Podcasts by Conversations with Asha | Millennials Speak
Asha Nayaswami is one of the spiritual directors of Ananda Palo Alto California, and one of the founding members of Ananda. She has a multitude of talks on a variety of topics that have delighted & inspired spiritual truth seekers around the world. In this podcast, listen to Asha Nayaswami in conversation with the next wave of spiritual aspirants, truth seekers, members and leaders of Ananda worldwide, who have unique stories of what drew them to this particular spiritual path, their spiritual aspirations and worldview.
Further podcasts by Asha Nayaswami
Podcast on the topic Spiritualität
All episodes
Living for God Alone | With Vineet from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Grew up in a Jain family in Southern India, but formal religion meant nothing to him. Constantly searching for the meaning of life. Wrote journals full of questions addressed to God. Heading for a ...
Listen
God Was Always There | With Ishani Ebgi from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Raised in Miami, Florida, as an Israeli Jew. Hebrew came first, English was second. The presence of God was the given. What to do about it was the question? When working as a make-up artist in New ...
Listen
I Want to be a Good Disciple | With Hari from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Raised in a spiritually rich village in South India, naturally devout, loved and prayed to God as naturally as breathing. Trained as an architect, found Autobiography of a Yogi, saw vast, new possi...
Listen
Cosmic Melody | With Arudra Slisko from 2020-07-28T17:00
Born in Croatia, educated in art and music. Never felt in tune with the country, culture, or world around him, started seeking truth in early teens. Just before entering music conservatory drawn to...
Listen
I Am a Truthseeker | With Mahiya Mathews from 2020-07-28T17:00
Raised in England by a devout Christian mother and a determined atheist father. Went to church, not for Christ, but for social life and fun. Search for truth led to atheism. Then found yoga, which ...
Listen
Conclusion and Reflections on Millennials Series from 2020-07-28T04:00
Asha concludes the series of Conversations with Millennials with this video, reflecting on the essential and uplifting qualities of of the whole experience, and encouraging everyone of the "next ge...
Listen
My Heart Remembers | With Narayani Anaya from 2020-07-28T04:00
In her second interview, Narayani talks more about her time and experiences with Swami Kriyananda and how that shaped and defined her spiritual life.
Listen
From Happiness to Bliss | With Narayan Bozanin from 2020-07-28T04:00
Grew up in Serbia, father was a committed communist. No spiritual training as child, but raised with principles of integrity, honesty, fairness. Inwardly always felt happy, regardless of circumstan...
Listen
God Is My Security | With Mukti Bozanin from 2020-07-28T04:00
Serbian father and Scottish mother. Bilingual, raised in Serbia, holidays in Scotland, where her missionary grandparents took her to church. Outwardly, very shy, but inner relationship with God was...
Listen
Learning How to Love | With Benedetta Mico from 2020-07-28T04:00
Raised in a very Catholic household in a small village in northern Italy. One aunt, though, left the family to move into the Ananda Assisi community. So from the age of 4, yoga and Master were also...
Listen
My True Home | With Ruby stoppe from 2020-07-28T04:00
From the age of seven, every summer came with mother and siblings for holidays at Ananda Assisi. Lived in Germany, but Ananda was home. During university, every holiday was with Ananda — retreats, ...
Listen
Help from the Other Side | With Jivanta Berti from 2020-07-28T04:00
Growing up Italy, Catholicism was the given, but it didn’t hold her heart. Living from the outside, life became serious with the sudden death of a beloved cousin. Inner angel presence of her cousi...
Listen
Swamiji is Here | Narayani Anaya from 2020-07-28T04:00
Author of My Heart Remembers Swami Kriyananda, Narayani was Swamiji’s personal assistant for the last years of his life, always by his side. Since his passing, he is even more with her, guiding her...
Listen
One Priority | With Shurjo Jha from 2020-07-28T04:00
Growing up, on the outside, everything looked fine, but inside was always unhappy. Mid-teens began serious search for meaning, found Autobiography of a Yogi. Graduated from college and on that day,...
Listen
Joy, Simplicity, Freedom | With Baraquiel Castelli from 2020-07-28T04:00
Born in Uruguay, where, except for soccer, never felt in tune with the culture. Father was a Kriyaban, and supported his thinking “outside the conventional box.” Followed his older brother Hezequie...
Listen
A Very Happy Life | With Shamini Naidu from 2020-07-28T04:00
Grew up in India, Malaysia, Dubai, daughter of educators. Everything came easily, life was happy. Sudden awakening to the superficial nature of life itself. Drawn by the authenticity and joy of Ana...
