Courses in Meditation and
Self-Realization

Based on the Spiritual Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda

Meditation is the cornerstone of Self-realization. This is why every course at Ananda includes an introduction to meditation, and group practice twice each day. These courses offer inspiration for people at all levels of experience. There are courses which are dedicated only to meditation and others which touch on various aspects of spirituality.

The Art of Meditation: Basic Practices

16-21 May 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
18-23 July 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
19-24 September 2010 (in Italian with English translation)

Meditation is becoming recognized as an important tool for health and success. It improves mental concentration, stimulates creativity, relaxes physical tensions and emotional stress, and makes us more aware of our possibilities and potentials.

While it is possible to learn meditation from a book, it is helpful to learn it directly from people who have practiced it for a long time, in an environment that is peaceful and where meditation is practiced every day. This five-day course offers you everything you need to know about meditation and how to use it, and gives you a daily routine that you can follow at home.

You will learn:

• A technique of concentration taught by Paramhansa Yogananda
• What you need at home in order to be able to practice effectively
• A series of energy recharging exercises that will improve your vitality and concentration
• The philosophy behind meditation
• The stages of spiritual evolution that each person experiences
• How to contact your superconscious mind and use it as an inner guide
• Yoga practices to reduce stress and facilitate meditation
• How to have a more positive outlook on life.

The Path of Kriya Yoga

9-14 May 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
20-25 June 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
23-25 July 2010 (in Italian only)
27-29 August 2010 (English with German translation)
12-17 September 2010 (English with Italian translation)

Untying the cord of breath which binds the soul to the body, Kriya serves to prolong life and enlarge the consciousness to infinity. The yoga method overcomes the tug of war between the mind and the matter-bound senses, and frees the devotee to reinherit his eternal kingdom. ~Paramhansa Yogananda

Kriya is a specific meditation technique which accelerates human evolution and which leads to God-realization. This course introduces the philosophy and science of Kriya Yoga and teaches specific practices that help you to focus your mental and emotional energies into a single upward spiral that leads to higher states of awareness.

Subjects include:

• Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the eight-fold path of Raja Yoga
• The structure of the spiritual body and the chakras
• How karma is created and how it can be eliminated through yoga practices
• Practices of pranayama and meditation
• The importance of having a Guru and how to recognize who is yours
• The meaning of discipleship and why it is important for spiritual growth
• How to prepare for initiation into Kriya.

This program is required for those who wish to continue on the path of Kriya Yoga, as well as for those who wish to become Ananda Yoga or meditation teachers.

Weekend courses are at a more introductory level.

Energization Exercises: How to Live Without Fatigue

21-26 March 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
16-18 April 2010 (in Italian with English translation) 4-6 June 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
24-26 September 2010 (in Italian with English translation)

The most important key to success is energy:

• How to have more of it
• How to have it constantly without getting tired
• How to use it to overcome personal and professional obstacles
• How to use it to help others and help the planet
• How to have more vitality and stronger health
• How to bring more creativity and enthusiasm to your relationships, your work, and your spiritual evolution.

The weekend courses focus on Paramhansa Yogananda’s remarkably effective “energization” exercises, which recharge the cells, tissues and organs with prana and eliminate toxins from your body and tiredness from your mind.

Discipleship
How and Why to Follow a Spiritual Master

19-21 March 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
25-27 June 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
27-29 August 2010 (in Italian only)

Some spiritual seekers are soon led to their masters and their path, while others require a much longer time to find the teachings and the teacher who will take them to Self-realization. Each seeker has his own karma, and the seeds of spiritual yearning sprout in their own time. In India they say, “When the disciple is ready, the master appears.”

This program focuses generally on the guru–disciple relationship, and more specifically on the Masters of Kriya Yoga. These and other questions will be addressed:

• How can I know who my Master is?
• Is it necessary that the guru be alive?
• What are the commitments and obligations of a disciple?
• Is discipleship a life-long commitment?
• To practice Kriya, do I have to become a disciple?
• To learn Kriya, do I have to renounce my religion?
• How soon can I receive Kriya Initiation?

