“Where There’s Sorrow
May We Sow Thy Joy.
Where There’s Hatred
May We Share Thy Love.”

– Swami Kriyananda, Make Us Channels of Thy Peace

Celebrating the YogaFestival

Our dear family!

We are happy to share briefly about the life of disciples and the Teachings of the Master in Russia.

Our Light of Joy Retreat Center regularly hosts retreats and seminars where we share the Teachings of Self-Realization, practice group meditations and kirtans. Since February of 2022, we have been holding a prayer for Peace and Harmony, twice a day, in the Retreat Center and online with our friends from Ukraine.

This year we took part in the Yoga Festival dedicated to the International Day of Yoga for the fifth time. We had our own tent, in which every hour we held different lectures and practical classes on meditation and yoga.

We are so happy that we have these powerful Teachings and the blessing of the Masters, that help to get through this difficult moment in everyone’s life.

Book Presentation

“Psychophysical yoga” Book Presentation

It is a joy and honor to share about the book presentation “Psychophysical yoga”, written by Gelena Khokhlova a kriyaban, Ananda Yoga and Raja Yoga teacher of Ananda Russia from Moscow.

Psycho means “soul” in ancient Greek. So this book is about Spiritual yoga and about the mutual influence between the body and the mind. It contains simple and effective techniques with answers to “why” and “how.

The presentation itself happened in a library with about 60 people present. Members of Ananda Russia, personal friends, students of yoga and meditation.

During the 2 hour event there were 7 speakers (kriyabans, students and people who helped with book and are personal friends with the author)

There was an atmosphere of joy, happiness and friendship filling the evening. People could feel the spirit of yoga and the spirit of Master. In the tradition of Ananda and Swamiji the choir sang, choosing the song “Life is a dream” in English and Russian. At the end of the event the author led a demonstration of the psychophysical exercises: practice of double breath with tension and relaxation, the triangular breath, watching the breath, ending with a visualization and the affirmation “I go forth in perfect faith in the power of Omnipresent Good, to give me what I need at the time I need it”. The evening ended with time to buy the book with the author’s signature and with blessings.

A New Birth – Unforgettable Retreat at YugAnanda

“A New Birth” – a wonderful retreat with such a symbolic name took place in YugAnanda, Russia from the 13^th to the 19^th of June 2022. This is the second retreat at the land, which was purchased last year near the Black Sea in the South of Russia. The first retreat took place in October 2021. Just as last year, we gathered around 30 this time.

The land is very small (0,75 hectare) though very beautiful. Close to the sea (a few kilometers ~ 10 min by car), yet in a remote area at the very end of a small village with a spectacular view on the neighboring hills. There is a huge oak tree next to our land – which became an essential part of a symbol of our yogic settlement here.

During the retreat we did many activities: Morning and evening meditations in the morning, tours, and sightseeing:

We read Swamiji’s books, had inspiring satsangs: with Arudra and Darshan, and another one with Shivaniji.

And of course visiting our land with the magnificent oak: cutting the grass, planting a tree (acacia of Constantinople). Last year we planted two walnut tree from the nut – and this year both of them are growing!

And all the atmosphere was filled with uplifting harmony and divine friendship! Everybody felt heavenly happiness and blessings from the Masters and a sense of unity in the spirit of Ananda!

Five more people (families) purchased a small piece of land (0,3 hectares) just three hundred meters from the Oak land. And they plan to build houses to live, practice, work and serve together!

Master’s words from the ether were reverberating in our souls: “Gather together, those of you, who share high ideals. Pool your resources. Buy land out in the country. A simple life will bring you inner freedom. Harmony with nature will bring you a happiness known to few city dwellers. In the company of other truth seekers it will be easier for you to meditate and think of God”.

We need to build a building on the land near the great oak we feel, in order to make it finally our property. We decided to build a cozy retreat center – to be able to invite people from Russia and from other countries. We pooled our resources and have 70% of money needed for the first phase of the retreat building (walls, windows, outside doors and a roof) – sufficient to register the land as our property. The building process will start in July and should take around 4 months.

If you are inspired to help (we are still missing 30000 Euro for the 1^st phase of the building) we would be deeply grateful and you can contact Arjuna at [email protected]

Here is some concept of the retreat building:

The second floor will have a mediation hall (60 m2) and a big balcony all around together with outside stairs to enter. There will be a big terrace on the 1^st floor – for summer canteen and gathering outside. Both: canteen and the meditation hall will have a wonderful view to the south of the oak and beautiful hills.

Also we are also working on collecting money to buy nearby pieces of land (see the map at the beginning of the article: #413 – 1 hectare of agricultural land and #412 – 2 hectares of agricultural land)  – to be able to grow own food and build more buildings for the members of YugAnanda community.

At the end of the retreat all the participants received a special gift – a cup with the YugAnanda symbol and unique quote from the Masters. Each chose a box with a cup inside. It was surprising to see how clearly Masters guidance was expressed, how fit the quote was for the person who chose the cup.

We are looking forward to being able to welcome our Ananda brothers and sisters from all over the world into this magnificent place in the nearest future. Come to meditate together, to help, to enjoy, and… follow our example! Let us light the Earth with a multitude of Ananda centers and communities!