Ananda Meditation Retreat

Ananda Meditation Retreat The Ananda Meditation Retreat in Nevada City, California is a place of deep beauty and quiet, where souls come for Peace.

The Ananda Meditation retreat was founded in the 1960’s by Swami Kriyananda, a close disciple of the great meditation master, Paramahansa Yogananda. We are the first home of “Ananda”, an intentional spiritual community established for the purposes of living life based on Yogananda’s teachings, following the highest spiritual principles. A considerable time prior to Kriyananda’s purchase, Native Americans gathered on the land to practice their sacred rituals, thereby sanctifying our site as a place for deep spirituality and attunement with the Divine. For the past 44 years, spiritual seekers from many different paths have embraced the retreat, coming here for various periods of silence and seclusion as a way to connect with the Divine. The magnetic energy of the Retreat has intensified and expanded over the years, owing to the devotional quality of individuals who have graced this land. Their pure intentions and deep commitment to spiritual practices have also given rise to the profound sense of peace and stillness that pervades the site. The beauty and presence of the Divine is tangibly felt by our visitors. The Ananda Meditation Retreat in Nevada City, California is an intimate spiritual center located on 80 pristine acres of forested land. It lies adjacent to the Inimim Forest along the San Juan Ridge in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. The Retreat is located 25 miles northeast of downtown Nevada City where prospectors converged from all corners of the world during one of the most pivotal moments in American History, the California Gold Rush of 1849. Sacramento is two hours to the southwest and Lake Tahoe is 90 minutes to the east. The Retreat sits on a hilltop that was known as sacred ground for the indigenous people of the Sierras, the Maidu Indians. The Retreat has been in operation for more than 44 years as a hermitage and during the early 1960’s, was the original site of the Ananda Community, which has grown to be one of the largest and best known intentional spiritual communities in the world. The Ananda Worldwide Brotherhood Community of Nevada City is now located 5 miles south of the Retreat. The Retreat resonates with the legacy of the Ananda Community and continues to attract spiritual seekers, honoring their journeys no matter what religion or paths they follow. What You Will Find Here:

A facility open year-round that provides an optimal setting for individuals or groups coming for retreat, seclusion, educational, or special programs. Nevada City is one of the few counties in California that have all four seasons. We have mountain weather with a warm fall, wet spring, and occasional winter snowfall. Comfortable, rustic bungalows, dormitories, and deluxe cabins with accommodations for 2-4 people per unit. A large dining hall where three (3) delicious vegetarian meals are served daily that include organic produce and eggs; homemade baked breads and locally sold favorites — Orange Almond and Cashew Date Granola. We also accommodate gluten-free and vegan diets. Ponds and sitting areas, groomed paths, and universal shrines throughout beautiful gardens with plants and trees ranging from native Manzanita, Black Oak, and Ponderosa Pine to a variety of flowers and botanicals including Peonies, Roses, Lavender, and Clary Sage. Several miles of wilderness trails just outside the parameters of the Retreat where the old and new growth forest is home to fox, raccoon, mule deer, and black-tailed hare. For bird lovers, there are Humming Birds en route from Mexico, Western Tannengers, Orioles, and more. Some trails provide access to the south and middle forks of the Yuba River. A beautiful domed ‘Temple of All Religions’ for meditation, special programs, services, and concerts. An art room is available for classes, group activities, or independent projects.

The trees are beginning to tell us that fall is coming soon. While we still have months of warm weather here in Northern...
08/18/2025

The trees are beginning to tell us that fall is coming soon. While we still have months of warm weather here in Northern California, the mornings are starting to be darker, and the air tells us the season change is beginning, the sunsets earlier, and the energy begins to pull inward.

Can you feel it?

We have many amazing fall programs awaiting , as well as an opportunity anytime to come for a personal retreat or seclusion to this magical and quiet forest Hermitage, where the sound of 🕉️ constantly whispers in the trees and stillness wraps you in its powerful arms















Welcoming our new Murtis of and to the Temple of Silence at .meditation.retreat !They bring such a presence and pote...
08/11/2025

Welcoming our new Murtis of and to the Temple of Silence at .meditation.retreat !

They bring such a presence and potency to the altar!

Stay tuned for fundraisers for purchasing the other 3 Masters including a community pizza night!

Join us and the Masters here on this sacred land for and personal retreat or one of our wonderful guided programs!

No matter what your experience, the silence and vibration will bless your spiritual life













Yoga & Meditation for Beginners this is an amazing opportunity to go deep into the meditation teachings of Yogananda. Wh...
08/09/2025

Yoga & Meditation for Beginners

this is an amazing opportunity to go deep into the meditation teachings of Yogananda. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced meditator that wants to renew their practice, returning to the basics can be infinitely expansive and renewing to our spiritual life!

Join us for this weekend of peace in the forest and tap into the stillness of the joy within you!













08/02/2025
08/02/2025

Beautiful and peaceful mornings at Ananda Meditation Retreat ! Do you need to unwind from a busy summer? We have just what you need!

Charles Evans and Nayaswami Byasa’s amazing talks from a recent weekend retreat! Part 1 https://youtu.be/d6VWazX0Nkc?si=...
07/15/2025

Charles Evans and Nayaswami Byasa’s amazing talks from a recent weekend retreat! Part 1

https://youtu.be/d6VWazX0Nkc?si=ixsKkibv9_6moYPS
ing t

Watch Nayaswami Byasa (co-author of "The Yugas: Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Present and Future Enlightenment") and Charles Evans discuss ...

oh, the simplicity and divinely intoxicating smell of the rose. Be present with it. Take it in. Let it become you. And c...
07/12/2025

oh, the simplicity and divinely intoxicating smell of the rose. Be present with it. Take it in. Let it become you. And continue walking.

