The Meditation Center

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: “Meditations from the Tantras” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - January 9, 2025
2025-01-09 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – January 9, 2025
“Meditations from the Tantras” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sig Martell
6:15-7:00 p.m. Vegan Soup
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Meditations from the Tantras” with Gary Gran
8:00-8:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

In 1984, Swami Veda, then known as Dr. Usharbudh Arya, presented a series of workshops and lectures on ‘Meditations from the Tantras’ in Minnesota. On June 11, 1985, he presented a summary version of these talks at the Himalayan Institute of Glenview in Glenview, Illinois. The room was packed.
In this workshop, Swami Veda detailed a particular sequence of meditations from the tantric tradition. He explained that they weren’t intended for our daily practice, but that they were meant to educate us, and demonstrate the practices as given within the tradition.
So why are these teachings relevant to us today? They are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago and 1,000 years ago, because they hold the key to our healing, the healing of our relationships, and the healing of our earth.
During tonight’s satsang, we will share these universal teachings from personal notes taken during the workshop. Please join us as we ponder the healing message of the tantric tradition. All are welcome.
“Tantras are an extremely ancient body of texts. Tantra, like mantra, like yantra – they cover practically everything there is in the universe, but by way of a method as well as philosophy of personal experience.”
~ Swami Veda Bharati~
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1985 workshop and will be sharing theteachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and Viewing at TMC Via Zoom: "A Year of Self-Study at SRSG and Other Sacred Places" with Susana Matos Allongo - January 16, 2025
2025-01-16 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and Viewing at TMC Via Zoom – January 15, 2025
“A Year of Self-Study at SRSG and Other Sacred Places”
with Susana Matos Allongo
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Everyone is welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “A Year of Self-Study at SRSG and Other Sacred Places” with Susana Matos Allongo
8:00-8:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

In spring of 2023, Susana was at SRSG when applications for the Gurukulam program opened up. She applied and hoped to spend her year in Rishikesh but the Guru had other plans. She was not accepted, so she asked for guidance from above on how to spend a year in places where she could deepen her practices and work on her mind and emotions.
This will be an audio and visual presentation on her travels and spiritual purification experiences that include silence, meditation, surrender, etc. at various sacred sites.
Susana Matos Allongo lives and works in Puerto Rico and LA as a film and television assistant director, writer and director. She was initiated into the Himalayan Tradition in 2023 at SRSG and has spent time at the ashram and has traveled to other places in pursuit of spiritual purification.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: Viewing of the Film " Maha Kumbha Mela 2001 Diving Into Immortality, A Spiritual Journey with Swami Veda Bharati" - January 23, 2025
2025-01-23 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – January 23, 2025
Thursday Satsang Viewing at TMC and via Zoom
January 23, 2025
Viewing of the Film ” Maha Kumbha Mela 2001 Diving Into Immortality,
A Spiritual Journey with Swami Veda Bharati”
Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) will be hosting tonight’s satsang.
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Everyone is welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sig Martell
:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma)
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Viewing of the film
” Maha Kumbha Mela 2001 Diving Into Immortality,
A Spiritual Journey with Swami Veda Bharati”
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

The Maha Kumbha Mela 2001, held once in 144 years – the Festival of the ‘nectar of immortality’ – bring together of 70 million people in one month, has been documented in this IN-SIDE story. Many of us have returned from the ‘Kumbha Nagar’, formed alone the sandy floodplains of the river Ganges and the Jamuna. Many of us have gone through an experience as a ‘pilgrim’ that will have an impact on us; it will transform us in someway or another…the great saints and monks said so.
Being together with millions of pilgrims from all over India and all over the world has created an awareness within us of. togetherness, solidarity, collectivism, and the common spiritual grounds.
Once there in Kumbha Nagar, and with each other, one does not focus on minor physical insufficiencies or short comings, bit on the sense of being ONE. Whether Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Christian, or Muslim. All realize the we desire to merge into ONE.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: “Tantraloka – Time & the Breath” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - January 30, 2025
2025-01-30 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – January 30, 2025
““Tantraloka – Time & the Breath” ” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Tantraloka – Time & the Breath” with Gary Gran
8:00-8:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

In one of Swami Veda’s last public teachings before entering silence in 2010, he introduced us to the “Siva Sutras”, a primary text in Kashmir Shaivism. During those talks, he recommended that we continue our study of Kashmir Shaivism, and pointed us to the famous “Tantraloka” of Abhinavagupta. In particular, he felt it was important for us to understand the correlation of time and the breath as taught in Chapter 6 of the “Tantraloka.”
Why is this teaching important for us to understand today? Through this teaching, perhaps we can begin to understand our true relationship with time, life on earth, the universe, and the very life force that sustains us all.
The “Tantraloka” (Light of the Tantras) is considered to be the magnum opus of Abhinavagupta, the 10th-11thcentury polymath of Kashmir. In 37 chapters, he synthesized the various schools of tantra into a unified whole.
Please join us as we contemplate our place in the universe together. All are welcome.
“The tantras speak of a weave, a warp and a woof of the universe… The entire universe is a grid of single energy, in which grid I too have a little place, a little corner. I am connected to the grid and cannot be separate from the grid… Experiencing it is the work of the Tantra.” – Swami Veda
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1985 workshop and will be sharing theteachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "Writing and Reading as Personal Practice" with Michelle Skally Doilney - February 4, 2025
2025-02-06 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – February 6, 2025
“Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
8:00-8:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for a talk with Michelle Skally Doilney as she speaks about the benefits and the hows of using reading and writing as a personal practice. She will read examples from her own unedited notebooks and travel journals, as well as from Living with a Himalayan Master. Michelle will share benefits and how-tos of writing practice as another way to witness mind, to experience non-judgement and non-attachment. Bring your pen and paper for a short experience.
If you have further interest, Michelle will also be teaching an extended workshop on writing practice on February 15, 2025. 10:00-11:30 a.m., “Writing is for Everybody.”
Michelle Skally Doilney is a student and initiate in the Himalayan Tradition since 1997. She is a lifelong writer and a longtime student studying in-person with Natalie Goldberg, writing teacher and author of Writing Down the Bones and her latest, Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Inner Voice. Michelle is currently consulting and teaching feng shui, yoga, and writing practice. She is working on several writing and art projects drawing from her love of travel and photography.
www.practicalenvironments.com

