A special musical offering in celebration of Ananda Ashram's 63rd Anniversary, presented by sitarist Arjun Verma who is a student of his father Acharya Roop Verma and of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan. Accompanied by Naren Budhakar on Tabla.

Preceded by Ashram Meditation Program beginning at 7:00 PM (by donation).

Arjun Verma, sitarist, began performing at the age of seven. He is a student of his father Acharya Roop Verma and of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, with whom he studied for eight years. Arjun has performed in the U.S., Europe and India, including at the United Nations in Geneva, Prague Castle in the Czech Republic and the Fillmore in San Francisco. He teaches Sitar and North Indian classical music at the Ali Akbar College of Music in California and at the East-West School of Music at Ananda Ashram. Visit Arjun's website for more information.

Naren Budhakar was brought up in the Indian classical music tradition and began performing Tabla at a young age. A disciple of Tabla Maestro Ustad Shabbir Nisar, Naren has played with prominent instrumentalists, vocalists and dancers including Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj and Shaed Parvez. He has performed at prestigious venues in the U.S. and Europe, providing Tabla accompaniment for various musical genres. He is also a disciple of Shri Aditya Khandwe, a virtuoso vocalist of the Gwalior style of classical Indian vocal music. Naren is co-director of the East-West School of Music at Ananda Ashram, teaching and performing regularly.

Celebrate devotion, unity, and the power of sacred music in a vibrant gathering of singing, chanting, dancing, yoga, and deep community connection. Whether you’re a longtime member of the Ashram’s kirtan community or discovering this joyful practice for the first time, this weekend offers a welcoming space to connect, celebrate, and uplift. Honor the timeless teachings of our Guru while supporting the Ashram’s mission.

✨ We look forward to sharing this heart-opening experience with you. ✨

More details and the full lineup coming soon!

Rest - Reflect - Rejuvenate!
We welcome you to come and join us for a meditative weekend retreat in Silence enjoying the beauty of the spring season. Experience a unique blend of meditations and teachings for beginning and experienced students alike, inspired by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati and Joan Suval and presented by Karuna Devi and other Ashram teachers. Co-facilitated by Suzanne Miller.

Enjoy meditations, chanting, video teachings from Joan Suval’s 'Readings from the Masters' (on Sat. evening, open to all), hatha yoga classes, yoga nidra practice and restorative yoga, devotional music with Deepak Kumar, delicious vegetarian meals and the beauty of Nature, all while maintaining Peaceful Silence.

Karuna Devi met her Guru Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati in 1972 and has been a lover of Sanskrit and the practice and art of meditation ever since. She gratefully acknowledges the support and encouragement she received from Joan Suval. Serving as an Ashram teacher for many years, Karuna especially enjoys sharing the teachings through chanting.

This ongoing series uses different critical Yogic teachings, with a focus on biomedical and neuroscience connections, from Vedantic, Jain and Buddhist perspectives. Each time, the stage will be set with an exploration of different meditation techniques, to create a readiness for Svādhyāya (Self-study) and Bhāvana (contemplation). Group meditation with other seekers creates a very special energy. Our meditation practices and understanding of things are enriched when connected with systematic exploration of ancient and modern ideas on consciousness, brain and learning.

Topics we may want to explore together over time will include:

1. Brain structure, function, chemistry and plasticity
2. Genetics, brain and ideas of karma
3. Embodied cognition, language and intuition
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and consciousness
5. Meditation and general mental health
6. Meditation and intelligence (creativity, insight and wisdom)

To join via zoom please click here.

Dr. Ken Pugh has been the Director of Research at Haskins Labs since 2009 and holds faculty appointments at both the University of Connecticut and at Yale University School of Medicine. His research program employs genetic, neuroimaging and cognitive methods to explicate the brain bases of typical and atypical language and reading development in children. At the age of sixteen, Dr. Pugh began seven years of training in the Jain monastic traditions and carries these experiences into his work on brain and cognition.

A panel of multigenerational YSNY members will gather for a fireside conversation, sharing personal stories of their experiences at the Ashram and exploring why it remains vital in today’s world.

Together, we will reflect on the Ashram’s past, its living present, and the future we are being called to shape.

A warm, informal community reconnection (Satsanga) for members and prospective members, grounded in remembrance, shared practice, and the simple joy of being together, while also reflecting on the founding spirit of the Ashram and what it means to carry this forward in today’s world.

A video about the Ashram will be shared.

