Hi Everyone,
It has been a wonderful and awe-inspiring week. I live out here on the West Coast and woke up Saturday morning feeling like something good was happening. It was the morning that Swamiji gave his heart-opening and soul stirring talk in Rome. I think everyone here at Ananda Village felt a calm sense of rightness in the ether. We all heard Swamiji was very happy with the evening and all the preparation. There have been several wonderful written accounts posted on this blog site. Hopefully you will see some of the amazing photos taken by Andrea Roach.

While things were awesome in Rome, over here the bloom cycle of the tulips, crabapple trees and cherry trees were incredible. Perhaps they were responding to all the great energy in the universe. What ever it was we were treated with spectacular show of color.

Crystal Hermitage was featured in our local paper and one Saturday the Crystal Hermitage staff hosted two-hundred visitors from the near-by towns. Eighty of those people stayed to eat lunch at The Expanding Light. It sounded like every one there had a good time, looking at gorgeous gardens and eating in a restful rejuvenating environment.

Scaffolding

The Expanding Light staff and saintly volunteers have recently been beautifying our lovely retreat center. The efforts started with a group of talented devotees led by our local Vastu expert Mandala Skillman.
I talked with Mandala one day and learned about the level of her committment in enhancing the vibrations of The Expanding Light.
For years we have mostly had off white walls: nothing wrong with it, but with Mandala skills she

Mandala takes a quick break to pose for my camera. She is the brains and heart behind The Expanding Light color improvements.

artfully picked colors that would be uplifting and calm and enhance the harmony of the inside colors with the outside view. She seemed to have a small army of dedicated souls that put up an amazing array of scaffolding and then caulked all the cracks, and painted

Test colors are painted on either side of the rock wall

the ceilings. The finished product is lovely! It is soothing and uplifting, warm and inviting. Well Done.

The colors here will harmonize with the colors outdoors and with the Guest Services building that you can see through the window

The Expanding Light Temple was also painted, it is beautiful and elegant. I hope to share with you soon a photo of that room. There have been several workdays at The Expanding Light, it will soon be iris season. I hear big rumors of work being done on the amphitheater. I will try to check in on that project.

Come Join Us!

This is a big year. One where we have already seen Swamiji’s beautiful talk in Rome reach out to so many. Other great events are still to come: Swamiji’s birthday at the beautiful Crystal Hermitage, Large public events in Palo Alto, smaller events in LA in July, Ananda’s 40th anniversary celebrations in August and the deeply moving celebration of Swamiji’s 60th year of discipleship. Whew, what a summer.

We should all be praying for each other and especially Swamiji. I pray that Swamiji continues to be in bliss, that he arrive and enjoy his stay in the US with great health and vitality. I pray that you all are happy, healthy, feel bliss and that I see you at one of these events.
Bless you all.

“I wasn’t sent to the West,” Yogananda often told his audiences, “by Christ and the great masters of India to dogmatize you with a new theology. Jesus himself asked Babaji to send someone here to teach you the science of Kriya Yoga, that people might learn how to commune with God directly. I want to help you to attain actual experience of Him, through your daily practice of Kriya Yoga.” - Paramhansa Yogananda

The final marble statue which is of Jesus just arrived last week from India. Our line of masters or gurus is 5 deep (Jesus, Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Yukteswar and Paramhansa Yogananda) and Jesus holds pole position as you can see from Yogananda’s comment above. He is viewed by Yogananda devotees worldwide as a great Master of yoga.

Marble statue of Jesus to complement other Ananda yoga masters.

Which is the reason we returned to India to commission the same artist in Jaipur, India to hand-carve this statue of Jesus sitting in meditation. He is sitting in lotus posture with hands upturned. The facial features were drawn from a photograph of the Hoffman painting similar to the one which many of your meditation altars. Funds were donated to Ananda Village as our annual community Christmas gift by its members and it just arrived last week.

See previous posts for information on the other statues of the Masters.

I haven’t posted for a couple months – life gets very full with a family of five! We all seem to be going separate directions these days, but part of me really enjoys all the activity and seeing three children grow and explore their potential is fun.

Many friends my age are watching their children grow up and leave home, and most are also watching their parents grow old and leave this life. A child’s independence is a joyful challenge; an elderly parent’s increasing dependence and passing can be a sad one.

My daughter and I recently visited my mother, who lives in the Napa Valley, near my sister and her family. My father passed away over 10 years ago and my mother has managed to live a life of joyful independence and adventure, despite her loneliness. However, she fell and suffered a broken pelvis over 5 months ago and has had a difficult and painful recovery. She was finally ready to transition back to her own home, after months under my sister’s loving care, and my daughter and I had the pleasure of being there.

Our days were filled with organizing and preparing her two-level condominium so everything was accessible and safe for her to manage alone. My siblings were counting on me to make an honest evaluation of her ability to handle things, so I scrutinized her every move. She couldn’t navigate the stairs, take a shower or lift a frying pan without me watching. She took my supervision good-naturedly because she was so happy to be feeling better.