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "Contemplations of the Heart" with Cynthia Gran - February 13, 2025
2025-02-13 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – February 13, 2025
“Contemplations of the Heart” with Cynthia Gran DAy, E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m. “Comtemplations of the Heart” with Cynthia Gran
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Much has been said and written about love. Swami Rama said, “Love is the most ancient traveler.” He also said, “I involve myself in endless deception if I try to name love…I have come to the conclusion that one should simply cherish that love is the voice from the unknown to the known and then to the unknown again.”
Let us cherish some inspirational voices. Join us for an evening of spiritually uplifting poetry, prayers and heartfelt readings.
Cynthia Gran, DAy, E-RYT 500, YACEP, has been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. Cynthia and her husband, Gary, DAy. CYT, first attended the old Glenview Center in Illinois where they met and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently in Minnesota for the summer teaching at The Meditation Center. They enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: Kirtan with "Shakti and Bhakti" led by Riley Slate and Ranjani Powers - February 20, 2025
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing of Zoom at TMC
Kirtan with “Shakti and Bhakti” led by Riley Slate and Ranjani Powers
February 20, 2025
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Kirtan with “Shakti and Bhakti” led by Riley Slate and Ranjani Powers
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join “Shakti and Bhakt”i with Ranjani and Riley for an evening of devotional singing and chanting.
Shakti & Bhakti is an Ohio-based kirtan group that leads gatherings in Dayton and surrounding areas. Comprised of passionate yoga practitioners, the band seeks to share their deep love for chant with fellow kirtan enthusiasts, spiritual seekers, and music lovers. Kirtans are more than just call-and-response chanting from India; they embody the essence of satsang, the company of truth. Together, we sing the name of God with love and devotion. We aim to have our kirtans serve as gatherings that nourish the mind and lift the spirit, fostering unity through sound and bhakti (love & devotion). The name “Shakti & Bhakti” captures our mission: Shakti symbolizes the power to be and become, while Bhakti signifies the path of intense love and devotion. Through this journey, we cultivate a profound love for God (our Inner Dweller and the Inner Dweller of all), leading to a beautiful unity that transcends diversity. Our music beautifully blends traditional bhajans, call-and-response chants, and original compositions, weaving Sanskrit mantras into meditative soundscapes. Each kirtan begins with a moment of silence, inviting us to unite as one voice in harmony and devotion.
Riley Slate was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Dayton at a young age. He was introduced to music by his grandfather and father, which inspired him to play the guitar, bass, and piano. At 16, he began his first paying gig as a musician, passionately pursuing this path, although he did have a brief four-hour stint in construction. Riley holds a performance degree from Wright State University and a jazz performance degree from the University of North Texas. Seven years ago, he faced uncertainty and dissatisfaction in his life until he reconnected with his childhood friend, Ranjani. This reconnection sparked positive changes in his life and eventually led him back to yoga, initiating his journey toward self-love and compassion for others. He reflects, “When I finally let go of all I was holding on to, everything began to fall into place.” Although Riley only learned the term “kirtan” five years ago, he has embraced it wholeheartedly. He loves knowing that this music has the potential to create a space for healing for himself and others.
Ranjani Powers has dedicated her life to yoga but never anticipated incorporating kirtan into her journey. Although she has always enjoyed singing—mainly at home and occasionally while gardening—joining a “kirtan band” was not part of her plans. Over the past three years, the Universe has presented her with life-changing decisions, and despite the challenges, she has embraced them. This shift has transformed her understanding of how she serves the tradition, leading to personal growth she never imagined. Throughout difficult times, Ranjani has always felt guided and protected. Rejecting this new phase would feel like dismissing a precious gift and an opportunity to serve in a way she never envisioned. Integrating kirtan into her yoga practice has become a highlight, and she loves collaborating with Riley on new chants. While this journey was unexpected, she fully embraces it and is committed to giving her best.

Maha Shivaratri Observance Via Zoom on Wednesday: February 26, 2025 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
2025-02-26 19:00 - 21:00
Maha Shivaratri Observance Via Zoom
“The Great Night of Shiva”
Wednesday: February 26, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Shiva is the Lord of the meditator, the very identity of the meditator. The earliest iconography in human history is a meditative one as divinity sitting in the meditative posture. It is the iconography of Shiva. It is that one by whose grace we are drawn to a life of renunciation to go up the mountain, for he is the dweller of Mount Kailasha, the dweller of the highest mountain within us; the head. From his matted hair, the gushing river of inspiration , knowledge and wisdom flows. The very river descends from the highest of the heavens, comes right into our fontanel, and from there flows downward into the seven worlds (chakras), the seven continents, the seven oceans and becomes our very kundalini. That Shiva. To him I dedicate myself today and chant, “OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
Join Swami Ma Radha Bharati for a Maha Shivaratri program of inward observation and contemplation.
7:00 p.m: Introduction by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:15 p.m.: Swami Veda’s recording of Manas Puja (Internal Sacrifice)
8:00 PM: Swami Veda’s recording of 1,000 names of Shiva
Read here…Swami Veda’s, “1996 Shivaratri Address”

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "A Trip to Greece" with Joann Huff - February 27, 2025
2025-02-27 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – February 27, 2025
“A Trip to Greece”
with Joann Huff
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “A Trip to Greece” with Joann Huff
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Traveling is such an adventure. Going to this historical beautiful country was wonderful and at times challenging. Let’s gather together and discuss our adventures to Greece.

