Expanding Light At Ananda

A lovely place to visit. Beautiful walks and the food is spectacular vegetarian. Doing yoga here is very peaceful. A wonderful Retreat.

Excellent! I went through Yoga Teacher Training here and it was phenomenal. Can’t say enough about my teachers and all the people in the community. These are people who truly love and practice all aspects of yoga and want nothing more than to share it with you without any pressure to change your mind or «make you» believe anything.
Two little head-​ups for people considering YTT here:
1.) don’t freak about wardrobe. YTT welcome email asks you to bring loose fitting modest clothing. I own nothing like that. So I went out and bought several hundred dollars worth of clothing I didn’t like so I would be appropriately dressed at YTT only to see that everyone was in leggings and tank tops when I got to TEL! So bummed. I think really what they mean about the clothes thing is wear everything with respect. Leggings seem fine, as long as their not see through or distracting. Tank tops seemed fine, as long as you have a lightweight scarf on also. Workout shorts or sports bras are an obvious no, but that should go without saying. I made it the whole month In Grey and black leggings from Old Navy, basic tanks for. H&m and forever 21, lightweight scarves from old navy, a cardigan, hoodie, and sheer beach cover ups from H&m (that I wore over leggings and a tank top). Also, leg warmers, flip flops, and sneakers. Pack a nice outfit for graduation dinner and actual graduation. There’s laundry on site, so bring some change for the machines.
2.) mind what you’re eating. I gained so much unintentional weight at YTT and felt bloated almost the whole time. The food offered is high carb vegetarian and pretty basic. Not to say it’s not delicious! I loved every meal I had there. I’m just saying think about it a bit if this is an issue for you. There are plenty of dietarily knowledgeable people at Ananda so feel free to ask questions if you’re not sure what you should be consuming to maintain yourself in the way you feel most comfortable. You could also learn a ton about Ayurveda at ananda just by having conversations with the residents. I know I did! Grateful for that.
Bonus tips:
1.) make sure you make time to visit Virani at the goat farm up the hill!!!
2.) take advantage of the nature around you! If you’re in YTT, you’ll have a packed schedule. But make time to take a walk through the woods and observe the beauty of Ananda Village.
3.) talk to everyone! Everyone at Ananda has an interesting story and I never met anyone who didn’t love to share.
4.) stick to your regular yoga practice!!! Find time during the day to practice your own flow aside from sadhana + class.
5.) don’t miss pizza night at downtown ananda! It’s great, and that’s coming from a native New Yorker.
6.) escape to Downtown Nevada City if you can and explore he south yuba river on your way.
7.) attend at least one Sunday service and purification ceremony. Sunday service time was always a time for me to study but I went to every purification ceremony we had.
8.) don’t be afraid to laugh and have fun! I can’t stress this enough. The people at ananda are some of the most jovial people I have ever met. Don’t be intimidated!

Just returned from my first visit to Expanding Light. I took the Women’s Restorative Yoga workshop and it was amazing. The instructor, Melanie radiates grace and calm. Will definitely be returning. The grounds are spectacular as are all of the staff and residents I met during my stay. I can’t wait to visit again. the calming sense I felt while there indescribable. if you are feeling harried and stressed, treat yourself to a weekend at Ananda!

I was blessed to attend a week-​long retreat at Ananda’s Expanding Light and had a beautiful experience.
Yoga class reviews:
–Rachel’s classes were wonderfully balanced with long holds followed by relaxing poses. Her usage of the affirmations, especially during difficult poses, was helpful and motivating.
–Maitri was quiet and seemed timid, but her strength and spirit led a powerful class. While it was sometimes hard to hear her, she had a calming presence which made for a very peaceful class.
–Gyandev’s enthusiasm for yoga is contagious and his energetic, fast-​paced and up-​beat class was a great deal of fun. He had excellent movement around the room to ensure proper alignment. I never felt pressured, but was pushed to past my limit in a safe and uplifting way! Such a great class!
–Melody’s classes were so joyful and fun. She kept things light and happy with her bright smile. Mornings weren’t so bad when they began with Melody! Her experience was evident in her wide-​range of asanas and their pairing with powerful affirmations.
–Jackie’s class was so helpful in developing my own practice. Her pacing was fantastic and she was often around the room making the most minor, but significant adjustments. Each slight modification made such a huge difference. A very rewarding class as a student and a teacher-​to-​be!
–Michelle radiates yoga and love! Her analysis of my posture and breathing have made a world of difference in my yoga practice, and my everyday life. The adjustments she suggested will be of great use to my practice and my future students. Her warm and caring spirit was so wonderful. I was truly blessed to be with such an incredible teacher!

