We need to be creative about keeping our energy lifted!
Fortunately there are many resources to do this, but finding them all and figuring them out can be a bit overwhelming.
Below we have a list that will be be adding to regularly. We’ll mainly include those associated with Yogananda, Ananda, and Swami Kriyananda.
If we’ve missed ones that you have found helpful, please contact us, let us know, and we’ll add it!
Blessings and joy in your exploration, your deepening attunement to Spirit, and your sharing this light with others!
Apps for Apple & Android
Search the words in quotes on your device’s app store (Google Play the app store for Android or the Apple App Store).
“Ananda Meditation” App. An incredibly versatile app that can help you with posture, lead you in Yogananda’s Energization Exercises, breathing (pranayama), chanting, a guided meditation, and much more! You can even build your own custom meditation with any of these elements.
“Living Wisely” App. Daily inspiration (366 days of inspiration, to be exact!) by Swami Kriyananda, with a daily notification from his book, Living Wisely, Living Well.
“Peace and Harmony” App. A powerful, guided prayer for visualizing peace and harmony for the world, a group of people, or someone you a have a conflict with.
“Radio Ananda” App. Listen to music for world peace and harmony, 24/7, inspired by Yogananda. From a desktop computer, you can click on the image on the provided link (upper right of the webpage), and listen to Radio Ananda from your desktop computer! “On Demand,” special talks or videos are also offered on the tab at the top of the webpage.
“Energization” App. A print and voice guide through Yogananda’s unique contribution to the practice of yoga and meditation, the Energization Exercises. There is also a video guide through the exercises in the “Ananda Meditation” App, under the sections “pranayama and energization exercises.”
“Autobiography of a Yogi” App. Daily readings from the book by Yogananda, with daily notifications, and the ability to go back or forward to read more inspiration.
Podcasts
Search for the following words in quotes to find the podcasts below:
“Ananda Spiritual Renewal Week” Talks and lots of inspiration! , generally held in August (Inner Renewal Week, each February, has comparable great talks, and is listed below under “Additional Talks”)
“Ananda Sunday Service” Live/Recorded weekly talks and inspiration from Sunday Service 11am-12:30pm PDT at Ananda Village and The Expanding Light Retreat, in Nevada City, CA.
“The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita” Many 10 minutes talks by Swami Kriyananda, based on the book The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Yogananda’s explanation of India’s best-loved scripture approached from an entirely fresh perspective–one that combines its deep allegorical means with its down-to-earth practicality.
“Demystifying Patanjali: The Yoga Sutras.” 67 hour long classes led by Nayaswami Asha, who leads Ananda Palo Alto, on one of the most central scriptures on the subject of yoga and meditation, describing the soul’s pathway to God/Spirit/Our Highest Self (including the Yamas and Niyamas and beyond). She shares insights into the sutras, based on the the book Demystifying Patanajali: The Yoga Sutras, by Swami Kriyananda, based on the wisdom of Yogananda.
“Ask Me About Truth” These are 108 questions from Nayaswami Nirmala and Dharmadas (who lead Ananda Sacramento and also lead our Ananda Midwest annual spring retreat) and Swami Kriyananda’s answers, as learned directly from Yogananda, about truth and many other spiritual subjects. Recorded in 2012, one year before Swami’s passing.
“Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi in India” Their best talks from yearly visits in India, ranging from 15 min to about an hour each.
“Manifest Through the Power of Yoga” 41 one hour talks by Nayaswami Asha, sharing how to become successful without compromising spiritual principles, based on Swami Kriyananda’s series of lessons titled “Success and Happiness Through Yoga Principles.”
“A Way to Awakening” 20 minutes talks by Swami Kriyananda based on the book Conversations with Yogananda (stories, wisdom, and saying of Yogananda). Recorded around 2006.
“Revelations of Christ” 7 minute (and less) talks from Swami Kriyananda, sharing the teachings of Christ from the experience and perspective of Yogananda, based on the book Revelations of Christ.
“Secrets of Inner Peace” 2-8 minute talks from Swami Kriyananda, sharing the secrets of how to bring peace and balance to your life.
“The Art of Magnetic Leadership” 10 minutes talks by Swami Kriyananda on what makes a good leader. An excellent companion to his book, The Art of Supportive Leadership.
“Ananda New York” podcasts, interviewing various people connected with Ananada.
You Tube
Search on the words in quotes below:
“Ananda Kirtan,” for hours of chanting.
“Ananda School of Yoga and Meditation” channel, for guided meditations, pranayama, and yoga and more.
“Ananda Sangha Worldwide” channel, for talks, guided meditations, chanting, and more.
“Ananda Sacramento” channel, for weekly Sunday Service talks, and more! This center is led by Nayaswami Nirmala and Dharmadas, who also lead our Ananda Midwest annual spring retreat!
Additional Talks and More!
Inner Renewal Week, for talks, handouts, and infinite inspiration! You can also attend in person, every February, but there are recordings of these retreats for many years.
Ananda Palo Alto and Nayaswami Asha have an enormous collections of videos and talks on various subjects, books, and weekly talks.