One of Joann Huff’s favorite memories is meditating with a group from the Meditation Center. It was around 2003 at a teacher training event. Joann absolutely fell in love with the tools and the people. Before that day she had no idea all of this existed. This tradition has been a part of her life since that time. During Joann’s every day life she works as a nurse.

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page. Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: “Tantraloka – Time & the Breath”, Part II with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - March 6, 2025
2025-03-06 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – March 6, 2025
“Tantraloka – Time & the Breath – Part II with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Tantraloka – Time & the Breath – Part II” with Gary Gran
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Please join us as we continue our study of Chapter 6 of the highly regarded Tantraloka of Abhinavagupta on the correlation of time and the breath. Attendance at the first talk is not required. All are welcome!
We will be honoring the translator of our text, Mark Dyczkowski, who recently made his transition. Om Shivo Ham.
We’ll continue studying the central breath practice as presented in the text, and see how it is related to the Kalachakra, or Wheel of Time. The Kalachakra is a fascinating weave that includes elements of pranayama, meditation, astrology, vastu shastra, and cosmology. We’ll also take a look at some cross-cultural comparisons, and attempt to reveal some of the universal elements of our shared experience of life on Earth.
Why is this teaching important for us to understand today?
Through this teaching, perhaps we can begin to understand our true relationship with time, life on earth, the universe, and the very life force that sustains us all. There will be plenty of tips on how to enhance our meditation practice. Please join us as we contemplate our place in the universe together. All are welcome.
“The tantras speak of a weave, a warp and a woof of the universe… The entire universe is a grid of single energy, in which grid I too have a little place, a little corner. I am connected to the grid and cannot be separate from the grid…Experiencing it is the work of the Tantra.” – Swami Veda

The “Tantraloka” (Light of the Tantras) is considered to be the magnum opus of Abhinavagupta, the 10 th -11 th century polymath of Kashmir. In 37 chapters, hemsynthesized the various schools of tantra into a unified whole.
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. Gary and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda.
They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: “Tantraloka – Time & the Breath - Part III" with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - March 13, 2025
2025-03-13 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – March 6, 2025
“Tantraloka – Time & the Breath – Part III” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Tantraloka – Time & the Breath – Part II” with Gary Gran
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

In one of Swami Veda’s last public teachings before entering silence in 2010, he introduced us to the “Siva Sutras”, a primary text in Kashmir Shaivism. During those talks, he recommended that we continue our study of Kashmir Shaivism, and pointed us to the famous “Tantraloka” of Abhinavagupta. In particular, he felt it was important for us to understand the correlation of time and the breath as taught in Chapter 6 of the “Tantraloka.”
Why is this teaching important for us to understand today? Through this teaching, perhaps we can begin to understand our true relationship with time, life on earth, the universe, and the very life force that sustains us all.
The “Tantraloka” (Light of the Tantras) is considered to be the magnum opus of Abhinavagupta, the 10th-11thcentury polymath of Kashmir. In 37 chapters, he synthesized the various schools of tantra into a unified whole.
Please join us as we contemplate our place in the universe together. All are welcome.
“The tantras speak of a weave, a warp and a woof of the universe… The entire universe is a grid of single energy, in which grid I too have a little place, a little corner. I am connected to the grid and cannot be separate from the grid… Experiencing it is the work of the Tantra.” – Swami Veda
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1985 workshop and will be sharing theteachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "The Yamas and the Niyamas" with Pandit Tejomaya - March 20, 2025
2025-03-20 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC
“The Yamas and the Niyamas” with Pandit Tejomaya
March 20, 2025
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “The Yamas and the Niyamas” with Pandit Tejomaya
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Yoga is Samadhi, and the five Yamas and five Niyamas are the foundation of Patanjali’s eight-limbed path to this peak of consciousness. Yet we won’t likely find an Ahimsa class at any local yoga studio or an Ishvara Pranidhana club down the street, so how then to bring Patanjali’s first two limbs to life? How do we transform the philosophy of an inspiring book into lived experience?

This question festered inside of Pandit Tejomaya for a number of years until finally, by Guru’s grace, it led to a seven year period of focused Sadhana. Panditji will join us via Zoom on Thursday, March 20th to remind us of his personal, systematic approach to Sadhana of the Yamas and Niyamas. The practice is quite simple but deeply personal wth the potential for lasting inner transformation. There is certainly no “one way” to engage with the Yamas and Niyamas, but finding a personally meaningful way to bring these ten gems of Patanjali’s philosophy to life or to greater prominence in our Sadhana can be especially helpful in these challenging times where fear can get out of hand.

Pandit Tejomaya completed his seven year focused Sadhana of the Yamas and Niyamas eight years ago as he entered into his Vanaprastha years and yet the work was never “finished”, it simply opened new doors. Tejomaya will share a bit of how the transformation is continuing on today.