Listen
God is My Home Country | With Hezequiel Castelli from 2020-07-28T04:00
In early teens, dismayed by the increasing worldliness of his friends, felt disillusioned and alone. Father was a Kriyaban, gave him Autobiography of a Yogi. Shifted from native Uruguay to Canada, ...
Listen
Meeting Swamiji in India | With Aryavan McSweeney from 2020-07-28T04:00
Born to yogi parents, grew up in the Ananda community of Palo Alto. Was a “founding child” for the Education for Life School there. Studied filmmaking which led to being Swamiji’s videographer, fol...
Listen
Finding My Place | With Pritha Ricoy from 2020-07-28T04:00
Raised by a devout Catholic grandmother. Deeply impressed by her compassion and unshakeable faith. Less impressed by the priest who trained her for Confirmation. Searched for community and connecti...
Listen
The Mystery of Death | With Aditya Gait from 2020-07-28T03:00
Son of an army doctor, followed his father, became a rural surgeon, till the inevitability of death caused him to question everything. Autobiography of a Yogi spoke to his soul. Met Swamiji and fel...
Listen
I Want to Help People | With Chika Fujitain from 2020-07-28T03:00
Some years into a successful career in Tokyo, she longed to find a more meaningful life. Went to India on a solar power project, and felt immediately at home there. Switched to non-profit work unti...
Listen
From Skepticism to Devotion | With Vasudha Bajoria from 2020-07-28T03:00
A self-declared skeptic, traditional Hindu worship held no appeal. Followed the expected path to marriage and family. Lived with undercurrent of melancholy, never fully faced. Followed friends into...
Listen
There Must be Something More | With Amit Purohit from 2020-07-28T03:00
Like many other young Indian men, went into computer science, following a career that led to Silicon Valley and a company just a couple of miles from the Ananda Temple. He came for worldly success,...
Listen
Doctor and Disciple | With Dr. Michelle Dossett from 2020-07-28T03:00
A Ph.D. and an M.D. does research and clinical work at U.C. Davis, specialising in the effect of medication on health and well-being, the power of compassion in the doctor patient relationship. Fee...
Listen
Song of the Soul | With Aaron Atwell from 2020-07-28T03:00
Parents were disciples, earliest memory of Ananda was the music touching his heart. Fell into teenage lethargy and bad habits, rescued by Autobiography of a Yogi. At 17 moved to Ananda Village; now...
Listen
The Householder Path | With Sharmila Atwell from 2020-07-28T03:00
Father’s profession took the family to Saudi Arabia, then France. Came to USA in high school. Never felt in tune with peers, dropped out at 17. Brother gave her Autobiography of a Yogi. At 19 moved...
Listen
Rainbow Lights | With Rose Atwell from 2020-07-28T03:00
Born into these teachings, can’t remember a time when she didn’t know Master. Became a disciple at 13. Traveled with Ananda choir in Italy. Majored in theater in college. Blessed and guided by Swam...
Listen
In the World But Not of It | With Sneha Nair from 2020-07-28T03:00
Grew up in Hyderabad, India. Parents followed Satya Sai Baba. From earliest childhood felt close to God. Read Autobiography of a Yogi at age 15, instant recognition of Babaji and Master. Now combin...
Listen
Dancing with Spirit | With Suryani Nelson from 2020-07-28T03:00
Always outdoors, active as a child, first a gymnast, then a dancer. Has a degree in choreography, performed professional, but found her true calling with Ananda.
Listen
From Finance to Farmer | With Zachary Hailey from 2020-07-28T02:00
Grew up in St. Louis but spent all his holidays with his extended family in the Ozarks. Thrived in the world of nature. Followed conventional into the world of finance, till Master intervened.
Listen
Return to Simplicity | With Jake Keller from 2020-07-28T02:00
Youngest of 30 cousins, felt he had arrived late to the party, couldn’t relate to what others thought was important. In Catholic high school learned meditation from his football coach-priest. Now h...
Listen
A Friend in God | With Bhima Breckenridge from 2020-07-28T02:00
Early childhood included much solitude in Arizona desert. In high school, disenchanted with mainstream life, became “neo-hippie.” That ended when father gave him Autobiography of a Yogi. Met Swamij...
Listen
Serving God in Nature | With Navashen Jones from 2020-07-28T02:00
Growing up, found solace in using his body dynamically through sports. Explored martial arts, shamanism, and consciousness which eventually led to Master. Now deeply drawn to bringing Master’s into...
Listen
Growing Food with God | With Hailey Abbey from 2020-07-28T02:00
Grew up a tomboy, loved climbing trees, part of a Christian youth group until the dogma was too much to accept. Studied philosophy but lost interest in studying truth, wanted to know Truth itself. ...
