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Self-Realization Fellowship Ashram
The Self-Realization Fellowship Ashram in Encinitas, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in the 1920s as the organization's spiritual center, offers meditation instruction and public access to its meditation gardens.
Paramahansa Yogananda established the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920 with the mission of teaching meditation and yoga practices drawn from universal spiritual principles. He chose Encinitas as the location for the Fellowship's ashram, or spiritual center, in the early decades of the 20th century. The organization, which has grown to operate centers and ashrams around the world, has remained rooted in Encinitas, making the city a landmark destination for those seeking meditation instruction and spiritual study.
The Meditation Gardens at the Encinitas ashram are open to the public and offer a serene setting for practice. The Fellowship offers beginner courses in meditation, guided group sessions, kirtan (devotional chanting), and a nine-month lesson series that teaches meditation and spiritual living to students worldwide. Visitors can explore instruction in Kriya Yoga, participate in online events, or attend retreats. The organization publishes Self-Realization Magazine and Yogananda's widely translated work, the Autobiography of a Yogi, making the Encinitas center part of a global spiritual community.
Many families in Encinitas are drawn to the city because of its spiritual institutions and the contemplative lifestyle that comes with that tradition. For households shaped by a focus on meaning, family, and long-term wellbeing, life insurance is another expression of that same commitment—a way to ensure that the people you love would be cared for, no matter what happens.