Pandit Tejomaya was initiated in the Himalayan Tradition by Swami Veda in 2008. He was initiated as a Pandit by Pandit Dabral, and received the name Tejomaya in 2012. He took the vows of a Vanaprastha, or Forest Dweller, in January of 2017.

Pandit Tejomaya resides on Gabriola Island in the Salish Sea of Canada’s British Columbia where he lives a life of sadhana and devotion.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: “- Yoga and Sufism" with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - March 27, 2025
2025-03-27 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – March 27, 2025
” Yoga and Sufism” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Yoga and Sufism” with Gary Gran
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Please join us for an evening of Sufi stories, jokes, poetry, prayers, history, inspiration, and meditation!
Yoga and Sufism have much in common. They can be practiced in a religious context, but they are not religions. They can be described as two of the ‘unifying streams in religion’, representing the philosophy, art and science of pure spirituality. They are methods of practice, or pathways that point us to the inner experience of unity, truth, love, and harmony with all that is.
Even though Sufism has been described as the mystical teachings of Islam, its roots began long before the advent of Islam. Sufism contains elements from Hellenistic, Hermetic, Christian, Jewish, Arab, Turkish, Persian, and Indian sources. It is a beautiful expression of the Perennial Wisdom that can be traced in all the spiritual traditions of the world.
“If anybody asks you, ‘What is Sufism?’ … you may answer: ‘Sufism is the religion of the heart, the religion in which the most important thing is to seek God in the heart of humanity.’
~Hazrat Inayat Khan~

Both Swami Rama and Swami Veda stressed the universality of world’s spiritual traditions. They taught the importance of understanding various traditions, their basic philosophies and their practices.
“Knowledge of various paths leads you to form your own conviction. The more you know, the more you decide to learn. When you have sharpened the faculty of discrimination, you firmly tread your path without any doubts.”
~Swami Rama~
“Living With the Himalayan Masters”
“A qualified preceptor in the Himalayan tradition… should be able to see the association between the Himalayan Tradition and other paths, such as those of the Sufis, the Tao, Ch’an, Zen, theraveda, Tibetan, Christian and others – together with their basic texts and historical backgrounds.”
~Swami Veda Bharati ~
“The Himalayan Tradition of Yoga Meditation”

Please join us as we contemplate the beauty of the Sufi teachings.
All are welcome.
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1985 workshop and will be sharing theteachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "Writing and Reading as Personal Practice" with Michelle Skally Doilney - April 3, 2025
2025-04-03 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – April 3, 2025
“Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation -TBD
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for a talk with Michelle Skally Doilney as she speaks about the benefits and the hows of using reading and writing as a personal practice. She will read examples from her own unedited notebooks and travel journals, as well as from Living with a Himalayan Master. Michelle will share benefits and how-tos of writing practice as another way to witness mind, to experience non-judgement and non-attachment. Bring your pen and paper for a short experience.
If you have further interest, Michelle will also be teaching an extended workshop on writing practice on April 5, 2025. 10:00-11:30 a.m., “Writing is for Everybody. Part II”
Michelle Skally Doilney is a student and initiate in the Himalayan Tradition since 1997. She is a lifelong writer and a longtime student studying in-person with Natalie Goldberg, writing teacher and author of Writing Down the Bones and her latest, Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Inner Voice. Michelle is currently consulting and teaching feng shui, yoga, and writing practice. She is working on several writing and art projects drawing from her love of travel and photography.
www.practicalenvironments.com

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "Yoga and the Beatitudes" with Cynthia Gran - April 1, 2025
2025-04-17 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – April 17, 2025
“Yoga and the Beatitudes” with Cynthia Gran DAy, E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m. “Yoga and the Beatitudes” with Cynthia Gran
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
The Beatitudes are eight phrases spoken over two thousand years ago by Jesus of Nazareth to his closest disciples. They comprise a “beautiful prose poem” which praises “those who have attained spiritual heights” and offers “the seeker instruction on how to transform” oneself. “These lessons are reminiscent of similar teachings such as the Ten Commandments, Buddha’s eightfold path, and the ten restraints and observances (yamas and niyamas) described in the Yoga Sutras.” We will discuss these phrases from the view of a variety of scholars and see how they are still valid in today’s world. Please join us for a spiritually uplifting discussion. All are welcome.
Quotes derived from Arpita’s book Psychology of the Beatitudes
Cynthia Gran, DAy, E-RYT 500, YACEP, has been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. Cynthia and her husband, Gary, DAy. CYT, first attended the old Glenview Center in Illinois where they met and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently in Minnesota for the summer teaching at The Meditation Center. They enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.

Thursday Satsang in Person and Via Zoom: "Musika Medica" with Maja Radovanlija and Molly Sturges - April 24, 2025
2025-04-24 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In-Person and Via Zoom – April 24, 2025
“Musika Medica” with Maja Radovanlija and Molly Sturges
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.:“Musika Medica” with Maja Radovanlija and Molly Sturges
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Everyone is welcome!!!