For those who are ready to make the discipleship commitment in the path of Kriya Yoga, there will be a ceremony at the end of the course.

Karma and Reincarnation

9-11 July 2010 (in Italian only)

While we can’t avoid life’s tests and challenges (our karma), we can learn how to prepare for them, and through them to grow wiser. During this weekend you will learn how you created your karma, how it can be neutralized or nullified, how to stop creating it entirely, and how Kriya can help you overcome karma.

These and other questions will be addressed:

• Is the law of karma the same for everyone?
• Do I get more bad karma if I know that what I am doing is wrong?
• How can I protect myself from my past karma?
• If I increase my good karma, can I balance out the bad karma?
• Can I choose when my karma will come to me?
• Can I get rid of all of my past karma in this lifetime?
• How can I reconcile reincarnation with Christian doctrine?

See also: The Law of Karma from The Hindu Way of Awakening by Swami Kriyananda.

Chakras: Pathway to Liberation

2-7 May 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
1-6 August 2010 (in Italian with English translation)

This program involves an in-depth study of the psychological and emotional characteristics of each chakra, and how to use meditation, yoga, music, and mantra to awaken and harmonize them.

You will also learn about:

• The physical, astral and causal bodies
• How the soul enters the body and get entrapped
• The components of the astral body: the astral spine, energy channels, chakras and kundalini
• The connections between the chakras and karma
• References to the chakras in the Bible
• How the chakras relate to the eight-fold path of Raja Yoga (Patanjali)
• The Spiritual Eye and how to stimulate it
• Symbolism in the Bhagavad Gita and the “soldiers of light.”

Ananda Yoga sessions throughout the week will focus on postures, pranayama, bandhas, mudras, and other practices for gently and naturally awakening the chakras.

See also: Yoga for Awakening the Chakras

NEW! How To Be Happy

30 April – 2 May (English with Italian translation)
30 May - 4 June 20106 (in Italian with English translation)
4-9 July 2010 (in Italian with English translation)

Did you ever wish that life’s happy moments were not so fleeting, and so rare? That you could achieve a state of happiness that always stayed with you? If you want more happiness in yourself, and in all parts of your life, come to this course and discover the secrets of how to be happy all the time. You will learn to recognize and guard against the happiness thieves, the moodiness gremlins, and to avoid the highways that lead to sorrow and suffering.

Whether you come for a weekend program or the longer one, you are guaranteed to be with happy people, in a beautiful environment, eating happy, healthy food, learning where your happiness treasures have always been hidden.

Crises and Crossroads

11-16 April 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
30 April - 2 May 2010 (in English with German translation)
14-16 May 2010 (in Italian only)
27 June - 2 July 2010 (in Italian only)
26 September - 1 October 2010 (in Italian with English translation)

We often face challenges and circumstances that test our strength, our beliefs, and our stability.

This course will help you find the inner resources to transcend your fears, the clarity and wisdom to make wise decisions, and the strength and courage to transform yourself and direct your life in new ways.

You will also learn:

• How to perceive inner guidance
• How to harmonize your will with Divine will
• New ways to develop faith and courage
• How to strengthen your aura and protect yourself
• Relaxation exercises for overcoming stress
• Meditation practices that help you gain a fresh and inspired perspective.

In a moment of great inner suffering and darkness I came to Ananda, and here I was able to see again a gleam of light. It is wonderful to know that places like this exist, places where you can learn to be centered and more able to meet life’s challenges. I will certainly come back! — Daniela, Torino

NEW! How to Love and Be Loved

9-11 April 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
21-23 May 2010 (English with Italian and German translation)
6-11 June 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
8-13 August 2010 (in Italian with English and German translation)

“The secret of happiness is keeping your heart open to others, and to life’s experiences. For the heart is like the door of a building. The sunlight can enter only when the door is open wide.” ~ Swami Kriyananda

Are you a “head” or a “heart” person? Do you think that life is something to be managed or experienced? In order to survive, we often develop our intellect and neglect our feelings, which leaves us somewhat handicapped in the field of human relationships.

