EL Program Leaders
Ana Kirsch
Ana is The Expanding Light general manager extraordinaire. Highly capable, warm-hearted and caring, she takes good care of the retreat and staff. Ana has a natural ability to attend to details while also developing the bigger picture. Her experience in the corporate world has trained her mind for business, while her priority of living the […]
Janaka Keller
Janaka has been practicing Yogic Meditation for nearly a decade and has dedicated his life to the study of Yogic Philosophy and introspection. After seeing the dramatic positive transformation in his consciousness, Janaka determined that he would share what he had learned with as many people as possible! At the age of 24 he took […]
Karma Yoga Ashram Experience, Yoga Retreat: Yoga for Renewal, First Timers' Retreat,
Aramati Kuita
Joining Ananda in 2018, Aramati’s first job with a community experience program, called ‘Building with Spirit,” set the precedence for eventually joining the Karma Yoga staff where she now serves as co-leader. She excels in working with people, along with having first-rate organizational skills, both of which are needed for her role as co-manager. Aramati’s […]
Dhananjaya Denholm
Dhananjaya serves as co-leader for the Ananda Karma Yoga Program. Guests and staff alike feel the friendship that he naturally shares with all. His warm smile and twinkly eyes give you a hint of his fun-loving sense of humor. Dhananjaya has a passion for the yogic teachings and is happy for the opportunity to share […]
Nayaswami Krishna Das
Nayaswami Krishna Das books and manages the many guest groups that The Expanding Light hosts, leads pilgrimage trips to holy places in India and the U.S., teaches weekend retreats, and gives spiritual counseling to guests. He came to Ananda in 1978 and immediately found his home and purpose in life at Ananda. An exceptionally knowledgeable […]
Change Yourself, Change Your Life!, Recharge and Deepen Your Meditation Practice, How to Rise Above Your Karma,
Darshana Moore
Darshana, E-RYT 200, RYT 500 and C-IAYT, became interested in meditation and found the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda in 2009. Since then, she has been applying them in her own life and sharing them with others. Darshana has been a certified Ananda Yoga and Meditation instructor since 2012. She is an Ananda […]
ASYM - Ananda Therapeutic Yoga Retreat for Women, ASYM - Ananda Radiant Health Retreat,
Nayaswami Sagar
Nayaswami Sagar serves in Ananda’s Online Ministry teaching classes on meditation, karma and reincarnation, the yogic teachings of Jesus, and more. He has hosted pilgrimages for Indian devotees in India and co-hosted the Yogananda pilgrimage to Los Angeles. Sagar is joyful, highly creative, and has a delightfully spontaneous sense of humor and enthusiasm for life […]
Communing with the Sacred OM Vibration, How to Rise Above Your Karma,
Bhawani Isaacson
Bhawani is an E-RYT 200-hour certified Ananda Yoga Instructor, Ananda certified Meditation Teacher, and a long-time meditator. Inspired by yoga since the age of 18, Bhawani’s creative, playful approach makes her classes fun, as well as a relaxing and centering experience. She is passionate about helping people live in a balanced way and reach their […]
Devalila Veenhof
Devalila, an Ananda Lighbearer and Kriyacharya, is Director of Ananda Kriya Sangha for North and South America. She has been practicing and sharing Parmahansa Yogananda’s teachings for over 20 years. She served as Director of Online with Ananda for nearly 10 years, where she developed and taught online courses. Devalila’s great joy and gifts are […]
David Seybert
Warm hearted, with a delightful sense of humor, David is a certified Ananda Yoga and Ananda Meditation teacher and a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) with the Yoga Alliance. He also teaches taiji and qigong. He lives at Ananda Village and is part of The Expanding Light Retreat team. He holds a B.A. degree in […]