Ananda Yoga for Higher Awareness (also known simply as Ananda Yoga) is an approach to yoga practice developed by J. Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda), a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Walters founded The Expanding Light Retreat (formerly the Ananda Retreat Center) in Nevada City, California, where Ananda Yoga is taught today.
Ananda Yoga is a classical style of hatha yoga that uses asanas and pranayama to awaken, experience, and control the subtle energies within oneself, especially the energies of the chakras. Its object is to use those energies to harmonize body, mind, and emotions, and, above all, to attune oneself with higher levels of awareness. Two unique features of Ananda Yoga are (1) special Energization Exercises to recharge the body with energy and (2) the practice of silent affirmations while in the poses to consciously direct the subtle energies and raise one’s level of awareness. Ananda Yoga is a relatively gentle, inward experience.
While not a vigorous or athletic practice, it can be challenging on the inner levels. Ananda Yoga is offered at The Expanding Light Retreat and at Ananda teaching centers in the United States and Italy, as well as by teachers throughout the world who have been trained in this style of yoga. The Expanding Light Retreat presents an ongoing program of yoga and meditation classes, workshops, and retreats, as well as a month-long intensive residential teacher training program four times a year.