About Musika Medica
Musika Medica is a women-led improvisational music, collective healing and meditation project that weaves together deep listening, musical exploration, and embodied inquiry. Rooted in the practice of attunement, the project responds organically to each unique context, creating experiences that transcend traditional performance boundaries. By collaborating with guest musicians, storytellers, and diverse community voices, Musika Medica crafts immersive concerts, workshops, and restorative performances that invite rest, reflection, and creative wondering.
Founders
Maja Radovanlija is a versatile guitarist and musical explorer whose artistic journey spans continents and musical traditions. Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1975, she brings nearly two decades of classical guitar training from Eastern Europe, and Indiana University, Bloomington. Her musical path has been defined by a rich tapestry of collaborations that traverse diverse genres, from Balkan traditional music to jazz, intuitive free improvisation, and experimental soundscapes. Radovanlija is an active member of multiple distinguished ensembles, including the Szilard Mezéi ensemble, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Ensemble Studio6, MM Guitar duo, the Linda Chatterton-Radovanlija guitar/flute duo, and the Satu Jiwa improvised music collective. Her innovative approach to music-making reflects a deep commitment to cross-cultural musical dialogue and creative expression.
Molly Sturges is a healing-centered composer, soundrest artist, musical improviser, meditation teacher, and community healing facilitator, with over three decades working at the intersection of music, ceremony infused improvisation, collective healing, contemplative practice, and social justice. A United States Artist Fellow in Music, Molly brings depth and innovation to her research and creative endeavors. She has led and participated in a wide range projects including community sourced arts activations, creating and performing music for circus, sound installation creation, directing creative music ensembles and creating-directing Lifesongs, an intergenerationald music and end of life project for over twelve years. Currently Molly serves as a senior researcher in music and health and as founder/director of Waking The Oracle, an arts, earth kinship, and wellbeing project at University of Minnesota’s Medical School and Center for Spirituality & Healing. www.mollysturges.com
CONTACT
Maja Radovanlija, mradovan@umn.edu , 763-300-9795
Molly Sturges, mollysturges@gmail.com , 505-660-9473

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "An Embarrassment of Blessings" with Michael Smith - May 8, 2025
2025-05-08 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – May 8, 2025
May 8, 2025
“An Embarrassment of Blessings” with Michael Smith
7:00-8:30 p.m. CT
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:oo-:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-830 p.m.: “Miscellaneous Metaphysical Musings” with Michael Smith
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Join us on Thursday, May 8th, for a wonderful night of readings and contempalation with Michael Smith. Michael will read passages from his favorite books in the Tradition, accompanied by interesting stories of his own experiences.
Michel has been practicing & teaching yoga for over 50 years and is currently a curriculum coordinator for the International Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association. He has also been certified by the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association and the Behram Guard School of Yoga Meditation (an Iyengar-based Hatha Yoga School). He was a public school teacher for 35 years and also a professor of Comparative Religion at North Hennepin Community College. He has edited and/or illustrated several books on yoga and has lectured widely on stress management (the topic of his Masters Thesis) and also on holistic health. His main work has been to transcribe and to get the teachings of Swami Rama, Swami Veda and the Himalayan teachers out to as many people as possible.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In-Person and via Zoom: "My Experiences at the Maha Khumba Mela" with Maja Radovanlija - May 15, 2025
2025-05-15 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In-Person and via Zoom
May 15, 2025
“My Experiences at the Maha Khumba Mela” with Maja Radovanlija
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation Swami Ma Radha Bharati
“My Experiences at the Maha Khumba Mela” with Maja Radovanlija
7:30-8:30 p.m.:
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Details to come,

Maja Radovanlija is a versatile guitarist and musical explorer whose artistic journey spans continents and musical traditions. Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1975, she brings nearly two decades of classical guitar training from Eastern Europe, and Indiana University, Bloomington. Her musical path has been defined by a rich tapestry of collaborations that traverse diverse genres, from Balkan traditional music to jazz, intuitive free improvisation, and experimental soundscapes. Radovanlija is an active member of multiple distinguished ensembles, including the Szilard Mezéi ensemble, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Ensemble Studio6, MM Guitar duo, the Linda Chatterton-Radovanlija guitar/flute duo, and the Satu Jiwa improvised music collective. Her innovative approach to music-making reflects a deep commitment to cross-cultural musical dialogue and creative expression

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "How to Live Our Yogic Principles in Times of Uncertainty" with Stephen Parker (Stoma) Psy.D., E-RYT 500 - May 22, 2025
2025-05-22 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang – May 22, 2025
Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC
“How to Live Our Yogic Principles in Times of Uncertainty”
Stephen Parker (Stoma) Psy.D., E-RYT 500
7:00-8:30 p.m. CT
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “How to Live Our Yogic Principles in Times of Uncertainty”
with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us on Thursday, May 22nd, for an inspiring talk by Stoma on how we can maintain balance and equanimity through yogic principles in times of change and uncertainty.
Stephen Parker (Stoma) was initiated in the Himalayan Yoga tradition by Swami Veda Bharati and was given the initiate name Stoma in 1971. Among the first teachers certified by the Himalayan International Teachers’ Association, H.I.T.A., he began teaching hatha-yoga in 1974. Stoma is a Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500-hour level of the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500). A member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, he serves on the faculties of the Meditation Center in Minneapolis and the Sadhanamandir and Sadhaka Gram ashrams in Rishikesh, India.
He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program. He has lectured on yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Caribbean countries, Holland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, and India. In 2004 he helped originate and teach the first course on yoga in an American medical school at the University of Minnesota Academic Medical Center. In 2007 he received took preliminary vows of renunciation from Swami Veda and the Shankaracharya of Karvirapitha.
Stoma has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also served as Adjunct Assistant School Professor of Counseling and Psychological Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. He has taught on the faculty of the Introductory Workshops of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis. In addition to authoring journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the “Yoga-sutras of Patanjali” and he has been a peer review editor for the “Journal of Men’s Studies,” the “American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,” and the “International Journal of Yoga Therapy.”