Snacks and tea will be provided.

photo by Tracy Verma

9:00 AM & 7:00 PM Fire Ceremony, Meditation & Mantras in Honor of Guru

10:30 AM Chanting of Guru Stotram in the Shrine

8:00 PM BSC: Dynamic Kathak performance with Pt. Satya Narayana Charka and senior artists from the E-W School of Dance, presenting a rich range of rhythmic compositions and expressive abhinaya within the North Indian tradition.

Followed by birthday cake celebration.

Phonetic Resonance - the electro magnetic vibration of the Sanskrit Language - applies to all areas, the endless width and breadth of the language, including mantras, scriptures, stotras, asana, ayurveda, Panini, and beyond.

In this workshop we will focus on this resonance, particularly as it concerns the area of asana names. We will review the sounds of the Sanskrit Alphabet, work on pronunciation with echoing long and short sounds, and chant asana names in Guruji's style of chanting as it relates to re-wiring the brain.

For those unable to attend in person, the event will also be available via Zoom.

Shanta Bulkin met his teacher, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati (Shri Ramamurti), in 1972 at Ananda Ashram. That fateful summer, the Guru's first words to him were: 'If you want to stay here you must study Sanskrit!' Shanta did just that. Fifty-some-odd years later, he still feels that promoting the Sanskrit language is his dharma.

Indira (Ann) Bulkin met Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati in the summer of 1971. The following spring, she became a full-time student at the Yoga Society of San Francisco. During that time, the Guru held Sanskrit classes for many hours a day, seven days a week. In the early 1980s, he named her the head of the Sanskrit Department at the YSSF.

* Please note: while the ashram remains open for daily programs and workshops, overnight stays and meals are not offered in January and February.

This ongoing series uses different critical Yogic teachings, with a focus on biomedical and neuroscience connections, from Vedantic, Jain and Buddhist perspectives. Each time, the stage will be set with an exploration of different meditation techniques, to create a readiness for Svādhyāya (Self-study) and Bhāvana (contemplation). Group meditation with other seekers creates a very special energy. Our meditation practices and understanding of things are enriched when connected with systematic exploration of ancient and modern ideas on consciousness, brain and learning.

Topics we may want to explore together over time will include:

1. Brain structure, function, chemistry and plasticity
2. Genetics, brain and ideas of karma
3. Embodied cognition, language and intuition
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and consciousness
5. Meditation and general mental health
6. Meditation and intelligence (creativity, insight and wisdom)

To join via zoom please click here.

Dr. Ken Pugh has been the Director of Research at Haskins Labs since 2009 and holds faculty appointments at both the University of Connecticut and at Yale University School of Medicine. His research program employs genetic, neuroimaging and cognitive methods to explicate the brain bases of typical and atypical language and reading development in children. At the age of sixteen, Dr. Pugh began seven years of training in the Jain monastic traditions and carries these experiences into his work on brain and cognition.

Gratitude and music share a beautiful truth — both bring warmth to the giver and the receiver. Join Kinnar Seen (sitar) and Naren Budhakar (tabla) for an evening of melody and rhythm in celebration of Life itself.

Preceded by Ashram Meditation Program in the MH beginning at 7:00 PM.

Naren Budhakar was brought up in the Indian classical music tradition and began performing Tabla at a young age. A disciple of Tabla Maestro Ustad Shabbir Nisar, Naren has played with prominent instrumentalists, vocalists and dancers including Pandit Birju Maharaj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj and Shaed Parvez. He has performed at prestigious venues in the U.S. and Europe, providing Tabla accompaniment for various musical genres. He is also a disciple of Shri Aditya Khandwe, a virtuoso vocalist of the Gwalior style of classical Indian vocal music. Naren is co-director of the East-West School of Music at Ananda Ashram, teaching and performing regularly.

Kinnar Seen, a student of his illustrious father, Ustad Lachman Singh; earned a Master’s degree in Music receiving gold medals. Since the age of 14 he has performed at major music festivals around the world, representing India in Jamaica, Trinidad, and Morocco at the invitation of their governors, and performed even at the residence of John Lennon. Kinnar has presented lectures- demonstrations at leading universities including Harvard, Princeton, Brown, SUNY, and The Juilliard School. Recognized with numerous awards in India and abroad, he was described by The New York Times as 'a leading artist of India.' In 1986, Kinnar and his wife Payal, an accomplished vocalist, founded Sangeet Vilas — Kinnar School of Music, through which they continue to teach students in the Guru–Shishya (teacher–student) tradition.