Ananda Washington & Ananda Portland

Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Paramhansa Yogananda

October 7 – 11, 2024

You are invited to join Nayaswami Hriman and Badri Matlock on this inspiring spiritual adventure! We will visit and meditate at the shrines of Paramhansa Yogananda throughout Southern California. The pilgrimage will take place from October 7 to 11, 2024.

In Encinitas our hotel is situated minutes from Swami’s Beach (named for Yogananda after he established the Hermitage nearby!) and seaside Hermitage. In Los Angeles we will stay at the Biltmore Hotel, the place where Yogananda left his body in 1952. Each day we will have special opportunities to meditate together and tune into Yogananda’s vibrations at these sacred shrines.

ITINERARY

Monday, October 7

Our chartered vans will pick us up at the San Diego Airport at 2pm. Please see the suggested flights at the end of this document. Your flights to/from Southern California are not included in this pilgrimage (or price) to allow you the most flexibility. Our vans will bring us to Encinitas for lunch. From there we will head to our hotel for check-in, followed by a visit to nearby Swami’s Beach to relax, energize and meditate. We will have our opening circle and set our intention for this special pilgrimage together. Next our vans will bring us to an area with restaurants for dinner. Finally we will return to the hotel and the evening is yours to enjoy, perhaps with a dip in the hotel pool.

Tuesday, October 8

We will enjoy a complimentary breakfast at the hotel followed by a very special day devoted to visiting the Encinitas Hermitage where Yogananda wrote his spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. We will meditate on the stunning grounds and gardens of the Hermitage and have an opportunity to shop in the large book and gift store nearby. With special permission we will be permitted visit Yogananda’s private room and receive the holy blessings of this place. In the afternoon, the vans will bring us to Swami’s Beach or another convenient swimming beach for a bit of fun in the sun and optional sadhana together. The vans also will bring us to restaurant areas at lunch and dinner times and back to the hotel. The evening, again, is yours to enjoy whether it be quiet time in your room or at the pool.

Wednesday, October 9

After another complimentary breakfast at the hotel, the vans will take us to Los Angeles. First, we will visit Mt Washington, the ashram and headquarters that Yogananda established in the 1920’s. We will be able to meditate there and receive a tour of his rooms, the chapel, and grounds, all of which Yogananda personally and consciously infused with holy vibrations. After our visit at Mt Washington, the vans will take us to a nearby restaurant before heading to Yogananda’s Crypt at Forest Lawn Mortuary in Glendale. We will have the opportunity to chant and meditate in the area where Yogananda’s body resides. The vibrations are incredible! From here, the vans will take us to the Biltmore Hotel to check-in. This is where Yogananda left his body in 1952. Throughout our stay, we will be able to meditate in the area where The Last Smile photograph was taken just before Yogananda’s Mahasamadhi, which is now in the reception area of this classic hotel. There are restaurants within and around the Biltmore where you may choose to enjoy dinner.

Thursday, October 10

We will start the day meditating in a quiet, reserved large room at the Biltmore. A lovely, gourmet breakfast buffet at the Biltmore is included in this pilgrimage. The vans will then escort us to Hollywood Temple. This is the place where Swami Kriyananda first met Yogananda and is also the temple where Swamiji served as the main minister for a few years. Next, we head to Santa Monica for our closing lunch and then to visit Lake Shrine. This is the stunning lake and gardens that Yogananda created for the upliftment of all! The beauty of the lake invites us to meditate and quietly tune into Yogananda’s vibrations which are very much alive powerful throughout the grounds. The vans will return us to the Biltmore hotel. Dinner will be at a restaurant of your choosing within or around the Biltmore, and we will meet in a designated large room at the Biltmore for our pilgrimage closing circle.

Friday, October 11

We will gather, again, for meditation in the reserved large room at the Biltmore and then enjoy another scrumptious buffet breakfast at the hotel. The rest of the morning is for you to spend as you choose within and around the Biltmore. Before lunch, we will check out of our rooms and store our luggage safely with staff, while we enjoy a group lunch as a farewell and celebration. After lunch, we will take the vans to the Los Angeles Airport (LAX) with plenty of time to check in for our respective flights home.

COSTS:

Total costs are shown below; they vary according to your choice of accommodations.

Double occupancy: $1400 per person

Early bird before May 15, 2024: $1250 per person

Single occupancy: Additional $500 per person

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

The cost of all hotel lodgings
Breakfast at the hotels
Closing lunch on Friday, October 11
The cost of all ground transportation
All programs, meditations, and tours
All taxes on the above items

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

Flights to/from Southern California
Any meals other than breakfast and closing lunch listed above
Any donations or tips you may wish to leave at the shrines, churches, restaurants, with porters, etc. We usually take a collection at each shrine to give to them as a group. This is a tradition from India.
Personal items, laundry, phone charges, or any other charges other than the group’s prepaid hotel rates.

PAYMENT

In order to reserve your space, please submit a down payment of $500 with your reservation form. You can bring or send a check (payable to Ananda) to: Ananda, 23305 Bothell-Everett Hwy, Bothell WA 98021. If you wish to pay with a credit card, we add 3% ($15) in credit card processing fees.

Early bird discounts: If we receive your full payment by May 15, 2024, you will receive a $150 discount as shown in the rates above.

CANCELLATION POLICY

If you cancel by Sunday, August 11, 2024, your payment will be refunded, less a $250 cancellation fee. If we have purchased your lodging, meals and ground transportation, any applicable cancellation fees also will be subtracted from your refund. After August 11, 2024, sorry but no refunds are possible.

We will continue taking reservations, as long as space is available. Space is limited, so we encourage you to register as soon as possible!

Registrations will be taken through Ananda Washington. www.anandawa.org/SoCalPilgrimage/. 425-806-3700. Friends@anandawa.org.

SUGGESTED FLIGHTS:

Seattle to San Diego, Monday, October 7, 2024

Alaska flight #1108 leaves Seattle (SEA) 9:00am arrives San Diego (SAN) 11:52am

Los Angeles to Seattle, Friday, October 11, 2024

Alaska flight #1147 leaves Los Angeles (LAX) 3:15pm arrives Seattle (SEA) 6:11pm

Portland to Sand Diego, Monday, October 7, 2024

Alaksa flight #1296 leaves Portland (PDX) 11:00am arrives San Diego (SAN) 1:24pm

Los Angeles to Portland, Friday, October 11, 2024

Alaska flight #1129 leaves Los Angeles (LAX) 4:10pm arrives Portland (PDX) 6:32pm

Please note that the Pilgrimage starts when our vans pick us up from the San Diego airport on Monday, October 7 at 2pm. If you are flying to San Diego on different flights than two suggested ones, please be at the Alaska Airline baggage claim by 1:45pm. Our Pilgrimage concludes when the vans pick us up from the Biltmore Hotel at 12:00pm to bring us to the Los Angeles Airport (LAX.) If you have an earlier flight than the ones suggested, you will need to arrange for your own transportation to the airport.

Download pilgrimage registration form – click here