Home   Spiritual life   Testimonials   Apartments   Local area   Contact us

An invitation to live in spiritual community Ananda Community in Mountain View, California A Yogananda Community

Have you wondered what it might be like to live with others, in a cooperative community? Have you dreamed of finding a place that supported your spiritual aspirations, with others who shared your ideals? Ananda Community in Mountain View has been a home for disciples and students of Paramhansa Yogananda since 1989 (photo, top left). Perhaps it is the home you have been seeking. From time to time, we have apartments available for rent. We welcome anyone who feels inspired by Yogananda's teachings to live here, and participate in the spiritual life of Ananda. Come for a visit. Come to live. We look forward to welcoming you into our spiritual community.

About Ananda Community A beautiful 72-unit apartment complex on 5 acres of land. Approximately 100 adults and 15 children. Residents who share deep interest in spiritual growth, and practice the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda: meditation, yoga philosophy, and service to others. Most residents are disciples of Yogananda. A meditation temple. Every morning there is an opportunity to participate in group chanting, meditation, and healing prayers. The temple is open for use any time of day or night. A community dining room called "Master's Kitchen" which serves vegetarian meals most weekday evenings. Residents may help with cooking or cleaning twice a month in exchange for reduced rates on meals. It is a pleasure to come home to a cooked meal with friends after a day at work. A solar-heated swimming pool and large, landscaped courtyard in the center of the community. A playground children and a large community in which they may play safely. Children may apply to attend Living Wisdom School, a nearby private school which provides an excellent academic environment along with extensive training in character development, self-mastery, and values. Living Wisdom School is a 10 minute drive from the community, and is located in Palo Alto. There are many fine public schools in the area as well; Ananda is part of the Los Altos and Mountain View school districts. An organic vegetable garden cared for by interested residents. Close proximity (10 minute drive) to Ananda Sangha of Palo Alto, Ananda's teaching center and place of worship in the Silicon Valley. Classes take place here most evenings, along with devotional services on Fridays and Sundays, yoga postures sessions, and opportunities to volunteer. Some residents work together in one of Ananda's several enterprises: East West Bookshop in Mountain View, Living Wisdom School, or Ananda Sangha. The majority of residents follow their chosen careers in a wide variety of fields. Ananda Community is located in Mountain View, near the border of Palo Alto in California's Silicon Valley. Shopping is conveniently located within a 15 minute walk. By car, San Francisco is 45 minutes to the north; San Jose 15 minutes to the south, and Pacific Ocean beaches 45 minutes to the west.

Personal freedom; personal responsibility Central to living at Ananda is the freedom of the individual to develop spiritually as he feels inwardly inspired. No activities are required; participation is entirely voluntary. What residents share is a deep desire for God, and a respect for the unique path each person must follow to develop spiritually. Underlying everything external is a deep sense of spiritual connectedness. Residents are naturally considerate of one another and cooperate together to minimize those influences which work against our spiritual practices. Drugs and alcohol, for example, are not allowed on the property; loud TVs, radios, or raucous music is never heard. I've lived here for many years, while working outside Ananda in a corporate setting. I can easily see what my life would have looked liked if I'd never moved here. It would have been very easy to slip, bit by bit, away from my spiritual ideals. Gradually, I would have left the spiritual life. I have a deep sense of appreciation for the atmosphere of support, and for the deep friendships we share. — Cheryl S.

Cooperative communities: Yogananda's dream fulfilled Ananda is a way of life and an inspiration for thousands of people around the world who find profound inspiration from the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Yogananda since 1948, is the guiding creative energy and inspiration for Ananda. He has devoted his life to continuing the work his guru began, including the creation of spiritual communities, Yogananda's cherished dream: "To spread a spirit of world brotherhood among all peoples and to aid in the establishment in many countries, of self-sustaining world-brotherhood colonies for plain living and high thinking." — Paramhansa Yogananda, Aims and Ideals Today, eight Ananda communities are home to about 600 residents. Many thousands more attend worship services at an Ananda center. Ananda Community in Mountain View, California is the largest of the urban communities. Sister communities are located in Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, and New Delhi, India. Assisi, Italy is one of the largest yoga and meditation retreat centers in Europe, and a new retreat is developing in Rhode Island. The first and largest yoga community established in 1968 is Ananda Village, set on 800 beautiful acres in the Sierra foothills, near Nevada City, California. Visiting Ananda Community To arrange a tour, or to learn more about what it would be like to live in the community, please contact us, or call (650) 941-9507.

Home   Spiritual life   Testimonials   Apartments   Local area   Contact us