It’s natural to think of when she leaves this body and when we will not be able to visit and chat. But instead of feeling sad, I was filled with gratitude for the opportunity to be her daughter.

I walked to a lovely pioneer cemetery a few times during my visit and was able meditate there late one afternoon. One could get melancholy reading the headstones and reflecting on all those people long forgotten. But one of the deep blessings of the teachings of Yogananda is the expansive view one gets of life.

I thought of all those souls represented on those gravestones, and I know that after playing through the life of a California pioneer, they all moved on to new adventures and new lessons that would one day lead them home to freedom in spirit. And I thought of my mother and my children – they too, will move on to new roles and new lessons, and I was so grateful to understand.

The life we have is not to be spent carelessly, it should be treasured and celebrated with spiritual adventuresomeness. But it is good to remind ourselves and our children of our true identity as immortal spirit, deathless, changeless and free.

In divine friendship,

Lorna

One of the great joys of my work with Kriya Yogis is the frequent emails I receive from them, describing the positive effects of Kriya practice. These testimonials come from long-time Kriyabans, and from people who have been practicing Kriya less than a year.

Many times the practice of Kriya brings what I call ‘unintended consequences’ — all of them positive! A recent email from a new Kriyaban described how they had stopped eating meat, were eating half as much as they used to (good in their case, apparently!) – all of this even though they weren’t trying to make these particular changes in their life.

Because Kriya changes one deeply from the inside, the changes can and do manifest outwardly in many ways. In a sense, the Kriya Yogi changes himself from the inside out, rather than in the typical modern approach of changing one’s looks, clothing, or personality.

Here are some of the comments I’ve received from Kriya Yogis:

“My heartfelt thanks to you for giving me the Kriya Technique earlier in the year. It was the greatest gift I have ever received. Words cannot describe the taste of the daily ‘kriya nectar.’”

“I found intense joy, happiness and peace in my life. Kriya and devotion light up my life, and best of all I have daily guidance from the Masters. Since I started my daily practice I became a vegetarian and celibate and living a quiet life, looking at the external world as an expression of God, with compassion and love. I am very happy to be spiritually awakening.”

“My inner and outer life have changed in ways I never thought possible.”

“Kriya is truly a sacred art that has a profound and life changing effect on one’s thought pattern, and a feeling of great joy and bliss.”

How can the practice of Kriya cause so many positive changes? In his Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda promised:

“One-half minute of revolution of energy around the sensitive spinal cord of man effects subtle progress in his evolution; that half-minute of Kriya equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment.”

Yogananda went even further in a discussion with Swami Kriyananda, which he recounts in his book The Essence of Self-Realization:

“I can take a few young men of the most restless sort, and let them practice Kriya for two hours every day in the way I tell them, and, without question, in four or five years I can make saints out of them.

“I won’t preach a single sermon to them. I will simply tell them to practice Kriya for two hours a day, and they will see the difference in their lives. That is a good challenge.

“Of course, they must practice in the way that I tell them. That won’t be easy. But it is surely worth the effort.”

People often make resolutions to change their lives - typically at the start of the new year. Often, these resolutions have little effect, perhaps a little lost weight or a few better habits. Imagine making just one change that will have benefits for every aspect of your life!

Yogananda did not say that his “young men of the most restless sort” would have to change this bad habit or that. He didn’t say that they would have go to church every Sunday. All they would need to do is “practice Kriya for two hours every day in the way I tell them,” and they would become saints in 4 or 5 years.

I can honestly say, based on my own 30-year experience of daily Kriya practice, and on my interactions with hundreds of other Kriya Yogis, that Kriya effectively changes people’s lives out of all proportion to the self-effort required.

If you are interested in learning Kriya Yoga, feel free to email me. If you already practice Kriya, consider dedicating 2008 to a deeper and more devoted practice of it. You may well be surprised at the many “unintended” positive consequences resulting from your deep, sincere practice.
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This past weekend we presented our second concert in our Ananda Concert Series, entitled An Evening with St. Francis, presenting the life of the great saint with narration and music written by Swami Kriyananda.

The dome of the Crystal Hermitage was filled to capacity with close to 70 in the audience as we began our program. First, Bhagavati and Ramesha Nani and I played a set of pieces from Mediterranean Magic to set the Italian mood. Bhagavati, a wonderfully talented flutist, and Ramesha, her husband, equally talented in guitar and violin, are dear friends who have been here at the village for over the past year, assisting in all our musical endeavors. (What a joy it is to have kindred professional musicians that can also deeply appreciate Swami’s music!)

Following the instrumental set, we began the 55 minute program of the life of St. Francis, narrated by Ishaq Johnson, with instrumental interludes and a ten voice choir led by Jeannie Tschantz. With Ishaq’s beautifully attuned narration and Jeannie’s sensitive direction, we were able to invoke the spirit of the great saint. One could easily feel the purity of heart, the sweetness of love, and the unconditional spirit of living for God alone. Many in the audience were deeply moved.