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page. Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom: "Introduction to the 2025 40-Day Spiritual Festival" - May 29, 2025
2025-05-29 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – May 29, 2025
Introduction to the 40-Day Spiritual Festival 2025
TMC Spiritual Committee
June 1- July 10 (Guru Purnima), 2025
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Introduction to the 40-Day Spiritual Festival 2025
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Like a Benevolent Mother, She guides and protects those on the Path of Yoga – Path of Wisdom. With sattvic intention and affirmation: “May I attain the Highest Purpose of Life – Here and Now.”

Join us for an in-person talk on the theme of the 2025 40-Day Spiritual Festival on Thursday, May 29th. This special satsang will also be offered via Zoom to those who can not join in person at The Center.
The TMC Spiritual Committee will introduce the 40-Days Spiritual Festival which begins on June 1st and concludes on Guru Purnima, July 10th. They will discuss the history and purpose of the festival; and how our sankalpas and tapas in our chosen practices will inform our spiritual unfoldment during the “Decade of Loving Transformation” leading to SVB’s 100th Birthday in 2033.
The festival is 40-days of purification of all aspects of our being through chosen practices.
Some options for practices are :
Begin or increase the Sangha Ganesha mantra japa…practice embodying Ganesha in stillness, in his stillness.
Decrease screen time, especially in the evening; put down the phone, turn off the computer.
Find ways to honor Earth Mother: walk in silence in the woods, feed the wild animals, nourish the ants, pick up trash in nature, contemplate one of the five elements in nature.
Fast one day a week, could be partial fasting or simply eliminating one preferred food item.
Contemplate that which helps you be still.
Do self-study and journal your experiences.
Study “Sutra 1.33,” the Brahma Viharas, especially Upeksha (equanimity in the face of evil.)

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page. Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "The Mystic and Tantra" with Charles B Crenshaw Jr. M.S., M.Div.W., C-IAYT - June 19, 2025
2025-06-19 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – June 19, 2025
“The Mystic and Tantra”
with Charles B Crenshaw Jr. M.S., M.Div.W., C-IAYT
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “The Mystic and Tantra” with Charles B Crenshaw Jr. M.S., M.Div.W., C-IAYT
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Let’s explore the connections between tradition and mysticism looking at the origins of mysticism and tantra through what might be called an interfaith lens, but truly through the lens of non-dual awareness. Charles is particularly suited for this discussion as he was trained as an interfaith minister in his younger years.
CHARLES CRENSHAW
Charles B Crenshaw Jr. M.S., M.Div.W., C-IAYT a graduate of the Program in Eastern Studies, Comparative Psychology that Swami Rama founded, is an ordained interfaith minister and was co-director of the Himalayan Institute New York City for several years with his wife, Carol. After retreating at Sadhana Mandir Trust (Swami Rama’s ashram) in
1994, he worked at Himalayan Hospital Trust Rehab department doing yoga therapy. Currently he assists with the Teachers Transformation Program for SRSG, when needed, and is on the board of the non-profit educational organization he and his wife co-founded.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom: “The Moon" with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - June 26, 2025
2025-06-26 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang – June 26, 2025
The speaker will join us in person at TMC
The talk will be live-streamed via Zoom
“The Moon” with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
Everyone is Welcome!
7:00-8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Gary Gran
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “The Moon” with Gary Gran
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Who hasn’t experienced the beauty of the moon in the night sky? All cultures speak of the moon. Science tells us the moon has a strong influence on the tides and life on earth. The poets speak of the moon’s cooling rays and her radiant beauty. Jyotish, the astrological science of light, calls the moon “the Queen of Heaven.” The moon waxes and wanes month by month, creating a powerful ritam, the rhythm of nature here on earth. Ayurveda, the science of the life-force, recognizes the moon as a magnetic force-field, a living presence, and the very juice or soma of our life. And in yoga, the moon is equated with manas, our mind.
Please join us for this evening’s reflection upon the moon, her influence, her beauty, and her many mysteries. We will draw from the teachings of Ayurveda, yoga and astrology to help illuminate the moon within and without.
Swami Veda once posed the question, ‘How do we know the moon is beautiful?
Because there is a moon within us!’
Then quoting the Visvasara Tantra:
‘Whatever is in the universe, is in the body; whatever is in the body is in the universe.
What is here is elsewhere. What is not here is nowhere else.’
“Who will reflect the purest moon in the lake of his mind?” –
Ryokan (1758-1831)
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1985 workshop and will be sharing theteachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Live-Streamed Via Zoom: “Meditations from the Upanishads" with Gary Gran CYT, DAy - July 24, 2025
2025-07-24 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang – July 24, 2025
The speaker will join us in person at TMC
The talk will also be live-streamed via Zoom
“Thursday, July 24: “Meditations from the Upanishads” with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
Everyone is Welcome!
7:00-8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Meditations from the Upanishads” with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Gary Gran will talk about a seminar on the Upanishads that Swami Veda gave at the Glenview Center years ago.
On June 10, 1984, Swami Veda, then known as Dr. Usharbudh Arya, presented a workshop called “Meditations from the Upanishads” at the Himalayan Institute of Glenview in Glenview, Illinois. The room was packed.
Drawing primarily from the oldest Upanishads, the Brihadāranyaka and the Chāndogya, which date from at least the 15th century BC, Swami Veda explained that there are 33 major vidyas (sciences or meditations) contained in the Upanishads. The Upanishads, as part of the ancient Vedic tradition, are well known as philosophical texts. However, the meditative aspect of the tradition is lesser known, and the meditations themselves are only passed down from teacher to student. As Swami Veda explained: “there is a whole different tradition that is the initiatory tradition in which the internal meaning is experiential…the experience of internal presence. This experience of internal presence is called the path of Upasana, practicing the presence of God.”
Swami Veda then detailed and led the participants through several of the meditations, and taught us how to improve our daily meditation practice. He even provided a shortcut!
“The idea and the hope is that it will open a new way of looking at the world, a different perspective about the world in which you live, so that your life, your appreciation of the unitary aspects of this natural world, with the unity of the spirit within you, that becomes clearer; in one way or another, a little.” – Swami Veda~
During tonight’s satsang, we will share these universal teachings from personal notes taken during the workshop, along with some short readings from the Upanishads. Please join us as we ponder the unitary message of the Upanishadic tradition as presented by Swami Veda. All are welcome.
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1985 workshop and will be sharing theteachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently wintering in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Live-Streamed Via Zoom: Stories of a Journey to Beautiful Peru with Swami Radha, Mariella Silva, Silvia Baratta, Lori Beron, Chetna Tandon, and Carol Crenshaw. - July 31, 2025
2025-07-31 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang via Zoom – July 31, 2025
Stories of a Journey to Beautiful Peru with
Swami Radha, Mariella Silva, Silvia Baratta, Lori Beron,
Chetna Tandon, and Carol Crenshaw.
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Everyone is Welcome!
7:00-8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Stories of a Journey to Beautiful Peru with Swami Radha, Mariella Silva, Silvia Baratta,
Lori Beron, Chetna Tandon, and Carol Crenshaw.
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: Ayurvedic Study Group:"Ayurveda Study Group: The Three Roots" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on August 21, 2025 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CT
2025-08-21 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – August 21, 2025
“Ayurveda Study Group: The Three Roots”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CdT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Nikki Strong
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group “Ayurveda Study Group: The Three Roots”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Please join us for our group study of Ayurveda, the science of life and longevity. In tonight’s session we’ll be reading sutras from the 7th chapter of the “Charaka Samhita” which discuss our basic urges – which ones to express, which ones to moderate, and which ones to suppress. From there we’ll introduce what are called the three roots, or the underlying causes that perpetuate suffering in the world, drawing from Buddhist commentaries and the “Yoga Sutras.”
“There are various modes and levels of suffering, but ignorance is the mother of all.” – Bengali Baba
Ayurveda teaches that eliminating the cause, cutting the root, is the best cure, but that’s not always possible. So, we’ll be reflecting on how to best live in this world, reduce suffering, and foster peace. Please bring your “beginner’s mind” and join us as we listen deeply to the words of the sages and share our reflections.
Participation is invited! Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
.Gary & Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona, and are currently in summer residence in Minneapolis.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Bodhicāryāvatāra," (The Way of the Bodhisattva) presented by Stephen Parker PsyD, E-RYT 500, 7:00-8:30 p.m. on August 28, 2025 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CT
2025-08-28 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – August 28, 2025
Bodhicāryāvatāra, (The Way of the Bodhisattva)
presented by Stephen Parker PsyD, E-RYT 500, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Stephen Parker PsyD, E-RYT 500
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Bodhicāryāvatāra, (The Way of the Bodhisattva) w/ Stephen Parker PsyD, E-RYT 500
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

