A Christmas of Inner Awakening
December 12 - 15, 2024
Retreat Highlights
- Special classes on the true meaning of Christmas, as taught by Paramhansa Yogananda, on the essential oneness of Jesus’ teachings and of the yoga teachings of India,
- A special holiday gathering with Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi, Ananda’s Worldwide Spiritual Directors
- Time at the Crystal Hermitage, the spiritual heart of Ananda Village
- A Christmas concert by the Ananda Village Choir.
- Christmas festivities with caroling, gifts, and desserts, along with other guests and Ananda Village residents
- Sunday Service in the Temple of Light
About this Retreat
Nayaswami Krishna Das books and manages the many guest groups that The Expanding Light hosts, leads pilgrimage trips to holy places in India and the U.S., teaches weekend retreats, and gives spiritual counseling to guests. He came to Ananda in 1978 and immediately found his home and purpose in life at Ananda. An exceptionally knowledgeable and gifted meditation and yoga philosophy teacher, Nayaswami Krishna Das shares his passion for these teachings with dynamic enthusiasm. He has a vibrant zest for life that comes out in a warm, personable nature and serviceful disposition. He’ll go out of his way to make you feel comfortable and clear about the teachings.
Nayaswami Sagar serves in Ananda’s Online Ministry teaching classes on meditation, karma and reincarnation, the yogic teachings of Jesus, and more. He has hosted pilgrimages for Indian devotees in India and co-hosted the Yogananda pilgrimage to Los Angeles. Sagar is joyful, highly creative, and has a delightfully spontaneous sense of humor and enthusiasm for life that includes all those around him.
Details of this retreat
Dive deep into the Spirit of Christmas
Take time away from the hustle-bustle of the Christmas season and tune into the true meaning of the season.
Spiritualize your Christmas season and reconnect with your spiritual aspirations.
Experience the feelings of peace, divine love and joy that you can find at Ananda. Access the heart of Christmas within your own being and feel renewed and strengthened, ready to more deeply enjoy your own Christmas celebrations.
“It was Jesus himself who appeared to Babaji, and asked him to send this teaching of Self-Realization to the West . . . Babaji asked me to interpret the Christian Bible and the Bhagavad Gita, or Hindu Bible, and to show that the teachings of both are basically the same. It was with this mission that I was sent to the West.”
– Paramhansa Yogananda
This Retreat will revitalize your soul, helping you to carry Christ within your heart throughout the entire holiday season and into the New Year.
Your experiences will include:
Special classes on the true meaning of Christmas, as taught by Paramhansa Yogananda, on the essential oneness of Jesus' teachings and of the yoga teachings of India,
A special holiday gathering with Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi, Ananda’s Worldwide Spiritual Directors
Time at the Crystal Hermitage, the spiritual heart of Ananda Village
A Christmas concert by the Ananda Village Choir.
Christmas festivities with caroling, gifts, and desserts, along with other guests and Ananda Village residents
Sunday Service in the Temple of Light
BONUS: 20% discount code to the self-paced online course The Yoga Teachings of Jesus.
Return home energized, uplifted, and ready to enjoy the rest of your Christmas season.
Take time away from the hustle-bustle of the Christmas season and tune into the true meaning of the season.
Spiritualize your Christmas season and reconnect with your spiritual aspirations.
Experience the feelings of peace, divine love and joy that you can find at Ananda. Access the heart of Christmas within your own being and feel renewed and strengthened, ready to more deeply enjoy your own Christmas celebrations.
“It was Jesus himself who appeared to Babaji, and asked him to send this teaching of Self-Realization to the West . . . Babaji asked me to interpret the Christian Bible and the Bhagavad Gita, or Hindu Bible, and to show that the teachings of both are basically the same. It was with this mission that I was sent to the West.”
– Paramhansa Yogananda
This Retreat will revitalize your soul, helping you to carry Christ within your heart throughout the entire holiday season and into the New Year.
Your experiences will include:
Special classes on the true meaning of Christmas, as taught by Paramhansa Yogananda, on the essential oneness of Jesus' teachings and of the yoga teachings of India,
A special holiday gathering with Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi, Ananda’s Worldwide Spiritual Directors
Time at the Crystal Hermitage, the spiritual heart of Ananda Village
A Christmas concert by the Ananda Village Choir.