“Simplicity of being is harder to achieve than the minimization of owning. And yet, the process is similar. First you must be calm and centered enough to begin to observe your “bundle of self-definitions.” Then ask the same two questions in a slightly varied form: “Do I need and use this self-definition? Do I love it because it is leading me to freedom?” This allows you to drop those darkening qualities: pride, negativity, jealousy, anger, doubt—the numberless soldiers of the army of the materialist Kaurava clan of the Gita.

And it allows you to focus on supporting the few useful soul-qualities represented by the Pandavas: the ability to avoid evil, the ability to do what is right, fiery self-control, pranayama, and expansion. These plus devotion to God and Guru are all one really needs.

The life of a wandering sadhu, where you surrender the need to control your circumstances, is good for the soul. A friend summed it up this way: “Life becomes very simple. There isn’t much that I do except serve and meditate.” If our goal is freedom, what else do we need?”

In joyful simplicity,

Nayaswami Jyotish

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew 6:2...
02/23/2025

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew 6:22

“The God-revealing light in the body is the spiritual eye in the middle of the forehead, as seen by devotees when their eyes are closed in meditation. When the devotee with half-closed eyes focuses his vision at the point between the eyebrows, the two lights of the two eyes become one and single, visible as the single spiritual eye, the divine telescope with which the kingdom of God can be visioned. When the devotee can perceive through this spiritual eye, his whole body as well as his cosmic body becomes filled with the light emanating from cosmic vibration.”
- Parmahansa Yogananda

This completely free event begins today.If you are feeling like most, overwhelmedWith the chaos of the world as it chang...
02/17/2025

This completely free event begins today.
If you are feeling like most, overwhelmed
With the chaos of the world as it changes,
Have faith. The old outdated ways are dying to make way for the new. It’s not an easy time to be holding for, yet we are spiritually strong and can learn to stay inwardly peaceful to drive these
Currents in the most expansive direction.

Let these daily talks by peaceful, dedicated meditators of 50+ years inspire us, open our hearts, And teach us how to uplift our lives and those around us in these trying times

Simply register at www.ananda.org

Address

18443 MACNAB CYPRESS Road
Nevada City, CA
95959

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15304787557

Website

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Our Story

The Ananda meditation retreat was founded in the 1960’s by Swami Kriyananda, a close disciple of the great meditation master, Paramahansa Yogananda. We are the first home of “Ananda”, an intentional spiritual community established for the purposes of living life based on Yogananda’s teachings, following the highest spiritual principles. A considerable time prior to Kriyananda’s purchase, Native Americans gathered on the land to practice their sacred rituals, thereby sanctifying our site as a place for deep spirituality and attunement with the Divine. For the past 44 years, spiritual seekers from many different paths have embraced the retreat, coming here for various periods of silence and seclusion as a way to connect with the Divine. The magnetic energy of the Retreat has intensified and expanded over the years, owing to the devotional quality of individuals who have graced this land. Their pure intentions and deep commitment to spiritual practices have also given rise to the profound sense of peace and stillness that pervades the site. The beauty and presence of the Divine is tangibly felt by our visitors. The Ananda Meditation Retreat in Nevada City, California is an intimate spiritual center located on 80 pristine acres of forested land. It lies adjacent to the Inimim Forest along the San Juan Ridge in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. The Retreat is located 25 miles northeast of downtown Nevada City where prospectors converged from all corners of the world during one of the most pivotal moments in American History, the California Gold Rush of 1849. Sacramento is two hours to the southwest and Lake Tahoe is 90 minutes to the east. The Retreat sits on a hilltop that was known as sacred ground for the indigenous people of the Sierras, the Maidu Indians. The Retreat has been in operation for more than 44 years as a hermitage and during the early 1960’s, was the original site of the Ananda Community, which has grown to be one of the largest and best known intentional spiritual communities in the world. The Ananda Worldwide Brotherhood Community of Nevada City is now located 5 miles south of the Retreat. The Retreat resonates with the legacy of the Ananda Community and continues to attract spiritual seekers, honoring their journeys no matter what religion or paths they follow. What You Will Find Here: A facility open year-round that provides an optimal setting for individuals or groups coming for retreat, seclusion, educational, or special programs. Nevada City is one of the few counties in California that have all four seasons. We have mountain weather with a warm fall, wet spring, and occasional winter snowfall. Comfortable, rustic bungalows, dormitories, and deluxe cabins with accommodations for 2-5 people per unit. A large dining hall where three (3) delicious vegetarian meals are served daily that include organic produce and eggs; homemade baked breads and locally sold favorites — Orange Almond and Cashew Date Granola. We also accommodate gluten free and vegan diets. Ponds and sitting areas, groomed paths and universal shrines throughout beautiful gardens with plants and trees ranging from native Manzanita, Black Oak and Ponderosa Pine to a variety of flowers and botanicals including Peonies, Roses, Lavender, and Clary Sage. Several miles of wilderness trails just outside the parameters of the Retreat where the old and new growth forest is home to fox, raccoon, mule deer, and black-tailed hare. For bird lovers, there are Humming Birds in route from Mexico, Western Tannengers, Orioles, and more. Some trails provide access to the south and middle forks of the Yuba River. A beautiful domed ‘Temple of All Religions’ for meditation, special programs, services and concerts. An art room available for classes, group activities or independent projects.