Course: RESIDENTIAL COURSE: Simple Living and High Thinking
A 3-Day Immersion in Meditation, Community, and Conscious Living with Nayaswami Kabir.
“Simple Living and High Thinking” was the guiding ideal of Paramahansa Yogananda — a vision of a life that is inwardly elevated and outwardly harmonious.
In a world that moves quickly and pulls us in many directions, many people feel a quiet longing:
- To live more simply.
- To think more clearly.
- To relate more deeply.
This immersion explores how to live this ideal in a practical and joyful way today.
Description
1. High Thinking — Strengthening the Power of Meditation and Listening Within
For those already grounded in meditation, this retreat offers an opportunity to go further.
We will explore how to take an established meditation practice to a new depth — refining awareness, strengthening inner magnetism, and learning how higher thinking becomes a lived state throughout the day.
Through daily yoga, pranayama, silence, and shared spiritual practice, we will examine how meditation can move from a period of practice to a steady current of consciousness supporting every action.
2. True Community — Experiencing and Building Meaningful Connection
Community is not merely a structure; it is a quality of relationship.
Together we will explore what allows relationships to flourish — trust, shared purpose, conscious communication, and mutual upliftment. Through guided dialogue, reflection, and group process, participants will both experience and learn practical principles for cultivating circles of depth, joy, and stability in their own lives.
If relationship itself were a living entity, what would it need to thrive?
What nourishes shared inspiration regardless of outer circumstances?
3. Simple Living — Aligning Outer Life with Inner Clarity
Simplicity is not reduction for its own sake; it is intelligent alignment.
We will explore how to simplify our lives in ways that free energy, reduce friction, and support what matters most. This includes examining practical foundations of conscious living — wise use of resources, steady rhythms, and the basic elements that allow individuals and communities to remain strong and resilient over time.
When meditation deepens, relationships harmonize.
When relationships harmonize, life naturally simplifies.
When life simplifies, higher awareness becomes sustainable.
This integration is the heart of the retreat.
This Immersion Is Well Suited For:
• Experienced meditators seeking to deepen their practice
• Couples, families, and friends wishing to strengthen shared life
• Community members and organisers
• Educators, facilitators, and leaders
• Anyone who senses that how we live together matters deeply
No special background is required — only sincerity and openness.
What Participants Often Leave With:
• A strengthened and revitalised meditation practice
• Greater inner steadiness and clarity
• Renewed inspiration in relationships
• Practical tools for simplifying and stabilising daily life
• A deeper understanding of how to live simply, think clearly, and grow toget
🌱 Do you want to come to Ananda with your children? It's possible! 🥳 Ask our reception for more information. 🌈
Your teacher:
Nayaswami Kabir's life journey began with a quiet inner calling that, at the age of twenty, led him to his first intentional community in New York State. There he discovered that life becomes deeper and more joyful when lived with shared purpose.Soon after, in 1977, he encountered the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and Ananda Village in California, which became the spiritual foundation of his life.
Over the past five decades, he has lived and served in communities in the United States, Europe, India, and the Middle East. Alongside this, he developed work in holistic education, including the founding of Living Wisdom High School near Stanford University.
Today, he continues his mission through The Conscious Community Solution, a practical guide and growing international initiative dedicated to helping individuals and groups build meaningful, resilient, and joyful communities.
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:
420 euros (140 euros per day*) in a single room,
330 euros (110 euros per day*) in a double room,
300 euroa (100 euros per day*) in a 3- to 5-bed dormitory.
* Price of membership card not included €. 18,00
Course image credits: https://ananda.it
Programme
Thursday
17:45 – 19:30 Spiritual practices
19:30 Dinner
20:30 Orientation
Friday – Saturday
7:00 – 8:45 Morning spiritual practices
8:45 Silent breakfast
10:30 – 13:30 Morning class
13:30 Lunch
15:00 – 16:00 Afternoon class
16:15 – 17:30 Ananda Yoga
17:45 – 19:30 Energization and meditation OR class on spiritual practices
19:30 Silent dinner
20:30 Evening program
Sunday
7:00 – 8:45 Morning spiritual practices
8:45 Breakfast
10:00 Morning class
11:40 Ceremony of Light
13:30 Lunch
13:30 Lunch
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Services
The total price of your all-inclusive stay, which includes course, board and lodging, is:
420 euros (140 euros per day*) in a single room,
330 euros (110 euros per day*) in a double room,
300 euros (100 euros per day*) in a 3- to 5-bed dormitory.
* Price of membership card not included €. 18,00
We will offer you:
- full board on the evening of arrival to lunch on the day of departure
- all meditations and guided sadhana
- Ananda Yoga classes
- the course and materials (if any)
- the essentials for your practice: meditation cushions, yoga mats, Aum-board
- kirtan and other evening programs
Accommodation: information and prices
Cost table
Attention: During the Covid-19 period the prices below are no longer applicable. The correct all-inclusive price for each course can be found on its individual page.
| Single room with bathroom | € 72.00 |
| Single without bathroom | € 61.00 |
| Double room with bathroom | € 56.00 |
| Double without bathroom | € 48.00 |
| Triple room with bathroom | € 48.00 |
| Triple without bathroom | € 41.00 |
| Dormitory (4-5 beds) | € 36.00 |
Note: To the price of lodging and food, you have to add the price of the seminar, that includes all activities: Energization Exercises Lessons, yoga and meditation and evening activities (on most evenings).
Payments can be made in cash, by Eurocheck, credit card (MasterCard and Visa), Bancomat. We can’t accept cash over 1000.00 euros.
Opportunity
Next time you come to Ananda, sign up for the program Yoga in Action to get a taste of community service and receive a discount on the cost of the course. You can choose the option Yoga in Action for any course where this program is available and you can continue with this option as long as you wish. Your service project might change each day.
When we learn to serve with the right attitude, this is a spiritual practice and is called Karma Yoga. The daily practice of Karma Yoga is a joyful and practical spiritual discipline that will benefit every aspect of your life.
At Ananda, there are two levels of the Yoga in Action option:
Yoga in Action Level 1
75€/course of 5 days
With Level 1, you will serve for a period of one and a half hours. This experience gives you a chance to contribute to the beautiful atmosphere of Ananda.
Yoga in Action Level 2
35€/course of 5 days
Yoga in Action Level 2 is only available if you have had prior experience of the Yoga in Action Level 1 option, or any of the Community Living Programs. With Level 2, you will serve for a period of three hours, split into two periods of daily service.
How to Register for This Program
In the page of the course you want to participate to, you will find, if available, the special price of the course with Yoga in action level 1 and 2. When you sign-up on the website or call or write us to book the course, just indicate that you wish to participate to the Yoga in Action Level 1 or 2 program. It’s that easy. Once you arrive at Ananda you will need also to complete a Yoga in Action Form and return it to our reception office.
How to book
You may make your reservation directly here on the website or by phone (+39 0742 813620) or email ([email protected]). Your booking needs to be confirmed by our reception office. For courses held online, there is no need to indicate the details of your stay (date of arrival, departure…).
For courses held at our center in Assisi, please indicate your arrival and departure dates and times, the program you wish to attend, your preferred accommodation, your address, phone and email. If you need to modify your reservation, please inform us at least one week in advance.
Our reception office is open from:
Monday to Saturday 9:30-1:30pm, 2:30-5:30pm
Sunday 9:30-11:30am, 2:30-5:30pm
For on-site courses, the programmes start on the evening of the day indicated.
If you cannot arrive during office hours, please let us know in advance.
Please contact us to check what translations are available. Courses, both on-site and online, may be cancelled if there are fewer than five participants.
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