Sunday Service at Ananda
Los Angeles Spiritual Inspiration from the Ananda LA Meditation Center
Ananda LA currently offers Sunday Service twice per month. See the calendar for dates and locations
This week's topic:
Reason vs. Intuition
“This is what a Sunday Service should be! Inspiring, thought-provoking, calming, joyful—I hope that everyone gets a chance to experience this. All of that during the Service and then getting to connect with all the wonderful people afterwards. I’ve met so many wonderful people there….What a blessing for me and all the people of Los Angeles.”
–H.R., Los Angeles
— All are welcome —
Sunday Service, 10:30am-12pm
Every second and fourth Sunday of each month at Heaven on Earth Holistic Living Center
Each of us has a calm joyful center, deep within. It may get lost in the hectic pace of life today, but it is there, waiting patiently for us. Sunday service at Ananda helps us get back in touch with that center once again—whether it be called the soul, the Self, Divine Mother, Spirit, or God.
Our hearts and our sanctuary are open to people of all faiths, races, orientations, truth-seekers, people exploring meditation for the first time, and anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of the meaning and purpose of life.
Ministers Sean and Brook lead service most Sundays with their characteristic clarity, wisdom, and humor. Once per month, other ministers in Los Angeles or from Ananda Centers around the world give service in their place.
The Sunday worship service at Ananda is inspired by the meditation tradition of the East and the ancient teachings of mystical Christianity, with inspirational readings from both the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita.
Service includes music, group chanting and meditation, an affirmation, and an inspirational talk drawn from the writings of Paramhansa Yogananda. On a rotating basis, Services also include either a Fire Ceremony or and a unique blessing ceremony called the Festival of Light.
"Your religion is not the garb you wear outwardly, the thoughts and beliefs in which you enclose yourself. Your religion is the garment of Light you weave around your heart."
—Paramhansa Yogananda
After Service, you are invited to meet the ministers and others in the congregation over lunch or snacks, usually in the kitchen adjacent to the Temple.
“Sunday mornings at Ananda is the best part of my week. I feel such a deep sense of peace and connection. It’s the perfect way to end the week and get a head-start on the next. It’s such a loving, uplifting environment; I’m just so thankful that you are here.”
—D.L., Santa Monica
Bringing Spirit into Every Aspect of Your Life
“Spiritual practice doesn’t end when one leaves the silence of the church, temple, or meditation room,” writes Ananda's founder, Swami Kriyananda. “At Ananda, no separation exists between spiritual priorities and the practical demands of everyday life. Rightly understood, every situation, no matter how ordinary or how difficult, is another opportunity for offering devotion and a spirit of service to God.”
An ancient spiritual tradition
Ananda is not a new teaching, but rather a new expression of ancient truths. Ananda is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, one of India's great saints and author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. His direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda, founded Ananda in 1968. These teachings have been passed down in unbroken lineage from guru to disciple since the beginnings of Yoga.
Free Online Sunday Talks
For those unable to attend in person, Ananda LA posts audio downloads of most Sunday Services just a few days later. You can listen to free online recordings of Sunday Service and other inspirational talks directly from our website.
A worldwide community of friends
Ananda is more than a place to come on Sunday morning. It’s people around the world who are connected in aspiration and in joyful celebration of the spiritual life. Ananda centers can be found in India, Italy, and many parts of the United States.
“I don’t live close to an Ananda Center but I get so much inspiration from all these wonderful free online resources. I love listening to the Sunday Service online every week. Thank you for offering this. You don’t know how much this means to my family and me.”
—Patil R., India
“As a wanderer of the world, I have seen God in Nature in the far corners of the earth, I met him high in the Andes and he gently touched me in the depression of the Dead Sea. At Ananda, in a guided journey inside myself, He finally smiled at me and revealed Himself.”
—Mario Maria, Rome