Christmas festivities with caroling, gifts, and desserts, along with other guests and Ananda Village residents
Sunday Service in the Temple of Light
BONUS: 20% discount code to the self-paced online course The Yoga Teachings of Jesus.
Return home energized, uplifted, and ready to enjoy the rest of your Christmas season.
Schedule
Morning
6:30 – 8:00 am Community Meditation (Join us for all or part of this silent meditation)
6:30 – 8:15 am Sadhana (spiritual practices) which consists of: Energization Exercises (20 – 25 min), Ananda Yoga Postures * (45 – 50 min), Chanting (5 min), Meditation (15 min – 30 min)
8:15 – 9:00 am Breakfast (in silence Monday-Saturday)
9:00 – 9:30 am Host check-in
10:00 – 11:30 am Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
Afternoon
Noon – 12:30 pm Meditation (5 min chanting, 25 min meditation)
12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 pm Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
4:45 – 6:30 pm Sadhana (spiritual practices)
Evening
6:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner
7:30 – 9:00 pm Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
6:30 – 8:00 am Community Meditation (Join us for all or part of this silent meditation)
6:30 – 8:15 am Sadhana (spiritual practices) which consists of: Energization Exercises (20 – 25 min), Ananda Yoga Postures * (45 – 50 min), Chanting (5 min), Meditation (15 min – 30 min)
8:15 – 9:00 am Breakfast (in silence Monday-Saturday)
9:00 – 9:30 am Host check-in
10:00 – 11:30 am Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
Afternoon
Noon – 12:30 pm Meditation (5 min chanting, 25 min meditation)
12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 pm Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
4:45 – 6:30 pm Sadhana (spiritual practices)
Evening
6:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner
7:30 – 9:00 pm Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Directions
https://www.ananda.org/expanding-light/getting-here/
Accommodation
PRIVATE ENSUITE - King
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, a king private room can provide the peace and solitude you crave. This airy room has a king-sized bed with a private, ensuite bathroom. An inviting outdoor space awaits you outside your front door, surrounded by a serene, forest setting.
PRIVATE ENSUITE - Twin
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, an ensuite private room can provide the peace and solitude you crave. These charming rooms have two twin beds with a private, ensuite bathroom. An inviting outdoor space awaits you outside your front door, surrounded by a serene, forest setting.
PRIVATE STANDARD - Queen
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, enjoy your own peaceful room with a queen bed and a shared bathroom down the hall. Your room is simply and tastefully decorated, with windows opening toward the surrounding forest. A bright and airy communal lounge and kitchenette is available 24 hours a day, perfect for relaxing with a book or sharing a cup of tea with friends.
PRIVATE STANDARD - Twin
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, enjoy your own peaceful room with two twin beds and a shared bathroom down the hall. Each room is simply and tastefully decorated, with windows opening toward the surrounding forest. A bright and airy communal lounge and kitchenette is available 24 hours a day, perfect for relaxing with a book or sharing a cup of tea with friends.
PRIVATE CABIN - Twin
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, your private cabin is tucked into a gentle hillside, bright and airy inside, with expansive windows that connect your room to the surrounding forest. Each cabin has two twin beds, with a communal shower house that is centrally located and shared by other cabin guests, campers, and our karma yogis.
SHARED ENSUITE - Twin
Share this charming room with someone else. Each room has two twin beds with a private, ensuite bathroom. An inviting outdoor space awaits you outside your front door, surrounded by a serene, forest setting.
SHARED STANDARD - Twin
Share this charming room with someone else. Each room has two twin beds and a shared bathroom down the hall, and is simply and tastefully decorated, with windows opening toward the surrounding forest. A bright and airy communal lounge and kitchenette is available 24 hours a day, perfect for relaxing with a book or sharing a cup of tea with friends.
SHARED CABIN - Twin
Share this charming cabin with someone else. The cabins are tucked into a gentle hillside, bright and airy inside, with expansive windows that connect your room to the surrounding forest. Each cabin has two twin beds, with a communal shower house that is centrally located and shared by other cabin guests, campers, and our karma yogis.
CAMPING
Fourteen campsites scatter across a gentle, forested hillside, with level areas for pitching your tent. A centrally located shower house is close by, shared by other campers, cabin guests, and our karma yogis. Please bring your own camping gear and towels. We do live amidst bears and other wildlife, so avoid storing any food or scented toiletries in your tent.
RV
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
What's Included
- 3 Organic Vegetarian Meals per day
- 2 Yoga and Meditation sessions per day
