What is the most important quality
you’ve gained from your stay at
The Expanding Light?

With the caring assistance of the teachers and staff at The Expanding Light, I was able to relax and turn inward. A grounded and calming sense of peace arrived within me-- a sense that can be easily buried in our busy lives. Ideally, I will keep this sense of peace with me even when off my mat!”

As a retired high school counselor from Sacramento, CA, Kate has been dabbling with yoga for several years. With her newfound free time she is able to delve further into the philosophy and practices of Ananda’s classical yoga. She says, “I am totally enjoying this journey!”

I’ve gained many important qualities during my stay at The Expanding Light.

If I had to choose one, it would be Devotion. Devotion deepens and expands with the cultivation of all positive qualities. When directed toward the Infinite, devotion attracts and aligns us with the love of God, and that brings a deeper understanding of our personal relationships, occupation, selfless service, and purpose in life. I thank the staff and friends at The Expanding Light for facilitating the awareness of this aspect in my life.”

Living on the island of Kauai, Mark has been practicing meditation for 23 years. Mark took his Yoga Teacher Training at The Expanding Light in 2000 and has been teaching yoga and meditation ever since.

I've been practicing yoga for about eight years, but it was never enough for me because there was always something missing. After searching for something more I found The Expanding Light. I can’t explain why I chose this exact place. Maybe it was God that led me here, maybe it was my faith, or maybe it is unexplainable. “Even though my passion is reading books, I couldn't find the answers to my many questions about life. After spending a month at The Expanding Light I came home to friends and family who told me I looked radiant, calm, and peaceful. I couldn’t deny what they said because I knew I had changed.

“The atmosphere and people at The Expanding Light helped me to find my inner true self as-- joy, calmness, and love. I became tolerant and kind, confident in myself, and a person without anxiety and fear. In addition to these wonderful qualities I had gained, I also realized that there are no coincidences in life. I found out that every person that I met were the carriers of the hints to my answers.

“Hence, I am very glad that, despite all my fears and doubts, I listened to my heart and came to The Expanding Light. I experienced one of the most important and miraculous months of my life.”

Renata lives in Japan and travels around the world. She took Ananda’s YTT Program in November 2012.

Beyond the profound sense of peace and belonging that I experienced at The Expanding Light, the most cherished gift I received was an intimate awareness of spiritual mystery. It is in the silence that I recognize my sacred calling. In the stillness between asanas and prayer my blessed teachers allowed my heart to open to the full expression of spiritual love. No words were necessary. No prose was adequate to describe the tender embrace of divine enchantment. In the quiet spaces between thoughts I was returned to my beloved home.”

A 63-year-old retired attorney, Dave is a Buddhist chaplain, hospice volunteer, meditation and yoga teacher. Living in Auburn, CA, Dave had been practicing yoga for five years. In summer of 2012 he took Ananda YTT and has been teaching yoga since.

I have wanted to visit The Expanding Light for a long time and finally got to experience four days there for a Restorative Yoga Workshop. What a remarkable difference between this affirmation enhanced, nurturing form of yoga compared to the yoga I have done for about five years. I think I must have learned from angels, for the Restorative Yoga instructors were truly angelic in their sharing. “By the time my relaxed body had been gently covered with a blanket, I knew I had to become a Restorative Yoga teacher so friends here in Paradise, CA, where I live, could be as nurtured by this experience as I was. This was a life changing visit to The Expanding Light for me.”

School Teacher Paulette has been teaching children for sixty years. She loves doing yoga with her kids at her family day care home in Paradise, CA. She plans on taking Ananda Yoga Teacher Training at The Expanding Light this year.

My stay at The Expanding Light added a quality to my life that supports my practices. Being able to carve out time for practice from life’s chaotic and unpredictable nature originated at this lovely retreat center.

“The Expanding Light provides ease with a peaceful environment and ample opportunities for meditation, walks, Hatha, Yoga, solitude, group practices, and supportive nutrition—all from a knowledgeable staff. After my time there, I brought this sense of accessibility into my everyday life.

“Now a sector of life devoted to practice and other endeavors, such as school, sustains. Learning that my inner sanctuary is within my grasp at any moment is an invaluable life lesson.”

Yoga Teacher Stacy received her teacher training at Ananda. She is a Student of Anthropology at UCSC in Santa Cruz, CA, and has been practicing yoga for more than 15 years.