On Sundays at Ananda Sangha Delhi, we frequently hold in-person healing sessions for anyone who may want it. It is not a surprise when people who have never been to Ananda before, walk into the temple and request for healing. The “Healing Angels” offering this service often know nothing about the person requesting healing, and the healing technique is such that healing can be given without them having any personal knowledge about the person before them. Now, Paramhansa Yogananda tells us that the healing energy is intelligent. It knows where to go and what to heal. So the Healer, if we may us ..read more

Yogavatar Lahiri Mahasaya revived the lost, sacred art of Kriya Yoga in the 19th century. During that time he advised his disciples to solve all problems through meditation. This advice, so deceptively simple, is still true for us today but left me wondering, “How exactly can I do that?” In the Autobiography of a Yogi, Lahiri Mahasaya (the guru of Paramhansa Yogananda’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar) explains: Attune yourself to active inner Guidance; the Divine Voice has the answer to every dilemma of life. Though man’s ingenuity for getting himself into trouble ap ..read more

The law of karma can be either a source of bondage and fear or a means for soul release. It depends on our attitude. A deeper understanding of the infallible cosmic law reveals that karma only helps us learn our lessons and reach soul perfection. Learn why that is so and how you can ‘pass’ your karmic tests with flying colors! Emma, a mother of two children, was working in the kitchen. Her 7-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter were playing in the living room. As she entered the living room to serve dinner, she was shocked to see that the boy was about to smack his little sister. Hastily ..read more

On one fine Saturday evening, I was watching one of the many talks of Asha Nayaswami on YouTube. This one was about how to increase your magnetism to manifest the desired success in your life. Within a few minutes, I was immersed in the experience of absorbing the wisdom she was sharing so gracefully. My face had a huge smile and my eyes were completely fixated on her the whole time I was listening to her. As if I were to witness one of the most special moments of my life after the talk is over. And sure I did! Somewhere during the talk, she mentioned a story about the times when she was livi ..read more

“The deeper the Self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux.” -Paramhansa Yogananda The energy of every individual is determined not just by their words and actions but more so by the thoughts, intentions and imagination one carries within. The thoughts we think and the images we see in our minds, make up for the inner world of a individual. The mind creates reality not only using thought, but also our imagination – we can see ourselves as anything we wish to, in our minds ..read more

Swami Kriyananda once said, “Self-transformation is the first and foremost thing that has to happen…” Many people wonder, “Is it really possible to change ourselves in a fundamental way? No matter what we do, do we eventually revert to where we started, to our old habit patterns—like the dieter who loses weight and then repeatedly gains all of that weight back again? Overcoming an old habit pattern can seem an impossible task. When I was in university, I was failing in my studies. I was too restless. I just couldn’t focus. I couldn’t concentrate. One of my friends seemed much calmer and ..read more

Finding perennial joy is the goal of human life. Alas, the way to that joy isn’t always clear – it’s full of detours and traps along the way. But the guidance of a Satguru (a true Master) can save us from the pangs of delusion. Read how Shruti found her way to joy and happiness within her own being. On my birthday, I got the best present of my life. I had planned to spend time with my family. But I had little clue that I will be meeting my Guru on this special day. My mother convinced my sister and me to accompany her to Ananda Sangha Delhi to attend the Spiritual Fair held in September 2018 ..read more

The twenties are a difficult phase of life. This is when one experiences a quarter-life crisis where doubt creeps in and one isn’t sure of what the next logical step is. This is where meditation can do wonders by giving deeper self-awareness to those in their teens and early twenties. It helps them listen to their inner, intuitive wisdom for taking crucial life decisions. The habit of meditation is also easier to integrate into one’s life during these early years. Learn more about why the teens and twenties are one of the best times to learn to meditate. The twenties are a difficult phase of ..read more

We never really know the deep thirst of our own soul or its subtle yet strong connections. Read how a chance encounter with the picture of Yogananda and Babaji drew a ‘non-religious’ soul onto the spiritual path and started its joyful journey towards God-realization. I was never too religious or spiritual. I would play along when my mother would have my siblings and me observe certain Hindu or Arya Samaj rituals and festivals; or when my husband who, unlike me, was always spiritually inclined, would insist on visits to places of worship with our children, or put on chants and devotional music ..read more

If you want to understand the secret of attunement to the Guru, this blog is a must-read. Know how to steer away from form to the essence of a powerful and rewarding spiritual life. I had been with Swami Kriyananda for less than a year when he asked me, along with about ten other devotees of Ananda Village, to go to Los Angeles with him for a visit. First, he asked if I could sing. I think he established that at least I didn’t have a painfully awful voice. Thus, we went to Los Angeles, ostensibly to record two albums of songs. On these albums, Swamiji sang, and the rest of us sang responsivel ..read more