I just did a weekend retreat with my friend– the program we participated in focused on using your superconscious mind in meditation. I would definitely go back.
This was my first time here and it was great. The staff is mellow and friendly, and the philosophy is taught in a friendly, non-​pushy way (but its pretty mainstream, anyway– combining the teachings of Jesus and Yogananda and other Indian gurus; and they add in a lot of scientific stuff about the power of meditation on the mind). Also, the food is good vegetarian fare and the lodging is simple and clean. We stayed in a shared room in the «serenity house.»
The grounds are gorgeous. The place is about 15 miles from Nevada City, and it offers a beautiful mountain view. Great trails for running/​hiking, and I caught an awesome sunset over the Sunset Ridge. Also tons of cool spots to mediate and various altars and benches posted around. There is even a small meditation room with windows next to a pond with a heated floor that’s open ²⁴⁄₇. My friend and I used it as our personal library.
My only complaint is that the yoga program was not at all what I was expecting and it was simply not vigorous enough to me. It is more a series of very low impact energy movements and modified, simple poses that are not held very long. So even though there is a yoga/​chanting/​mediation 2 hours twice a day, you arent really going to get any sort of workout from the yoga portion. And I only mention it because we were doing A LOT of seated meditation, and sitting and listening to lectures, so a more vigorous practice would have put me in the mood to sit longer. And I was sort of expecting it to me more the yoga i am accustomed too. However, this is a series that seems to work for a lot of people and is time tested, so its just a personal prefernece. I fortunately brought some running shoes and was able to take a short jog during the day.
I should also mention that the best thing about the food is the «vitality» dressing. I actually came home and immediately looked up the recipe online for this awesome, zesty dressing. It forced me to eat a lot more salad than normal, and that was a good thing.

I recently attended a meditation retreat at Expanding Light, and it was wonderful. I went in with an open mind and no expectations, and I learned so much that I was able to take home with me. You will not find mindfulness meditation or vinyasa yoga here. Theirs is a practice that is decidedly more orthodox than the mixture of good stuff we get at most Bay Area yoga studios (no judgement on either form here — there is value in it all).
Expanding Light is a part of the larger village of Ananda, which was founded by Swami Kriyananda, a disciple of Yogananda. There are six spiritual guides that appear on all their altars (see
). They do not pressure you to follow their spiritual path, but it is a part of everything that happens during your retreat. I took it all in as a learning experience, and found so much value.
The food is great, the grounds beautiful, and the lodgings ok for the limited amount of time you’ll spend in your room.
I actually emailed the retreat center about a previous reviewer’s claim that they discriminate against LGBTQ individuals, and as I expected, they told me that they welcome individuals of all sexual orientations; however, the retreat that was being proposed by the organization didn’t align well with the overall purpose of the retreat center.

I was tired, exhausted… two kids under 4 do that to you. All I wanted was a bed, some peace and quiet to read my books, someone feeding me and leaving me the F alone. Tata… my wish is granted as The Expanding Light pops up on my phone through LivingSocial coupon and I jump on it. Impulsive? No. Smart? Yes.
Overall a beautiful place to relax and do your own thing.
FOOD: The vegetarian food was sooooo yummy that I actually bought their cookbook — and get this, I’m a total carnivore.
YOGA — meh. Maybe I expected too much but after all it was a «yoga» and «meditation» retreat. Wouldn’t really call doing only one downward dog in a 1 ½ hour class yoga, that’s minus one star right there.
MEDITATION– cool spots to sit and meditate especially during the fall when I went the leaves looked so magical with all their colors and I was so calm after meditation that two deer stood right in front of me, but no guided meditation just lots of chanting and affirmations from their guru.
Perhaps some might call this a commune? Yes, but not the sixties kind where they force you to give them an unborn child unless you join. The picture of their guru is EVERYWHERE. Ok not in the bathroom but you get my point. So that said, get mentally ready for it but I made the best out of it and ended up coming home so relaxed after my 3 day «personal retreat» in the middle of the week. Hey, maybe that makes me a yogi: «IEnjoy the moment and don’t loose sight even though your expectations are not met.»
If you print that on a bumper sticker send me a check please!

With all due respect, I don’t see how that could be possible that they would discriminate at the Expanding Light. I don’t doubt that they declined your group, but I’m sure that there was more to it? I hope you found a great place for yourselves to all land.
I visited the Expanding Light last August, and it was a life-​altering experience. I know that sounds a bit over-​the-​top, but sometimes our lives are changed in small but profound ways. I found all the staff to be amazing, the grounds to be simple and beautiful, the food to be delicious. It’s a really beautiful community, and their yoga retreat is absolutely fantastic. While I do attend SRF services in LA, I really like Ananda and what it stands for… and it made me really happy being here, and I was only there for 3 days!

I really love this place! It offers a wonderful package deal with all room reservations… receive 3 YUMMY & hearty vegetarian meals each day, AND a yoga (plus meditation after which is optional) class TWO times a day (morning & night). I can’t say enough about the friendliness of the staff (reception, dining area, yoga teachers, etc.).
It sounds like a weird name, but if you get the opportunity to visit «Crystal Hermitage», do so! There is an AMAZING view of the Tahoe Forest off the back deck… a dense, magical, expansive energy… if I’m quiet, I always receive a spiritual revelation/​message when I wait to receive :) Cheers!