This program focuses on developing those qualities of the heart without which true happiness and success are not possible. Once this door is open, your life will become immeasurable better.

You will learn:

• How much God loves and accepts you
• How to have more meaningful relationships at home and at work
• How to spiritualize your marriage/partnership
• How to find friends who understand you
• How to overcome judgment, jealousy and other negative emotions
• How to overcome the fear of being hurt or betrayed
• How to deal with separation, divorce, or the death of a loved one
• How to live and work with others in harmony and mutual respect
• How to understand yourself and others more intuitively.

Spiritual Relationships

23-25 April 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
3-5 September 2010 (in Italian with English translation)

When human love joins forces with the ‘divine romance,’ a wonderfully fulfilling life can result. We will discuss themes of vital concern to spiritual couples and to those who are seeking a spiritual partner:

• relationships as a vehicle for spiritual growth
• how to develop unconditional love
• how to accept your differences without compromising your values
• the role of sexuality in spiritual relationships.

Spiritual Counseling
Advice for Those Who Give Advice

26-28 March 2010 (only in English)
18-23 April 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
14-16 May 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
17-19 September 2010 (English with German translation)

Professional counselors, educators, group leaders, yoga teachers, parents, friends—we all find ourselves eventually in a situation where someone is looking to us for guidance. But giving advice can mean much more than helping someone solve their problems: it could be an opportunity to inspire someone to discover and develop their higher potentials. This course is an introduction to the art of spiritual counseling, which requires a developed intuition, a sensitive ability to listen, and an attunement with higher consciousness. It is offered by the Ananda teachers who for more than twenty years have been offering spiritual counsel.

Intuitive Intelligence
How to Awaken and Use Your Superconscious Mind

23-28 May 2010 (in Italian with English translation)
11-13 June 2010 (in Italian only)
9-11 July 2010 (English only)

While we are familiar with the rational, logical functions of our minds, we are far less aware of its superior dimensions. Success, creativity, understanding – these experiences are filtered through the conscious mind but they come from its “superconscious” capacities. Known as “intuition,” these superior impulses open the doorway to universal experiences and insights.

You will learn how to:

• Gain the most from the rational and subconscious dimensions of your mind
• Improve your comprehension and clarify your ideas
• Find inspiration and clarity for solving your daily problems
• Better understand others and their conditions/situations
• Find guidance for your life from your own higher Self.

The teachings at Ananda have found a permanent place in my heart and in my mind, because, without any mystification and by respecting the free will and dignity of every person, they have given me the knowledge of how to achieve my goal of living a joyful life. This visit to your community gave me the inspiration . . . and the willingness to be a better father, a better husband, to be a more responsible and conscientious member of society, to keep fighting against the moral temptations that surround us, and to stay steady in life’s storms. — Franjo, Zagabria

Why Meditate?

What Is Self-Realization?

Courses in Meditation and Self-Realization

Spiritual Self-Healing

For information and reservations:
info@ananda.it   Tel: +39 0742-81.36.20   Fax: +39 0742-81.35.36

Ananda is located in the tranquil hills of Umbria, Italy on “Strada Statale 444” between Assisi and Gualdo Tadino. It is the largest retreat center in Europe for Yogananda’s teachings.

Travel Directions

Ananda Newsletters
If you would like to receive news from Ananda by email, with program updates and details, inspiring articles, and some of Yogananda and Kriyananda’s original writings, please visit our subscription page.

Ananda Associazione • Via Montecchio, 61 • I-06025 Nocera Umbra (PG) • ITALY