Performing in the Crystal Hermitage is, in a way, like performing in a spiritual Carnegie Hall - the vibrations, the spiritual ambiance of the dome make it much easier to create and tap into the inspirition of the program, just as the acoustics of Carnegie Hall make it so enjoyable to listen.

Our concert series consists of seven programs throughout the year. Our first, I Came From Joy, was on September 22nd, and featured the children’s music of Swami Kriyananda. Our next concert is on Saturday, November 10th, and is entitled Heart Songs, Soul Songs. If you’d like more information, please contact our music office at 530-478-7687.

View The Life of St. Francis slideshow on Ananda’s website.

Music touches people on a deeper level than words alone. The music composed by Swami Kriyananda is written to change consciousness; the experience of listening to, playing, or singing such music goes beyond the sensory experience, into the soul.

Being part of the choir at the Ananda Center in Portland has become a vital part of my spiritual practice. I count on it to bring inspiration and understanding, just as my meditations do. Every song is an opportunity to tune into divine truth and then to share with others.

The choir is made up of people with a range of musical experience. Fortunately, the only requirement for joining is a desire to sing, so I get to spend time surrounded by many with natural talent and musical ability. We all enjoy the company and the inspiration that comes with practicing together, although our companionable chatter can push our choir director to the limits of patience. I’m filled with sweet gratitude as we drive home after practice and my daughter tells me she is happy we were able to go.

My daughter, Mary, is 10 years old and she has been singing these songs for years. What would it be like to be exposed to music that uplifts the soul, from such a young age? She has a musical ear and the memory of a youngster, so it takes very little for her to memorize words and melodies.

As Mary sings around the house, taps out tunes on her keyboard, and sings for hours with friends, I am glad she looked beyond her natural shyness to find the courage to join the choir a couple years ago. Now the joy I feel in the music is doubled as she stands up with me to perform.

Many people have told me that it was the music that drew them to Ananda, and brought them back for more. I know that some of my most blissful moments have been while singing the songs that express these universal teachings so beautifully.

I encourage you to listen to the music of Ananda with your children. It provides a wonderful opportunity to talk about spiritual teachings and to explore ideas together. Even the simplest children’s songs offer a deeper reality to share that is beyond words and notes.

As one song by J. Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda) puts it:

Joy will come to anyone whose soul has learned to fly!
Sing when the sun shines, sing when the rain falls,
sing when the road seems strange,
In a tempest seize the lightning flash,
and ride the winds of change!

Find out more about Ananda music in the posts by David Eby.

Joy always, Lorna

In my previous post about bicycling (Satsang on Bicycles) I had talked about the great joy of bicyling in the Sierra Foothills, especially when joined by gurubais. The more I ride my bicycle in this area, the more I am convinced we live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world. The neighboring roads with their light traffic, great surface quality and surrounded by amazing natural beauty, make every ride a very sattwic event.

Lately I have also been noticing how well the yogic principles apply to effective cycling. In energization exercises we learn to get in touch with the life force and energy flowing through our bodies and to direct it to the certain limbs and muscles. In Ananda Yoga we extend that practice and further try to internalize that energy, drawing it into our spine and directing it to the spiritual eye.

In cycling too, with focus, one can minimize the amount of energy used by any other body part except the legs. By relaxing the shoulders, keeping the spine in its neutral position, we allow the energy to move more freely inside the body and direct it to the legs. By practicing full diaphragmatic breathing (as in hatha yoga practice), we can send more oxygen to the muscles that need it as their fuel.

During Spiritual Renewal Week of this year at Ananda Village, Gyandev (Director of the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training) shared a story about when he was weightlifting in the gym with friends. He said that one of his friends said to another one day: “Why do you make such a face when you lift weights? You should be taking the energy that you put into making that face and put it into lifting more weight!”

When doing a time trial absolute focus is essential. If the mind wanders away from the focus of continuous power to the legs, the body forgets what it was doing, becomes lazy and slows down. With focus, one can continuously keep the pistons moving at their peak capacity. When we take what we learn from our yoga practice and start putting it into action in our daily lives we soon find out that true yoga does not start and end on the mat. It becomes a part of our being that we continuously strive to stay in touch with.

With my dear friends Bob and JT, we made several trips to Downieville and beyond from Ananda Village. It’s one of my favorite routes due to its scenery, most of which consists of riding next to the North Yuba river inside a beautiful canyon. I was telling Bob that when driving that road, it seems like Downieville is so far away, whereas when bicycling the same route, it is not the same. He smiled and said: “You know why? Because, when you are riding, you are already there.” It’s so true.

Next year for Ananda’s 40′th anniversary, we are organizing a 40+ mile ride for whoever would like to join us in celebration. We’ll have a lunch break half-way through by the North Yuba River and then return to Ananda Village in the afternoon. If you would like to join us, please drop me a note. I would love to hear from you.