30-9 Class and discussion
Each week we'll explore a different topic:
June 6: What is Death?
June 13: Karma Makes Sense
June 20: Reincarnation
June 27: The Final Exam
July 11: Life After Death
July 18: How to Die: Helping Yourself and Others
July 25: Thy Will Be Done
Contents for each date
Presented by Lahari Palmer, Nayaswami Asha, Shanti Rubenstone, MD; Connie Hernandez, ND; and other Ananda ministers, healers, and counselors
Crisis and Crossroads
Saturday, June 16, 10 am-1 pm, $30 Register
Whether welcome, or painful, global or personal, change is the only constant in life. All of us face times when cherished beliefs, values, accomplishments and possessions are threatened. Difficult decisions have to be made. A willow tree does not fear the wind because it knows how to bend. A rock has a different strength, steadfast, unmoving. Both are needed. Sometimes the lesson is to stand against the tide, sometimes to go with the flow. Learn to understand, and have the courage to face what God is asking of you.
Instructor: Nayaswami Asha
Love: Human and Divine
Saturday, July 7, 10 am-1 pm, $30 Register
We all have the same need: to love and be loved. There’s more than enough of God’s love to go around, so you’d think we could get together and work it out easily! But it often doesn’t work out that way. Why? Learn how to open your heart to people and to God. Attract true and loving friends, balance commitment with freedom and change, and love selflessly without losing yourself.
Instructor: Nayaswami Asha
Finding Calmness in a Chaotic World
Saturday, July 14, 10 am-1 pm, $30 Register
When we find ourselves blindsided by life, we may wonder whether we brought it on ourselves, whether our name has been plucked out of the phone book, or even whether we were born under a bad astrological sign. No matter what the cause, we can find a way to come back to our place of calmness within, to what Paramhansa Yogananda called a “portable paradise.” This is not a way of avoiding our responsibilities. It is, in fact, the most beneficial response we can learn, to enable us to discover solutions within, and find joy in riding the waves life sends our way.
Instructor: Steven Manus
How to find us:
Directions to Ananda Temple in Palo Alto.
Directions to Ananda Community in Mountain View.
Map of Ananda grounds, so you can easily find your way around once you arrive.
Even if you registered ahead of time, please stop by the Teaching Center to sign in, so we can greet you and direct you to the right classroom. It's located just behind the large temple on El Camino. Enter the courtyard from College, and the building will be on your right. If it's your first time, you may appreciate having the Map of Ananda grounds handy.
