New Year Renewal: Relax, Recharge, Refocus
A New Year's Retreat

Refocus Your life, Recharge Your Mind and Relax Your Body

This perennial favorite is the perfect way to take stock of the past year and prepare inwardly to achieve your goals in the coming year, all in a relaxed, supportive environment of other spiritual seekers.

Leave behind the ho-hum (or raucous!) atmosphere of New Year’s at home, and let Nayaswami Krishnadas and Nayaswami Mantradevi lead you through a New Year’s Retreat that’s joyful and rejuvenating, giving you a powerful boost for your peace of mind.

This retreat is carefully designed as an integrated and powerfully transforming 4-day experience. 

Go forward into the New Year rejuvenated, with purpose and solid tools to support your resolutions in all areas of your life. Give yourself a powerful boost for your peace of mind.

Your New Year’s Retreat includes:

• Guided introspection to get the most out of the hidden (and not-so-hidden) lessons of this past year
• Guided goal-setting for next year, in which you’ll experience a unique approach to setting goals and making New Year’s resolutions that will really work for you
• Creating your own Vision Board to help you with focusing on positive goals and your intentions for the upcoming year with Meerabai
• Ananda’s uplifting New Year’s Ceremony, which includes a fire ceremony, purification practices, prayers for world peace, meditation, and a very special tradition: chanting a powerful ancient mantra 108 times to bring in the new year
• Serene walks through the beautiful, peaceful hills of Ananda Village
• Kirtan and special gatherings with long-time Ananda members
• Plenty of meditation and yoga postures sessions to help you start the New Year healthy, joyful and inspired.

The New Year’s Eve Purification Ceremony, 
using the ancient Vedic fire ceremony, will include chanting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra 108 times.  After each repetition, rice, which is symbolic of our past karma, will be offered into the sacred flame to be burned up and purified. This holy ritual provides all guests with the opportunity to offer up to the Divine all attachments to last year and set their intention for the New Year to come. The evening will also include: chanting, extended affirmations, meditation and ringing of the gong to bring in the New Year. This evening is experiential with powerful spiritual practices to herald in the New Year.

Comments from New Year's Guests:

This retreat allowed me to truly express what I felt was built up after years of struggle....Now that I have been introduced to Yogananda, The Expanding Light, and Ananda Village, I'm certain I can return to the energy when I make the effort. Thank you for helping me access the joyful spirit within me."
—K. B., Midland, MI

An outstanding way to start the New Year! To clear away the old clutter of life, to begin anew with clearly defined and magnetized goals.
—C.R. San Jose, CA

I came with the desire to be different in 2017. I leave with 3 really easy, self-generated goals to meet and fulfill this inner calling. The program in deceptively simple yet incredibly powerful. Thank you.
—S.K. Palo Alto, CA 

I have read countless books and attended many seminars on goal setting and achieving those goals. This program was by far the best for me—I think largely because of the spiritual integration. I hope to return next year.
—J.B. Sacramento, CA 

I believe this was the best Christmas and New Year I have ever had. I truly believe this retreat has prepared me for a magical 2015.
—T., India

"If Ananda calls, answer. Here you fill find friends you never knew you had, breathe as though it is the first time, and your heart will shine — stronger and  more  opening than ever.
—N.B., Coronado, CA

This was my second year doing this retreat, and it was well worth it to do the program a second time. It has helped me to define my goals and to focus on them throughout the year. Deepening my meditation practice is one of my goals for  the coming year. All of the meditation practice and instruction has been very helpful. ... The food is fabulous.
—N., Alameda, CA 

For someone who is new or in the discovery stages of any spiritual practice, I highly encourage making the investment in yourself and enrolling in an Expanding Light retreat. I promise you will leave a transformed person that you would have never know could exist. —V.H. Sacramento, CA 

The New Year Renewal Program is a powerful, focused and refreshing way to begin in a New Year. Sharing dreams and goals with a community of spiritual friends gives out the very best in everyone and magnetizes hearts and mind to be the very best selves we are. —B.S. Hawaii 

In this program, funneling down of goals and desires was very helpful. Especially for me, it is difficult to articulate what I even want. It usually is a “feeling” but I have some difficulty sometimes condensing that to thought.
—S.K. Palo Alto, CA

"This New Year's Retreat was a benchmark in my life. It has given me a fresh new perspective on my relationship with the prior year, today, and the upcoming year."
—T., Torrance, CA

People ask, "Has the retreat been good?" Yes! Good for me, but more than that—life-affirming! Good people, great practices like meditation, and such spirit-filled yoga as I've never encountered before. Wise, great teachers. I can't thank you enough. I feel cracked open, ready to receive good things in my life with God's help.
—J.T., San Jose, CA

Arriving at The Expanding Light, I was immediately greeted with a sense of peace, harmony, and love. The teachers took time to connect with each of us to ensure we were getting what we wanted and needed from the program. I was MOVED by all of my experiences and I know I am leaving a better, well balanced person from my experiences here. I have a newfound confidence in my spirituality and my connection with God. I am grateful for The Expanding Light, and will most certainly return!

—A., San Bruno, CA 

This program was exactly what I needed. It is amazing to  me that one program can meet the individual needs of such a diverse group. The balance of "class" time, personal time, and spiritual practices was perfect. Last year was very challenging for me on many levels. I desperately needed a program that would help me close the year with peace and begin the new one with hope. This program provided that and so much more.
—E., Sacramento, CA