Nayaswami Asha also has a separate website with books, online inspiration, articles and more. A treasure trove of inspiration!
Virtual Community & Online Classes
Ananda’s Virtual Community, a great portal to spiritual support and fellowship! There’s an initial 14 day trial, then either monthly, or a discounted yearly price.
Online With Ananda for online classes and training, some classes are free, and others for a reasonable price.
Ananda Music
“Ananda Music” channel on You Tube. So many songs! Swami wrote over 400, and I couldn’t count how many have been posted on this channel! Very uplifting music.
For a mix of songs and instrumental, try streaming the “Ananda Radio” app!
For instrumental music only, try playing this new station from your computer.
Guided Energization Exercises
Someone asked Yogananda, “If you were stranded on an island, and you could practice only one technique from yoga and meditation, what would it be? His answer: the Energization Exercises, because he said through them you can discover everything about yoga and meditation, once you have awakened your energy (prana), and directed it inward and upward in the body.
They are kind of the Campbell’s condensed soup version of yoga/meditation all rolled into one practice: great way energize the body, mind, spirit in preparation for meditation. They are also a great practice anytime of the day when you find your body’s battery running low!
Tips for Energization Exercises, 2min, 20 secs
Energization Practice Guidelines, 7 min, 9 secs
If you are new to the Energization Exercises, it’s helpful to get the full background on them in a slower practice (27 min, 33 secs) before moving to the quicker versions listed below
Nayaswami Gyandev leading a practice, 16 min, 45 secs
Tyagi Shurjo leading a practice, 16 min, 35 secs
Faster Pace for Energization, 13min, 37 secs
Even more options for practice
Guided Pranayama (Yogic Breathing Techniques)
These techniques are ways to harness the breath, that link between the mind and body, to control (yama) your energy (prana). They are especially helpful before using a meditation technique, such as Hong Sau or others, to further calm and interiorize the mind. Energization Exercises and even the meditation technique of Kriya Yoga are pranayama–all designed to awaken our divine energy and raise our consciousness.
It’s best not to give yourself prana “indigestion” by practicing too many in one sitting, so select one to practice for 6-8 rounds, then notice the effects. Like many of the preparatory techniques for meditation, these can also be helpful to energize, calm, or relax you during the day (or night!)
Guided pranayama techniques, led by Gyandev
Ananda Kirtan and Chanting
Yogananda’s description of chanting, from the introduction to his book, Cosmic Chants in 1938.
Search on You Tube: “Ananda Kirtan,” “Gurubhakti Bros,”Soul Chants.”
Description of the healing power of various chants, by Mary Kretzmann
Chanting “Prescriptions”–When to sing Cosmic Chants, originally published in the 1939 Cosmic Chants by Yogananda, with additional comments by Mary Kretzmann
Healing Prayers
Mary Kretzmann and a team of healing ministers lead Ananda’s Healing Prayer Ministry. You can find effective prayers and techniques, based on Yogananda’s teachings to help you and others. You may also want to request healing prayers for yourself or others, where hundreds in a Healing Prayer Circle pray for others daily, and you can join in doing this as well (if you join, you pray for 3 individuals for 1 month, and are sent the names each month via email, and receive instruction and support. “The instrument is blessed by what flows through it.” It is a wonderful opportunity to help others!) Look for all the options in the menu on the top picture, including a blog.
Kriyaban Resources
To start or deepen your path of Kriya yoga, a wonderful resource is the Ananda Course, with your own cosmic concierge, Nayaswami Premdas! This includes 4 books, completed in order: Lessons in Meditation, Raja Yoga, Lessons in Discipleship, and Kriya Techniques.
Kriya involves a deepening attunement and devotion to God throug techniques such as Energization Exercises, Hong-Sau technique, the Aum technique, and the Kriya initiation, and additional variations.
If you are interested in learning more about kriya or would like help deepening your practice, please contact Devalila at kriyayoga@ananda.org.
Kriyabans may also contact Devalila to gain access to support websites for the various kriya levels, receive regular email inspiration, and more.
Kriyabans can also find inspiration through regular kriya webinars, meditations, forums, and interactive support courses, including the course Deepening Your Kriya and with your lifetime enrollment in that $108 course, free access to the Kriya Yoga Workshop Series. There are also enrollments for second and third/fourth kriya support associated with those offerings.
Just Starting Out? Questions?
This is a long list above! However, just start with one thing: try to meditate daily.
Start with 5 minutes in the morning, and 5 in the evening. The “Ananda Meditation” App is super useful in guiding you through a practice; however, a virtual community, mentioned above, or even better, a local meditation group or center, and through starting the Ananda Course, we can also support you.
Yogananda said “Environment is stronger than willpower” meaning that all parts of your lifestyle influence you, so try to choose environments, people, activities, that are uplifting. Many of these resources above can keep your consciousness in a higher state than most radio and TV programs!
Seek out opportunities to go on retreats, to read, to immerse your soul in divine joy! And, we are always here to help. Feel free to contact us. You may also want to check out a feature on the Ananda website to ask spiritual questions.
More will be added, so check back often! 😉
Ananda Midwest 