We live in a world that celebrates multi-tasking. Getting hired for any management position seems to make this a priority skill. The presumption is that it facilitates productivity. As any parent or teacher of small children knows very well, situations often arise that interrupt one’s focus. But is multi-tasking an optimal design for attentive living, for managing stress, for … Read More
I don’t remember much from my childhood, but I have a clear memory of being a young, starry-eyed boy of about 7 or 8 years old, thinking that the age of 40 was a really mature and grown-up age where adults really have everything all figured out. I know that I retained this memory because when I turned 40 myself … Read More
At Ananda, we often speak of the blessings that come from living in intentional communities rooted in high ideals and simple living. Paramhansa Yogananda envisioned these “world brotherhood colonies” as models for sustainable living in Dwapara Yuga. As he prophesied, “World brotherhood colonies will spread like wildfire!” Community creates social connections that have a measurable impact on our health and … Read More
“You get your bachelor’s degree and think you know it all. Then you earn your master’s and realize you know only a little. But when you get your PhD, you understand you know nothing.” One of my professors shared this with me long ago, and it struck such a chord that I both laughed and pondered it often in the … Read More
It’s now Christmas time: the greatest, most holy time of year. We celebrate with so many traditions all over the world, including many other holy days and observances unrelated to the birth of Jesus Christ. But it is universally recognized as the sacred season where even the astronomical and astrological phenomenon align with an increase of light in the darkest … Read More
The pace of life is ours to make. Whether fast or slow on the outside, our attitude on the inside is ours to choose: anxious, unruffled or an adjective in between. Paramhansa Yogananda would remind his disciples to “make haste slowly.” In other words, strive to be “actively calm and calmly active,” and in a manner that is “even-minded and … Read More
We recently celebrated a massive, beautiful week of Spiritual Renewal at Ananda Village with over 300 in attendance live, and at least that many tuning in online. The theme of the week resonated deeply with every heart: “The Battle of Life and How to Fight It”. Now is the time to keep our spiritual inspiration high, and to fight life’s … Read More
There is a better way to live in this world, and we are helping to create and share that way together. People everywhere have had enough of selfishness, divisive politics, lack of right living and kindness and respect. While we cannot solve all the world’s complex and difficult problems, we can create a powerful momentum to help support the … Read More
Love is the cosmic glue which holds this universe together with its interplay of countless swirling celestial bodies, and multitudes of hearts and minds. Paramhansa Yogananda’s own guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was a stern yoga master who yet knew this wisdom of love. He wrote that “The first and most essential thing on the spiritual path is to uncover … Read More
There is a place on this earth where friends come together, live side by side, and support each other in their individual search for God. Not a cloistered monastery or ashram only for those who renounce the world, a place for everyone. In fact, there are several such places. I have the great good fortune of being born into one … Read More
