Ananda Self Realization Center of
Kingston, RI
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.

Paramhansa Yogananda spoke about Kriya as a way to break the hypnosis of ego consciousness and it’s separation from Divine Consciousness. He said, “Kriya is a simple, psycho-physiological method by which the human blood is de-carbonized and recharge with oxygen. The atoms of this extra oxygen are transmuted into life current to rejuvenate the brain and spinal centers (in the chakras). By stopping the accumulation of venous blood, the yogi is able to lessen or prevent the decay of tissues; the advanced yogi transmutes his cells into pure energy. Elijah, Jesus, Kabir and other prophets were past master in the use of Kriya, or a similar technique, by which they caused their bodies to dematerialize at will.”

If you want to receive Kriya, it is taught after several months of preparation previous to the initiation and is available to people of all faiths. All those interested should contact Ram Smith (Lightbearer and Spiritual Leader) or Dikshini Koos for further instructions and guidelines.

The basis of this teaching is universal. People of all faiths are welcome; all faiths are honored. Ananda exists to support your search for greater meaning and understanding, whether it be called wisdom, truth, joy, or God.

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.

What We Offer

• Fellowship of like-minded souls (Satsang)
• Private Meditation Classes

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.