Finding Divine Mother Through Gardening and Yoga
I was running down a forest lined country road in the fall of 1980 when I first met God. There was a strong feeling of a supportive Presence, a spiritual connection to something far greater than anything I had ever known before. This was during a time of upheaval in my life — a fractured […]
Holding Grief with Grace and Compassion
In this episode of Ask a Swami, Swami Padmananda reflects on the lessons of grief and how spiritual practice can help us meet sorrow with compassion, presence and courage. Whether you’re navigating a recent loss or carrying grief from years past, this conversation offers thoughtful insights into living with grief while remaining open to love, […]
Awareness Through the Seven Cakras: Reflections on Kundalini Yoga
When I first read Swami Radha’s Kundalini Yoga for the West, a foundational text within the Ashram teachings, I became fascinated by a quote introduced in the very first pages of the book: “From being a sleepwalker, a hypnotized or conditioned person, you gradually become a person who is aware.” At the time, I found […]
What does it Mean to Live at an Ashram?
In this episode of Ask A Swami, Swami Jyotihananda reflects on life in spiritual community and shares her hopes for the future of Yasodhara Ashram. Drawing on her experience with Swami Radha and the many stages of Ashram life over the years, Swami Jyotihananda offers insights into commitment, connection across generations and the deeper value of living in community. This episode […]
Explorations on Love As a Way of Being in the World
At the time of writing this blog, the Ashram’s three-month Yoga Development Course (YDC) has just come to completion. Many of the course participants are transitioning back to families, jobs and environments that are busy with the day-to-day challenges of living in the everyday world. In the last part of the course, questions were coming […]
What Grace Looks Like When Everything Changes
This morning, the first chevrons of geese arrive from southern skies, their calls evoking both longing and comfort in me. Sap rises in the maple trees around my home, boils on a small outdoor fire, the steam off the pans, sweetening the air. Every spring, when I tap the maples and sap pours out, I […]
Being a Disciple and Understanding Devotion
In this episode of Ask A Swami, Swami Lalitananda reflects on what it means to walk the path as a disciple and the role that devotion plays in spiritual life. Drawing from her experience as Swami Radha’s disciple, she shares insights into trust, discipline and the deep heart-longing that keeps one grounded on a chosen spiritual […]
The Yoga of Transitions: Accepting Change and Uncertainty through Asanas
There are moments when I find myself between what was once familiar and what has not yet taken form. In this space, expectations fill me up as I try to make sense of what has happened, what is coming and how I want to meet the new. That’s how the coming of spring feels, with […]
Love and Attachment: Ask a Swami
In this episode of Ask A Swami, Swami Matananda, Ashram teacher and resident, reflects on the deeper spiritual dimensions of Love and Attachment. Drawing on her lived experiences, she speaks about how she has navigated attachment, emotions and competition within relationships. Inspired by the spiritual teachings of her guru, Swami Radha, Swami Matananda invites us to […]
Reflections on Early Days – Swami Sukhananda/Jayne Boys in Canterbury
A Sacred Beginning (1988)I first met Swami Sukhananda in the summer of 1988. It was long before we both became Swamis. We were Jayne Boys and Susan Oughtred in those days. She had just spent 11 months at Yasodhara Ashram, having taken part in the YDC, then staying on to offer Karma Yoga. She came […]