Listen
Challenges and Joy | With Jaya Bottaro from 2020-07-28T02:00
Grew up surrounded by pictures of Master, attending her f father's meditation center in Argentina. Watershed moment: meeting Swamiji in 2010.
Listen
Surfing Ever-Changing Waves of Life | With Jitendra Guindon from 2020-07-28T02:00
He aspired to a life in the military for a life of sacrifice and service, but a complete change of direction lead to New Zealand, then New York city, for surfing, music, and film making, before fin...
Listen
From Funk to Monk | With Prasad Wang from 2020-07-28T02:00
Child of first-generation immigrants from Taiwan via Malaysia. Excelled at science and math. Stanford grad, Silicon Valley job but the pressure was too much. Rescued by Ananda through divine interv...
Listen
Traveling to Inner Space | With Arati Garcia from 2020-07-28T02:00
Growing up in Spain often said to God (or whoever), that there had been some mistake, why am I here? Planned to be an astronaut, studied engineering, but yoga proved the true path to happiness.
Listen
I Want to Change Myself | With Nandadevi Traymar from 2020-07-28T02:00
Found yoga at age seventeen. Embraced meditation immediately. Saw the possibility in spiritual life of ending suffering and finding happiness.
Listen
Alienation, Suffering, & Transformation | With Dhyan Davis from 2020-07-28T02:00
In this conversation, Asha talks with Dhyan about life before finding the path, how finding spirituality was perhaps literally the difference between life and death, and how music can play a transf...
Listen
Corporate Ladder to Inner Ladder | With Anastasia Kirsch from 2020-07-28T01:00
High achieving, highly motivated to excel and succeed, early success led to early disillusionment, heartbreak, and discipleship.
Listen
From Suffering to Joy | With Sambhava Burke from 2020-07-28T01:00
Painfully aware form a young age of the meaninglessness to him of worldly ambition, Sambhava searched for meaning and purpose for years until Buddhism opened him to the concept of the cessation of ...
Listen
Home With God | With Badri Matlock from 2020-07-28T01:00
Badri Matlock found Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi at a young age, and within a few years found himself visiting Ananda Village for the first time. From then on, Ananda has been his spiritual ...
Listen
The Soul's Journey | With Devalila Veenhof from 2020-07-28T01:00
In this conversation, Devalila talks about the hand of God in her life from childhood. Then, turning her back on the spiritual search. And how, through Master's grace and Swamiji's blessing she fou...
Listen
Silence & Song | With Erin Vinacco from 2020-07-28T01:00
In this conversation Asha and Erin discuss finding the path, opening the heart, and how God's hand is always with us even when we are unaware of it.
Listen
Social Action and Inner Action | With Gita Matlock from 2020-07-28T01:00
Asha talks with Gita Matlock - born and raised in Ananda, but who traversed a successful professional career in non-profit fundraising before finding her way back to living at Ananda Village with h...
Listen
Being a Light for Master | With Sundara Traymar from 2020-07-28T01:00
Devout Catholic parents, prayed and read the Bible every morning. First real experience of God, though, came in the wilderness. After that, preferred the forest to the church. A few hard experience...
Listen
Epics: Death Myths or Living Truths? | With Saiganesh Sairaman from 2020-07-28T00:00
Saiganesh unpacks the ancient Indian epics and their spiritual significance.
Listen
Sharing Ananda Yoga | With Vivekadevi Noh-Kuhn from 2020-07-28T00:00
Asha and Vivekadevi talk about her journey into being an Ananda Yoga teacher, and Ananda Yoga Teacher Trainer, and how yoga asanas have provided for her a vivid and tangible experience of the vibra...
Listen
Serving God Together | With Vivekadevi & James Noh-Kuhn from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this conversation Asha talks with both James and Vivekadevi about the keys to the success of their decades long marriage, the projects they've done together, communication, serving together, and...
Listen
How I Met Master | With Vivekadevi Noh-Kuhn from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this conversation Asha and Vivekadvei talk about what process Vivekadevi went through to find Yogananda. From a disenchanted youth, through being baptized into the Catholic church in her twentie...
Listen
Discipleship in the Corporate World | With James Noh-Kuhn from 2020-07-28T00:00
Nayaswami Asha talks with James Noh-Kuhn a second time, discussing what it was like reentering the corporate world as a devotee of a great master. Is it possible to balance work and spirituality in...
Listen
How Did I Find The Master? | With James Noh-Kuhn from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this episode, Asha talks with James Noh-Kuhn - though not officially a millennial, an integral part of the next generation of Ananda. Together they talk about his "great adventure" of finding Go...