A discussion of the text …Bodhicāryāvatāra, (The Way of the Bodhisattva) to prepare for the in-depth study of the text with Stoma beginning September 8th.. a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, bodhi (‘awakening’, ‘enlightenment’) or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or bodhi in order to compassionately help other individuals reach Buddhahood. Courtesy of Wikipedia .org.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "The Life of a Swami" with Swami Ritavan and Swami Yatidharmananda - September 4, 2025
2025-09-04 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang – September 4, 2025
“The Life of a Swami”
with Swami Ritavan and Swami Yatidharmananda
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Swami Ritavan and Swami Yatidharmananda will be presenting
in person at TMC and live-streamed via Zoom.
Everyone is welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Yoga with Cynthia Gran
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ritavan Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “The Life of a Swami” Swami Ritavan & Special Guest Speaker, Swami Yatidharmananda
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Special guest speaker, Swami Yatidharmananda , and Swami Ritavan will talk on the life of a Swami, renunciation as an attitude for daily life, includes a short video on the life of Swami Atmananda.
Swami Yatidharmananda is a globally recognised Yogi from India and is the founder of Swami Chidananda Sevashram. The Sevashram is a Socio-Spiritual Organization dedicated to the life and teachings of Gurudev Swami Chidanandaji. He conducts workshops on Relaxation and Meditation, Sings Kirtans and loves to share inspiring stories of his life transformative journey. He has also developed unique and impactful programs that heal, empower and transform you to tackle challenges in day to day lives. He dedicated himself to the service of his Guru Swami Chidananda Saraswati and was blessed to be with him 24X7 for many years… read more here. Courtesy of Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco.
Swami Ritavan Bharati has lived a life dedicated to serving Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati since 1970. After having been initiated at the age of 20, he transited through all the three Ashrams of Vedic life (Brahmacharya, Grihastha, and Vanaprastha) under the direct guidance of Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati. He was then initiated into Sanyasa in 2007.
He holds master’s degrees in Management, Education, Holistic Philosophy, and Eastern Studies. A highly experienced yoga meditation practitioner, he has conducted and guided numerous silence and meditation retreats throughout the world and has been instrumental in guiding the international Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program (HYT-TTP). He is also a Mantra Initiator within the Tradition of the Himalayan Masters. Swami Veda Bharati chose Swami Ritavan Bharati as his successor; as the Ashram Pramukha and Spiritual Guide of SRSG and the AHYMSIN community, before he took Mahasamadhi in 2015. A man of few words, his primary focus is on the inner life. Courtesy of AHYMSIN.org.

