Newsletter • March 2023

"Please, always see the bright side of everything."

– Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

The Ananda Seva Spring Retreat will be held in Eugene, Oregon at Dharmalaya. This retreat will be open to everyone with special attention given to new people. Travel dates will be May 25th and May 29th. Please plan your travel now! Registration and information will be up soon!

Join our Spiritual Community!

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Ananda Seva Activity

"The Ananda Seva Ohio meditation group remains active. A new round of public lectures is planned for this spring. Regular Saturday meditation for new members continues at 10:00 AM ET with music and a discussion of a spiritual topic. Recently we have been discussing neohumanism. "

Contact Ac. Giriisha for more info.

Ac. Ravi taught a 6 week meditation class in Eugene, Oregon with a total of 19 people attending! After the last class some participants stayed for a dessert potluck and expressed much appreciation and a little sadness about the class ending.

Ac. Anandam and his wife Kirana have been playings kiirtan on zoom every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 5:00 pm PT

Everyone is welcome to join us!

Join by zoom

passcode: baba

Ananda Seva Ottawa, led by Ac Chandranatha, is now having in person group meditations in addition to the regular guided mediations on zoom. People from California, Oregon and Montana are joining the online weekly Wednesday class.

Contact Ac. Chandranatha for more info.

Every weekday morning at 7:35 am PT, Ac. Gayatrii and others lead kiirtan, meditation, kaoshikii and a morning check-in to connect and support each other on our spiritual journeys.

Join by zoom

passcode: baba

Ac. Govinda and Ac. Sandeep host East Coast Dharmacakaras on the first Sunday of each month. More info here.

They are also offering 2 more chances to join for community meditation on Mondays at 6:00 pm ET and Wednesdays at 6:30 pm ET -both on zoom. Contact AC Sandeep to get on the email list for those programs.

People in the Ananda Seva community participated in the 3rd Trimester PROUT Gathering at Dharmalaya in Eugene, Oregon. The 1st of 3 gatherings planned this year took place in February. It was attended in person and on zoom. We all enjoyed delicious Indian food that was prepared by Neelam. The next PROUT Gathering weekend with take place in June and all PROUTists are encouraged to attend. For more info, contact Ac. Ravi.

Ac. Kaverii has been reaching out to teach yoga to parents and children at her local recreation center, as well as sharing her knowledge of Ayurvedic practices to keep us all healthy.

Click here for Spring health tips!

Ac. Ammadevi is busy working on a project called Community Driven Recovery and Transition.

Read about it here

If you are interested in attending a planning intensive for this program Sat. March 4th, in person at Dharmalaya or on zoom

contact Ammadevi.

Check out our sister organization:

Ananda Seva Finland

Click on the photo above.

Andanda Seva in Maharliika

Ongoing Service projects in Maharliika (Philippines)

Ac. Atma Jyoti works tirelessly in Maharliika with the tribal populations that are, by and large, forgotten by the government. If you would like to support these ongoing efforts in Maharliika, please make a donation via our website and choose the "support for Maharliika service projects" option in the drop down menu. Click the photo above for a gallery of the children of the Ata tribes of Makatao Elementary School.

Meditation Class in Ohio

with Ac. Giriisha

This event is free and open to everyone. The program includes singing uplifting devotional songs, silent meditation, a discourse, and group discussion.

Meditation Class in Ottawa

with Ac. Chandranatha

Ananda Seva educational opportunities

Transformation Education

Winter/Spring 2023 Class Schedule

Upcoming Classes

PROUT Design Seminar 2023

Instructors: Ravi Logan, Tom Paprocki, John Linkhart

Description: 10 week seminar

Date/Time: Feb 1st at 9:30 am PT

*registration closed. course filled

Yogic Health Practices

Instructor: Ravi Logan

Description: 90 minute class

Date/Time: April 22nd at 10 am PT

Human Society in Transition: The Big Picture

Instructor: Ravi Logan

Description: 90 minute class

Date/Time: May 13th at 10 am PT

Human Society is One and Indivisible

Instructor: Ravi Logan

Description: 90 minute class

Date/Time: June 3rd at 10 am PT

opportunities to learn at your own pace and time:

NEW ON TEACHABLE:

Our Transformation Education Teachable site gives participants the option to take on-demand courses at their own pace. We now have 16 classes up on the platform covering a variety of topics.

This course is for people interested in what neohumanism contributes to our understanding of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Our contemporary world is riven with social antagonisms and political vitriol that many blame on “identity politics,” a term that gets tossed around often but without clear understanding of what it means or entails. So, what is “identity politics,” and why is it so charged? Where did it come from, how did it develop, and what are its implications? Are there are other forms of political engagement and social movement more suitable to the challenges we currently face? In this two-part course we’ll explore these questions and examine the possibility that identity politics does more to reinforce the status quo than to challenge it. As an alternative, we’ll consider how neohumanism engages issues of identity and advances universal social equality as the basis of human freedom and liberation.

This course is taught by Jason Schreiner.

"The artists or writers, before holding their brush or pen, should look around and assess the direction in which society is moving and the basic causes of its weakness. What are the “isms” that have supplied impetus to evil ideals? It is not enough to look around; they may also have to take a firm stand against the apparently irresistible forces of destruction.."

– Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

Abhimata, The Opinion, 14

Artistic expression has always been integral to human evolution. The artists spark the imagination and pave the way for new ideas to flourish. Can you imagine a revolution with no songs to rally the people? The energy stirring beneath the earth now calls us to connect with that Divine Source and draw inspiration to birth a new society. How will you use your creative energy to support that flow?

Ac. Jayadeva lives on Vancouver Island in B.C., Canada. Below he shares his experience of utilizing artistic expression to uplift humanity:

"For many years, I have always loved the experience of creating black and white and colour photographs of monumental landscapes, and this past summer, I was fortunate to obtain an aerial drone and start a spiritual journey into the skies here on Vancouver Island. 

In July, my wife Kim and I spent a few days at Botanical and China beaches on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and I was pleased with my first attempts at recording images of the ocean, tide pools, and kelp beds and editing in some nice music.

P.R. Sarkar always noted that art and music are essential for the growth and development of the human spirit and I hope you enjoy your spiritual journey too while you watch these videos."

Click on the images above to access Jayadeva's videos.

It's time to start planting seeds!

Click image below to enjoy a creative, inspiring video.

Websites and social links for The Bengsons

• https://linktr.ee/Thebengsons
• https://www.youtube.com/thebengsons

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