Family Christmas at Ananda
- Dec 8 – 10, 2023
- Dec 6 – 8, 2024
with Matthew Fredrickson, Irene Schulman and David Kletter
Celebrating the True Spirit of Christmas with Your Family
Start of the holiday season by sharing the true spirit of Christmas with your family! Through stories, music, fun activities and sacred ceremonies we’ll awaken and connect with the inner Light that Jesus and all the great masters have come to share with us.
Come visit Ananda Village with your family at this sacred time to celebrate and honor the true spirit of the season, creating lasting memories and offering meaningful inner experiences for your children.
This weekend is ideal for children ages 5-12 but all are welcome.
This kid and family-friendly weekend will include:
- Family Kirtan - sacred chanting with Ananda families
- Caroling with the community
- Family yoga and games to cultivate connection
- Christmas decorating and a special art project
- Sharing Nature hike at The Meditation Retreat
- Celebrate the Light to honor this special season through stories, songs and sacred ceremony
- Sunday Service led by Jaya Helin, founding Ananda member, with Sunday school for kids
- Opportunities to meet and join our Village families for meals and activities
What Parents have said:
“The whole program was great! The activities were all appropriate and helped connect the group/family and also allow for alone time.” -E.F., Mountain View, CA
“It’s a beautiful way to spend intentional and sacred time with family and new friends.” - family retreat participant
“Good opportunity for meeting other parents. Great positive environment. Erin is very approachable for discussions involving parenting or knowing more about Education for LIfe.” -parent participant
About Family Friendly Weekends
We are excited to be able to welcome families and children to visit our retreat center. Please review our guidelines on Bringing Your Family to The Expanding Light Yoga Retreat Center and email Erin (erin@anandavillage.org) with any questions.
See the "Learn More" Tab for more information on pricing. Call Guest Services, 800-346-5350, to book your stay for special family pricing,
For more information, please send us a Question or Comment:
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Matthew Fredrickson
Matthew has worked with children of all ages for 27 years. He is thoughtful, creative, musical, and tunes into each child’s qualities in order to help them learn and shine in exactly the ways they need.
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Matthew attended Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and completed a BA in Education and Creative Writing at Ananda College of Living Wisdom in Nevada City, California. He has traveled extensively since his early teenage years, traversing the United States multiple times and touring South America, Europe-and India.
Matthew has been a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and a teacher at Living Wisdom Schools in Portland, Oregon and Ananda Village in California, since 2005. He most enjoys sharing music, literature and creative writing; history, and outdoor adventures with his students.
See all programs, articles, and full bio of Matthew Fredrickson.
Irene Schulman
Irene has long been involved in, and has much experience with educating children through the Ananda system of Education for Life. She presently works for Education for Life International (EFL), mentoring teachers, and visiting and supporting EFL schools everywhere. She has served as a teacher at Ananda Village Living Wisdom School (Grades 4-12), helped develop a teen camp (Inner Adventure Camp for Teens), and helps with online teacher training for parents and teachers.
David Kletter
David first came to Ananda through the Ananda Camano Island Farm and Ashram, a living-breathing embodiment of Yogananda’s principle of simple living and high thinking. A desire to deepen into living the teachings more dynamically brought David to Ananda Village in the summer of 2022. He relates naturally with young people and finds deep joy in attuning to the magic of “the now” and sharing the beauty of Divine Presence with others.
Please note: The ideal age for this retreat is 5-12 years old but please inquire with Erin (erin@anandavillage.org) if you’re interested in coming with younger or older children to see if it would be a good fit. Children 3 and under stay free with a small fee to cover the program.
- Parents/adults pay the full price listed. These prices are for the entire weekend and include accommodations, food and all activities for Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
- Children 4 and over pay 50% of these listed prices. For example, the Standard Shared price for a child would be $199 for the weekend.
- For a family of four staying in Standard Shared housing it would be $1194 for the weekend, approximately $299 per person.
- If a parent and child are sharing a room that would be Shared pricing. If a parent or child is in a room on their own (or with a child 3 and under) this would qualify as the Private accommodations. In many cases we can arrange for neighboring rooms to keep you together.
This program can not be reserved online. To reserve, please e-mail or call us at 1-800-346-5350
Costs (FCA)
Costs are on a per person basis.
- Dec 8 – 10, 2023
- Dec 6 – 8, 2024
| Tent RV |
Standard Shared |
Standard Private |
Deluxe Shared |
Deluxe Private |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $302 | $388 | $522 | $486 | $670 |
Prices are all-inclusive and cover accommodations, meals, classes or activities, and course materials.
Family Christmas at Ananda starts the afternoon of the first date listed and ends with lunch on the last date listed. Check-in is anytime between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at our Front Desk. Your room will be available by 3:00 p.m. Dinner is at 6:30. The first gathering of your group is after dinner.
Please see:
Family Christmas at Ananda starts the afternoon of the first date listed. It’s ideal to arrive before 4 pm, if you are able to. That way, you can join in the afternoon session of yoga and meditation, which begins at 4:45 pm. Dinner is at 6:30. The first real gathering of your group is at 7:30 pm. If you need to arrive here after 5 pm, that’s fine, but it helps us if you let us know at 800-346-5350. We can also put aside a dinner for you if you need to arrive after 7 pm. The program ends with lunch on the last date. Please see our Daily Schedule.
See Transportation and Directions whether you are coming by plane, car, bus or train. Our Frequent Questions page answers many of the questions you might have about How to Go on Retreat.
