A “community of yoga” seeks to serve the entire scope of our life and is meant to support those who practice a spiritual and holistic lifestyle in both thought and action. Just as our inner life is supported by the values that we live by, our outer life too, needs support.

Before we go on, let’s explore why we call it “a community of yoga.” One definition of “community” is “A group of people having a particular characteristic in common, or a feeling of fellowship as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, and means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite.” As a spiritual discipline and lifestyle, yoga seeks to bring body, mind and soul in union with the Higher Self. Thus “a community of yoga” is a group of people who feel a sense of commonality from their mutual spiritual and holistic interests, and who strive for spiritual upliftment as an important aspect of their life.

You are, perhaps, familiar with the saying by Paramhansa Yogananda, “Environment is stronger then will power.”  We often don’t realize the immense effect our environment has on virtually every aspect of our life – our consciousness, our emotional state, our thoughts, our physical health. Except by strengthening ourselves from within, we have little means of self-protection as we interact in the vast and varying intentions found in everyday society. Consequently, if one is able, there is a lot to be said for surrounding ourselves in an uplifting environment.

In service to that intention,  Inner Path endeavors to support that specific community by providing living and working environments that honor the inner life and higher values that we seek to nurture. The world so desperately needs opportunities for a supportive and uplifting lifestyle and one not limited to just our personal home or local church.  In this case, we are referring to some very practical aspects of our lives, such as our neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers, health centers, elder care facilities, places of work, places of upliftment and, of course, also, the products and services that each of these offer.

Inner Path is dedicated to supporting that community but, to be honest, simply constructing homes, businesses, and other services, in and of itself, will not create an atmosphere supportive of higher consciousness. It will just create an outer shell. Just like the effort of each spiritual aspirant, it’s really the “inner path” of our lives, and how we express it outwardly that makes the difference.  Thus, those who maintain these projects need to make the same spiritual effort and express the same divine truths that, individually, sustain us and help us grow.

Briefly, here are some of the projects that we seek to develop. It is our hope that the examples listed below will be developed in large cities and small towns alike. As of this writing, our intention is to develop such projects in Los Angeles and Nevada City, California.

One World Communities – Ashram houses, garden apartments, cohousing communities and entire neighborhoods, for those who practice yoga and meditation or other forms of going within. Just as you see apartment complexes that specialize in wonderful fitness centers, the One World Communities would support your need for an inner life. Such communities actually already exist, but they are few and far between., and often only accept members of their specific belief system. Our goal would be to make them much more prevalent and open to people of all spiritual backgrounds. Some of the amenities would include a hatha yoga room with daily instruction, a meditation hall, a library, beautiful gardens, and regularly scheduled events such as group meals, classes, special events and service days.

One World Retirement and Hospice Centers – Coming to terms with aging and impending death can be a lonely and isolating time, difficult for both the elderly and their loved ones. The purpose of the One World Retirement and Hospice Center is to help maintain an uplifted atmosphere and provide the love, service, and emotional and spiritual support, that is of particular importance at this time of transition. The great yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda, states that we enter the astral plane with the same level of consciousness in which we depart the physical body. Thus, we can offer a great service to those in transition by helping them to uplift their consciousness and feel comfortable with the transition known as death; to enter it without fear or foreboding, without regret, ready for a new and uplifting life on the astral plane. What a great and wondrous blessing.

Pilgrims Hostel – By definition a hostel is an establishment which provides inexpensive food and lodging for a specific group of people, such as students, workers, or travelers. A pilgrims hostel is meant, specifically, to meet the needs of visiting travelers who have come for spiritual reasons, or have a strong spiritual aspect to their lives, and desire an environment that supports their spiritual inclinations. The hostel would include a yoga studio, meditation room and library. What you wouldn’t see there are televisions, loud music, drugs and alcohol. The visiting “pilgrims” would be expected to assist with meal prep, and house and yard chores, as a means of giving back for what they’ve received.

Whole Life Centers and Whole Life Shopping Centers – A shopping center with all the services you need to maintain a sattvic lifestyle. What is offered at each specific Center will depend on its location and other considerations. Some of the expected services include the following: a natural foods market, vegetarian restaurants, a natural clothing store, a thrift store, a green living store, a body-mind-spirit book and gift shop, a yoga and meditation center, and an alternative health care center. The shopping center would also have outdoor activities such as a farmers market, sufi dancing and special events for children.

Education for Life Schools – Private or charter schools (K-12) that emphasize character and consciousness development as well as academic excellence. Education for Life is a formal school system developed by Swami Kriyananda of Ananda.  The organization’s stated mission is “To provide students with a balanced education of the body, feelings, will, and intellect in preparation for using life’s diverse challenges to discover ever-deeper levels of purpose and happiness.” It could be that programs of other school systems such as Montessori Schools and Sathya Sai Baba’s, Teach Human Values, are used as well.

