August 2020 Update
Ananda Ashram remains closed to the public for daily visitors as well as for short-term guests and retreats. We still have residents and staff who reside here year-round. At this time, we are inviting those who want to take a personal retreat for one to three months: find out about our screening procedures and apply to join our short-term residential program. Please inquire by calling the office at 845-782-5575.
We continue to monitor events, along with the Governor’s guidelines, regarding when to reopen to all guests. We take the responsibility of protecting our guests, teachers, residents and staff very seriously.
This time of year has always been the busiest at our retreat center here in the Hudson Valley. The revenue traditionally received in the summer months, needed to help sustain us through the quieter winter season, has been extremely impacted. Please assist us by exploring our offerings of virtual classes on topics including Yoga, Music, Dance, Sanskrit, Ayurveda and Astrology. This is one way we can stay in touch!
Our traditional daily meditation and fire ceremony program, generally followed by a Sanskrit hymn or verse with explanation, is still being offered free to all at 9 am via Ananda Ashram Live on Facebook. We are supported through your generosity. If you can, please consider helping us through this extraordinary period of time. Please click below to donate. Thank you!
Welcome
Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York, is a Yoga retreat and spiritual-educational center just over one hour from New York City, founded in 1964 by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati (then Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D.) as the country center of the Yoga Society of New York, Inc.
Located in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, the Ashram provides a serene, natural environment with woods and meadows surrounding a lake. Accommodations are simple and meals are vegetarian.
We offer daily meditation programs with Yoga-Vedanta studies, chanting and readings, and daily yoga and Sanskrit classes, plus classical Indian dance and music instruction and a variety of weekend workshops and special events. The Ashram is open year-round and welcomes guests from all origins, faiths and cultural backgrounds.
Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati
(Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D.)
Ashram Founder Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, also known as Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D., was a highly respected spiritual teacher for countless students and devotees from all walks of life. A prolific author on the science and philosophy of Yoga-Vedanta, he combined the universal message of these teachings with his deep knowledge of both Eastern and Western medicine and psychology. His areas of specialty ranged from Ayurveda to modern psychiatry and neurosurgery.
Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati is the Founder and Spiritual Director of the Yoga Society of New York, Inc. (1958) and its country center Ananda Ashram (1964). He also established the Yoga Society of San Francisco, Inc. (1972), known as Brahmananda Ashram, and inspired several other centers of meditation in the United States and abroad.
Sapadi
An Appeal for Extraordinary Times
*sapadi (सपदि, Sanskrit)- immediately, quickly.
The Ashram is but a small player on this large world stage, but our mission is big: to keep Guruji's legacy thriving. For those whose lives have been changed by their Ashram experiences, know the Ashram needs you now. Through these unique times your giving will help us meet our ongoing financial obligations. As these extraordinary world events continue to unfold, your gift will make a great difference.
• The Yoga Society of New York, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt organization. Your gift is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Please click here to visit our PayPal donation page
Now more than ever we can feel our connectivity with others. Like a drop will have a ripple effect in a pond, a drop of love and generosity will ripple out and benefit all who want to come to the Ashram.
Daily Livestream
Watch our daily fire ceremony and other teachings online,
beginning at 9:00am daily.
Daily Online Yoga Classes
Classes are taught according to several yogic styles (vinyāsa, ashtānga, restorative, yin, nidrā) incorporating traditional postures (āsanas), breathing exercises (prāṇāyāma), deep relaxation and meditation. All classes are currently taught on Zoom.
~In Remembrance~
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend and teacher, Joan Suval. She peacefully left her body on April 24, 2020. Joan dedicated her life to Ananda Ashram and to the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta. We were so fortunate to have had her in our lives for so many years. Guruji's blessings are surely with her. Our sincerest condolences to her family, especially Marvin and Bret Suval.
A memorial service for Joan is being planned for some time next spring at Ananda Ashram. Hopefully the timing will permit us to eliminate the current obstacles such as limits on the size of the gathering, social distancing, wearing of masks, and potential quarantining for fourteen days.
The Board of Trustees of the Yoga Society has approved the creation of the Joan Suval Memorial Fund for the Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati Audio Visual Retreat space. Joan had been planning this project as part of her move to the Ashram. Discussions have now begun to implement this wonderful project. Your support, as always, would be appreciated.
Om Shantih
