Ananda Center Rhode Island
Meditation, Yoga & Spiritual Center
A place of awakening
Are you seeking inner peace?
Or wanting to find deeper purpose and meaning in life? Perhaps you have had questions about God, or are seeking a deeper connection with the Divine. We offer support and friendship for your spiritual journey.
A joyful spiritual community of friends
One of the most frequent comments by visitors is, “I feel so much joy here!” The smiles you’ll meet are genuine. Ananda is a place of music, laughter, deep spiritual fellowship, and a refreshing sense of friendship in the quest for joy. All are welcome!
All are welcome
Ananda’s Universal Teachings are Non-Sectarian. The basis of these teachings are universal. People of all faiths are welcome; all faiths are honored. Ananda exists to support your search for greater meaning and understanding, whether it is called Wisdom, Peace, Love, Joy, or God.
Meditation • Yoga • Spiritual Community
Are you seeking inner peace? Wanting to find purpose and meaning in life?
Perhaps you have had questions about God, or are seeking a deeper connection
with the Divine. Ananda has helped thousands of people to achieve these goals. We offer support and friendship for
your spiritual journey. What you'll find at Ananda:
Learn how to meditate
Skilled instructors with personal life-long practices will help
guide you, from sitting comfortably to learning how to calm the mind and the
heart. Whether your interest is meditation as a spiritual practice, or for
stress reduction and health, you will feel at home in an Ananda meditation
class.
Yoga: ancient tools for self-mastery
Though most people think of yoga as physical postures, yoga is an ancient
and powerful tool for spiritual development. The science of Raja Yoga is a
comprehensive approach to life that develops personal character, inner
strength, and a calm, compassionate heart. Unlike most religious
philosophies, yoga does not ask you to believe a dogma; you are encouraged
to test its teachings in the laboratory of your life.
Kriya Yoga
The Science of Kriya Yoga is taught at Ananda and is the basis for our teachings. This is an ancient practice of meditation reintroduced to the world by Mahavatar Babaji through his disciple, Lahiri Mahasaya. Kriya Yoga simply means “divine union through a certain technique or spiritual act.” Other techniques bear the same name but, according to our line of gurus, the Kriya Yoga taught by Lahiri Mahasaya is the most ancient and basic of all yoga techniques. Kriya is offered only by initiation, but the initiation is available to anyone who sincerely seeks it and is willing to learn the necessary fundamentals.
Truths shared by the great religions
The emphasis is on the underlying truths shared by the
great religions, rather than differences. The teachings at Ananda were
brought to the West by Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual
classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. His direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda,
founded Ananda in 1968 and continues his work today.
Ananda is about supporting your quest for inner peace and happiness. Feel cared about by a dynamic, non-judgmental and supportive network of friends as you meet the challenges and victories of your own spiritual journey.
Ananda is a vibrant spiritual community. We offer Meditation, Yoga philosophy and Self-understanding classes. We¹re here to give you support for your spiritual life.
Our Roots
The Sanskrit word for spiritual teacher is “guru.” Yoga teachings are passed from guru to disciple, usually through a lineage of teachers often going back many hundreds of years. For Ananda, that teacher is Paramhansa Yogananda, perhaps best known as the author of the classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda came to America in 1920, and was the first of India’s yoga masters to make his home in the west. He was a tireless lecturer, extolling the benefits of meditation and yoga to millions of Americans over the next 32 years.
Yogananda passed away in 1952, but he trained a close disciple, Swami Kriyananda, to continue his work. Kriyananda carried out one of Yogananda’s most cherished dreams: the founding of spiritual communities. There are seven Ananda Communities and over 100 Ananda Meditation Centers and Groups in the world today. Swami Kriyananda is one of the few remaining direct disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda. Now living in India, Kriyananda is dedicating this phase of his life to re-establishing there the principles of Self-realization and balanced living, and to developing Ananda World Brotherhood Communities, spiritual retreat centers, and “Education for Life” schools.