Higher Mind Business Parks – One might not think of a business park as being an uplifting place to be, or even needing to be uplifting., but higher consciousness is important, no matter where we go, and our workplace is no exception. The benefit is not only for our individual well-being, but perhaps even more importantly, because it is often the beginning point from where we develop and offer services and ideas that may touch hundreds of thousands of other people. A Higher Mind Business Park supports that intention by providing benefits not found in the usual work place. Benefits such as a meditation room, a yoga studio, a health oriented snack bar or luncheon area, uplifting music, and when possible, a natural outdoor environment for restful breaks.

Inner Path Yoga and Meditation Centers – Unlike a yoga studio whose primary emphasis is classes in hatha yoga,, the Inner Path Center is dedicated to offering a variety of classes and services that uplift the attendees in body, mind and soul. Our Nevada City Center, for example, includes two yoga studios, a meditation room, healing room, lending library, and one of the largest selections of yoga and meditation products in Northern California. It’s open 7 days a week and is a vibrant, active place with classes and events representing a wide range of spiritual teachings. By so doing we seek to honor the diversity of pathways to our True Oneness, and the unifying beauty of each of our souls.

Yoga and Health Retreats – Our vision for the yoga and health retreat is a facility that offers life changing health therapies, lifestyle education, and an understanding of the full spectrum of yogic principles..  At the same time, much like the Inner Path Yoga and Meditation Center, the retreat would also serve as a facility for a wide spectrum of workshops and events of a health and spiritual nature.  In this case, however, the events could be for numerous days at a time with the opportunity of room and board for the attendees.

Multidisciplinary Health Centers – Natural or complementary health care is becoming more common every day, but is still often applied in a manner that forces one to choose between natural and allopathic methods of care.. The purpose of the multidisciplinary health center is to allow both allopathic and naturopathic methods to work together in a complementary and progressive manner, and to address the patient as a body-mind-spirit whole, rather then isolating disease as a singular event. The goal, too, is to help break through the present health insurance model that supports the allopathic/pharmaceutical relationship and dissuades use of other methods of health care.

Transitional Housing Programs (Seva House) – Seva House is intended to support young adults who have aged out of the foster care program. The goal is to provide a long term program that allows our attendees the opportunity to develop the broad range of skills so necessary for a successful future.  In addition to room and board, we would endeavor to provide educational and job skill development, training in all aspects of yoga, meditation and consciousness, interpersonal skill development, relationship counseling, financial education, confidence building and problem solving skills. Other services that may develop include programs for women in need, and for those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

World Peace Gardens – The purpose of the World Peace Gardens is to create an inspiring sanctuary for those seeking peace and inward reflection. Our goal is to develop either a large singular garden or smaller individual gardens that honor the major world religions, as well as one dedicated to world peace. It is our hope that each aspect of the spiritually themed gardens be designed and partially maintained by members of that faith. Depending on space availability other additions could include a large labyrinth, and a prayer wall where guests can list people or situations in need.

NEEDED NOW

These projects are being developed through the work of Inner Path, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and Rajarshi Social Enterprises, a for profit development corporation. Both organizations were founded by John Ernst.

Your support, through donations, services and investments, would be greatly appreciated.

As noted in the Overview, one of our goals is to develop spiritually focused communities for those who practice meditation and yoga. One might ask, “Why are spiritual communities important?” Here’s one answer. To quote a simple but profound statement by Paramhansa Yogananda, it’s because “Environment is stronger then will power.”

If we are serious about our effort to develop spiritually, we must realize the great pull of the world to maintain a materialistic and unspiritual lifestyle. By living together in an uplifting and sattvic environment we enhance and support our effort for a more spiritually focused life. This is not mere wishful thinking. Spiritual communities do in fact provide an important lifestyle for the spiritual seeker. One need only look at the example of the numerous Yogananda inspired Ananda communities in California, Oregon, Washington and throughout the world, to bear witness to their success.

The One World Communities, however, offer a significant difference. Whereas the Ananda communities are created specifically for the benefit of disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda, the One World Communities are intended for a broader group of truth seekers, seeking as the only common theme, the frequent practice of yoga and meditation and a serious longing for spiritual growth.

When Yogananda first mentioned the idea of what he called ” World Brotherhood Colonies,” he said it would be a place where “high thinking and simple living” are predominant. Among the benefits of living at a One World Community include separate yoga and meditation rooms, daily yoga classes, optional group meals, a community garden, and community wide projects and special events.

NEEDED NOW

1.  Financial assistance (investments and loans) to purchase suitable property. (The organizational structure of One World Communities will probably be a privately held Limited Liability Company [LLC], structured similarly to a condominium project, and under the auspices of Rajarshi Social Enterprises (RSE), a for profit corporation. For further information about RSE see the section entitled A Community of Yoga.)

