A woman once asked Swami Kriyananda to pray for her son who had been critically injured. She was deeply distraught by her own inability to pray without her mind wandering to worldly affairs, even in a moment of family crisis. Her mind, in the midst of her prayers, insisted upon drifting toward trivia, “What do I need to prepare for … Read More
Magnetism – a Subtle Power of Attraction
I first met Swami Kriyananda on an October evening in Berkeley, California in 1968, a few months after my graduation from college. I was waiting on a sidewalk with a few others for someone to unlock the building where that evening’s class was to be held, the first in a series on hatha yoga and raja yoga led by Swami … Read More
Nurture a Stillness of Heart
When I was a young man, new to spiritual practices, I first met Baba Hari Dass in California. I had never encountered anyone such as him although I had heard of yogis who lived in mountain caves, but for someone to intentionally keep silent while engaged in a busy life was something I’d never considered. Intrigued by his example and … Read More
Stillness is the Altar of Spirit
As a child in Los Angeles, Nayaswami Dhyana, Ananda Sangha India’s Spiritual Co-Director, attended church every Sunday with her mother. African American congregations are noted for their exuberance and lively spirit and her church was no exception. Dhyanaji once laughingly commented upon her minister’s Sunday discourse on the oft-quoted Biblical verse, “Be still and know that I am God.” “I … Read More
I Walk with Beauty
“I Walk with Beauty” is a timeless message that expresses the importance of living in harmony with nature, one’s neighbors, circumstances, and most of all, with oneself. It is to walk the pathway of life in a state of grace rather than in disharmony and spiritual “dis-ease”. Many years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Swami Satchitananda, a … Read More
Ananda Seva – Practical Suggestions
Within our path of Kriya Yoga, we give great emphasis to balancing our lives: on the one side with the practice of meditation, deepening our inner life; on the other side, by doing service, spiritualizing our outward life. We have many teachings and materials on how to develop our inner life, but what does it mean to serve within our … Read More