Listen
What Does It Mean To Be A Disciple? | With Lakshmi Lapine from 2020-07-28T00:00
Lakshmi discusses what it means to her to be a disciple in this new age.
Listen
Arts and Creativity | With Kshama Kellogg from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this conversation, Kshama and Asha discuss what spiritual benefits may be found in artistic expression. Does art and creativity lead only to greater ego involvement and emotionalism, or can it o...
Listen
What Discipleship Means To Me | With Tandava Waldon from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this conversation, Asha and Tandava explore what it means to be a disciple. What does it mean to have the Guru as a Divine Friend? Do all souls yearn for a close romantic relationship? How does ...
Listen
The Power of Chanting | With Keshava Betts from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this conversation, Asha and Keshava talk about the power of chanting. As Yogananda said, "Chanting is half the battle." Why? What's the battle? Can anyone chant and utilize the spiritual power l...
Listen
Who Needs God Anyway? | With Lakshmi Lapine from 2020-07-28T00:00
In this episode, Lakshmi and Asha talk about how the millennial generation, being disenchanted with religious dogma, turn to atheism instead. Can we learn to truly surrender without a concept and r...
Listen
The Spiritual Practice of Poetry | With Tandava Waldon from 2020-07-27T23:00
Brahmachari Tandava talks about his love of poetry and how it has helped him along the spiritual path.
Listen
Ananda's Living Wisdom School | With Kshama Kellogg from 2020-07-27T23:00
Kshama talks about her service as a teacher in the K-8 Living Widsome School and then as director of the Living Wisdom High School.
Listen
Spirituality in the Corporate World | With Saiganesh Sairaman from 2020-07-27T23:00
Asha speaks with Saiganesh about his experience working in the corporate world as a devotee of Paramhansa Yogananda.
Listen
Is Astrology Real? | With Keshava Betts from 2020-07-27T23:00
Keshava and Asha talk again, this time about his lifelong fascination with yogic astrology and his road to becoming a practicing astrologer. What lessons do the planets have to offer us? Do they pa...
Listen
Are we the trophy generation? | With Lakshmi Lapine from 2020-07-27T23:00
In their second chat together, Asha and Lakshmi discuss the necessity of developing perseverance in order to achieve lasting success in life. Does the millennial generation lack grit, or is flexibi...
Listen
What is it to be a Disciple? | With Kshama Kellogg from 2020-07-27T23:00
Kshama, raised among yogis in America and Italy; how did spirituality bridge the gap from being her parent's religion to her own individual experience of truth?
Listen
Stories, Movies & Consciousness | With Tandava Waldon from 2020-06-29T02:00
In her second discussion with Tandava, they talk about the effects of storytelling on our consciousness. From novels to television and film, what are the myths of today's world, and what are they t...
Listen
Indian Classical to Swami's Music | With Saiganesh Sairaman from 2020-06-29T02:00
Saiganesh shares his journey, as a musician and singer, in both the indian classical world to working with Swami Kriyanada's music when he found Ananda.
Listen
What is True Maturity? | With Kshama Kellogg from 2020-06-29T02:00
Asha interviews Kshama Kellogg, director of Ananda Living Wisdom High School in Palo Alto, Lightbearer, and long time devotee of Yogananda. Together they talk about education, growing up within Ana...
Listen
Water Polo and Spirituality | With Lakshmi Lapine from 2020-06-29T02:00
In this episode, Asha talks with Lakshmi LaPine about what it was like growing up in southern California playing water polo. What spiritual lessons did she learn in that endeavor, and what did she ...
Listen
Acting, Listening, and Feeling God's Joy | With Keshava Betts from 2020-06-29T02:00
In her second interview with Keshava, they discuss what lessons he learned during his time as an actor. How does acting, listening, and practicing vulnerability translate to the spiritual path? Kes...
Listen
A Moment In The Company of a Saint | With Tandava Waldon from 2020-06-21T01:00
Asha chats with Tandava, a monk and devotee who found his way to Ananda through a deeply transforming experience with Swami Kriyananda. Together, they talk about his time at Stanford University, wo...
Listen
East Meets West | With Saiganesh Sairaman from 2020-06-21T01:00
In this episode, Asha chats with Saiganesh Sairaman about his experience growing up in a traditional Brahmin family in India before moving to the United States to pursue a career in Silicon Valley ...
Listen
Deceptions of the virtual world | With Keshava Betts from 2020-06-15T01:00
In this conversation, Asha talks with Keshava Betts who was born and raised in Ananda Village, pursued a career in acting and now serves in the Ananda Sangha. They discuss what it was like growing ...
Listen