2. Interest from those who may wish to be residents.

You have probably heard the saying “And the children shall lead.” Well, they can’t lead unless they’ve been given the tools with which to do so. A proper education, which is to say, the education of the spirit of a child as well as academics, is a basic key for the success of our children and our future as well.

We have not far to look to see the tragedies in which children find themselves, often due to a lack of understanding and appreciation of their True Self, and of the True Self hidden in everyone they meet. Through schools such as Education for Life, and other programs that teach consciousness development, children are provided with a valuable set of tools with which to approach the seemingly endless tests that are upon them.

Education for Life (EFL) is a school system developed by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. For those who have read Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi, you may remember that, after becoming a Swami, one of the first projects he accomplished was to develop the Yogoda School that taught both yogic principles and general academics. These same principles have been developed through the Education for Life system as expressed in Swami Kriyananda’s book, Education for Life, as well as the Education for Life website and the numerous Education for Life schools.

Education for Life (EFL) differs from traditional education in several key ways. Whereas the common trend is to teach entirely to the intellect and hope the rest of the child develops along the way, EFL actively cultivates development in the child’s feelings, will, and body as well as the intellect, resulting in the child growing up to be well-balanced and ready for life. EFL also strives to develop and raise the child’s consciousness, drawing out from within the child such qualities as compassion, patience, forgiveness, and self-discipline. These qualities are greatly needed in today’s world and will bring our children the deeper happiness that we are all seeking.  With this style of education, both the inner and outer life of the child are nourished and supported, giving the child the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

Having witnessed my daughter’s experience at the Education for Life School at Ananda Village, I can personally attest to the effectiveness of these programs. Children learn to respect themselves and each other, seeing the Divinity in all. They learn to understand the difference between ego and Self, and they learn calming and centering techniques from an early age: in preschool they practice ‘Quiet Bodies’.

When children are raised and educated in this way, they still have their challenges to work through, like all children, but learning how to work through these challenges forms a part of their education, rather than being a problem that detracts from their learning.  The result is that the children have the capability, emotionally and intellectually, to apply themselves to the task at hand, and can achieve their personal best in their studies.

THE EDUCATION FOR LIFE SCHOOL OF LOS ANGELES

It is our hope and expectation that Education for Life schools will be developed at numerous locations throughout Los Angeles County and elsewhere. The actual school system to be developed may in fact be a combination of a number of complementary systems including Education for Life, Montessori and Sathya Sai Baba’s “Teach Human Values.” The grade levels will depend on interest, but will probably start with elementary school and then junior high, and if possible, go through 12th grade.

NEEDED NOW

1. Organizational assistance to develop the school and its curriculum.

 

The inspiration for Prayer Mountain came during a health crisis that I had some years ago. While waiting for a CT scan, and completely unsure of my fate, I asked myself, “What was the one experience that seemed important to have if I were to die fairly soon?” The answer came that I wanted, at least once more, to meditate on the horizon.

Although I live in Nevada City, California as of this writing, as you may have concluded, I have a strong interest in moving to Los Angeles and presently go there about twice a year. When there, one of my most meaningful experiences is to meditate at the beach or in the Santa Monica Mountain Range, looking long and steadily at the horizon. That method of meditation was suggested by my guru, Paramhansa Yogananda.

There’s something about looking at that dividing line that causes the mind and consciousness to change. Physically, I suppose, it looks as if it is the dividing line between water and space. I wonder, however, if our soul recognizes this sight as the dividing line between the astral and physical world. Yogananda states that this is what is meant when in Genesis it says, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

When I travel, and even at Ananda Village, where I live, I enjoy climbing to high places and looking out at the vastness of the earth below. I think our soul loves that sense of freedom, the confirmation that it is not this little person in a body that lives in a small house on a small plot of land, but is something much greater, much more expansive.

PRAYER MOUNTAIN

Personal reasons aside, Prayer Mountain is meant for two primary purposes.

First is to provide others that same expansive view and uplifting experience that I myself often seek. If I seek it, I know that others do as well.

Second is to create a pilgrimage spot for those seeking a place for prayer, meditation and healing. Pilgrimage is a very important and useful form of worship. Yogananda said that “Environment is stronger then will power.” Through the ages, certain places have been magnetized by the spiritual effort of others and the blessing of saints. Those who visit such places are uplifted by this past effort, which is imbued not only by the prayerful effort of individuals, but also and more importantly, by Spirit’s response. With God’s blessing, may we not just take from these holy places, but also give of our love and devotion as well.

A SEARCH FOR LOCATION

The exact location for Prayer Mountain has not at this time been found. It will probably be one of the tallest hillsides behind one of the properties along Triunfo Canyon. I have no doubt it will include a wonderful expansive view, and if there’s even a little bit of ocean view, then all the better.

NEEDED NOW

1. People interested in developing this concept.