"The spiritual Christmas season will soon be here. What shall I give you?
A bouquet of my highest hopes and blessings that your consciousness may be newly awakened
in blissful Christ-consciousness!"
—Paramhansa Yogananda

This retreat has been created for those who have been meditation for some time, and especially for disciples and Kriyabans. You will be invited to attend the three morning satsangs along with all our other guests, and in addition, there will be moments of greater spiritual depth through afternoon satsangs and deeper, longer spiritual practices together as a group.

According to yogis the Christmas tree is a symbol for our inner tree—the spine that shows the way to the birth of Divine consciousness within us, to the inner Christmas.

In this course we will explore the mystical tradition of Christianity: that part that Yogananda called original Christianity. We will look at the teachings of Jesus with a yogic key to discover the inner teachings of the great Master of Galilee.

In us shine the deep lights, "hanging" on the inner tree of the spine, with the star of the east at the top, shining in the spiritual eye.

Through many practices, we will kindle the lights of our inner tree, making it glow with the Divine presence and preparing us to receive the birth of Christ Consciousness within us.

As Yogananda says, "To enjoy a true Christmas you should celebrate the birth of Christ Consciousness in the spiritual centers of divine perception [chakras] in the brain and spine."

On Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday mornings, there will be inspiring satsangs by panels of Ananda teachers, which you can attend along with our other guests. Among the topics that will be covered are:

• Second birth
• How to reach Christ Consciousness
• Universal Christmas: Sharing peace with all humankind
• The Universal Christ
  

Christmas Eve is one of the most special and beautiful moments of the season, and this year it falls on a Sunday, so it will begin with our inspiring Sunday Satsang and the festival of Light.

The evening will begin with a festive dinner and then move on to the Temple for our Christmas Eve programme. The whole Ananda community will welcome you to our living Nativity scenes. With beautiful Christmas music, inspiring readings and photos, we will celebrate and rejoice in the birth of Christ.

Christmas day begins with a joyful kirtan (group chanting) and meditation, followed by a festive breakfast. A special Christmas messagewill be followed by an inspirational satsang. Lunch will be a delicious Christmas banquet. In the evening, there will be a Christmas concert by the Ananda World Brotherhood choir with music by Swami Kriyananda and traditional Christmas music from many countries.

On St. Stephan's day, the 26th, there will be another satsang to complete our experience of this very special time.



Your teachers for the special afternoon satsangs:
Tyagi Arudra Slisko is of Croatian origin, but has lived in Italy for many years. From a young age, his thirst for understanding and his great interest in consciousness, understood as the fundamental reality, led him to explore meditation and spirituality, in search of of tools to live more and more in tune with that higher consciousness.

In 2008, after finishing his high school studies, he discovered Paramhansa Yogananda and his teachings and began his path as a disciple. Since then he has dedicated his life to living in contact with the Divine and to sharing with others the many practical ways to experience Him and bring Him into one's life.

Since 2009 he has been living in Italy, in the spiritual community of Ananda Assisi, founded and based on the teachings of Yogananda. At Ananda, in the yoga and meditation retreat, he leads classes on meditation, on Superconsciousness, on intuition and on how to spiritualize and transform one's consciousness by sharing the principles and tools that have changed his life. Aside from his service at the guest retreat, he also serves as coordinator of the Ananda meditation groups in Eastern Europe and also as a minister and kriyacharya (person authorized to pass on initiation in the sacred technique of Kriya Yoga).

Tyagi Jayadev Jaerschky, of German origin, started practicing yoga and meditation from age 15. After having worked as a social worker, he went to India in 1987 and remained there for several months. Soon he decided to devote his life fully to the spiritual search. In 1989 he went to live in the Ananda Assisi community in Italy. In 2000 he received his certification diploma at the Ananda Yoga School in California and now is the director of the Ananda Yoga Teachers Training Program. Today Jayadev holds regularly seminars and courses throughout Italy and abroad. He has published 13 books on yoga, among which the bestseller Respira che ti passa!, and he has published many CD of devotional music. In 2014 he has been named Kriyacharya, which means he is authorized to give the sacred initiation of Kriya Yoga. Every year he leads pilgrimages to the sacred Himalayas.


Dear friends, we will do our best, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide a translation for everything in your program. We apologise for any inconvenience!

The total price of your all-inclusive stay, which includes course, board and lodging, is:

520 euros (130 euros per day)* in a single room,
400 euros (100 euros per day)* in a double room,
360 euros (90 euros per day)* in a 3- to 5-bed dormitory.

* Price of membership card not included €. 18,00



Credits immagine corso: http://www.theecologyofthesoul.com