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: "Images and Stories of My Recent Trip to India Part III with Sunita Gangopadhyay - October 2, 2025
2025-10-02 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – October 2, 2025
“Images and Stories of My Recent Trip to India – Part IV
with Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Lori Beron
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Images and Stories of My Recent Trip to India – Part IV
with Sunita Gangopadhyay
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join Sunita Gangopadhyay for an evening of stories and beautiful images of her recent visit to India.
Sunita Gangopadhyay, President of The Meditation Center, has been associated with The Meditation Center since 2006, and was initiated in the tradition in 2011. Native of India, Sunita moved to the US in 1987 for graduate studies (Physics). She has had a keen interest in spirituality, meditation, and yoga for many years. Teachings of the Himalayan Tradition as well as Sunday Satsang with Michael Smith and Jim Nelson have immensely helped deepen her practice and navigate through a busy home and work life. Whenever she gets an opportunity, she visits the SRSG Ashram at Rishikesh, India. One of her passions is to take the learning of the tradition to a wider part of the community as well as be of greater service to the center for years ahead. Sunita is married and has two children. She was an Executive in Research and Development department of Seagate Technology.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: Miscellaneous Mystical Musings...including Swami Sarvapriyananda’s discussion of FIVE PARABLES OF VEDANTA with Michael Smith - October 21, 2025
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC
October 16, 2025
Miscellaneous Mystical Musings…including Swami Sarvapriyananda’s
discussion of FIVE PARABLES OF VEDANTA with Michael Smith
Everyone is Welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:oo-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Miscellaneous Mystical Musings, including Swami Sarvapriyananda’s lecture on FIVE PARABLES OF VEDANTA with Michael Smith
8:30 p.m.: Evening Chants
8:40 p.m.: Tea and Snacks

Join us on Thursday, October 21, for a wonderful night of readings and contemplation with Michael Smith. Michael will read passages from his favorite books in the Tradition, accompanied by interesting stories of his own experiences.
Michael is a child’s of the 1960s, where an entire generation was intent on breaking out of the “paradigm paralysis” of conventional, status quo thinking — the collective “default mode network.” All the great teachings, such as those in the YOGA VASISHTHA, try to do this.
If you have seen Swami Sarvapriyananda’s FIVE PARABLES OF VEDANTA,that’s the way he’d like to go. He will talk about adhyropa apavada, which is the Vedantic dismantling of a misconception.
Adhyropa apavada is most beautifully taught through little jewel-like stories, folk tales, parables, metaphorical images, and even jokes!
All of the great spiritual teachers have had a vast storehouse of such stories. Many are classics which many people have not heard, or are stories who have been forgotten — It will be a night of the oldies-but-goodies!
In this presentation, there will also be many diagrams and pictures and photos and symbols that he’d like to show. Michael doesn’t have any expertise in anything like Power Point etc, so he’ll just show them on the screen — and hopefully they will show up okay on the screen and on the Vimeo recordings.

Michael Smith has been practicing & teaching yoga for over 50 years and is currently a curriculum coordinator for the International Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association. He has also been certified by the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association and the Behram Guard School of Yoga Meditation (an Iyengar-based Hatha Yoga School). He was a public school teacher for 35 years and also a professor of Comparative Religion at North Hennepin Community College. He has edited and/or illustrated several books on yoga and has lectured widely on stress management (the topic of his Masters Thesis) and also on holistic health. His main work has been to transcribe and to get the teachings of Swami Rama, Swami Veda and the Himalayan teachers out to as many people as possible.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang in Person and Via Zoom: "Musika Medica" with Maja Radovanlija, Molly Sturges, and Sara Pajunen - October 23, 2025
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In-Person and Via Zoom – October 23, 2025
“Musika Medica” with with Maja Radovanlij, Molly Sturges, and Sara Pajunen
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Musika Medica” with with Maja Radovanlija, Molly Sturges and Sara Pajunen
8:30 p.m.: Evening Chants
8:40 p.m.: Tea and Snacks
Everyone is welcome!!!

About Musika Medica
Musika Medica is a women-led improvisational music, collective healing and meditation project that weaves together deep listening, musical exploration, and embodied inquiry. Rooted in the practice of attunement, the project responds organically to each unique context, creating experiences that transcend traditional performance boundaries. By collaborating with guest musicians, storytellers, and diverse community voices, Musika Medica crafts immersive concerts, workshops, and restorative performances that invite rest, reflection, and creative wondering.
Founders
Maja Radovanlija is a versatile guitarist and musical explorer whose artistic journey spans continents and musical traditions. Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1975, she brings nearly two decades of classical guitar training from Eastern Europe, and Indiana University, Bloomington. Her musical path has been defined by a rich tapestry of collaborations that traverse diverse genres, from Balkan traditional music to jazz, intuitive free improvisation, and experimental soundscapes. Radovanlija is an active member of multiple distinguished ensembles, including the Szilard Mezéi ensemble, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Ensemble Studio6, MM Guitar duo, the Linda Chatterton-Radovanlija guitar/flute duo, and the Satu Jiwa improvised music collective. Her innovative approach to music-making reflects a deep commitment to cross-cultural musical dialogue and creative expression.
Molly Sturges is a healing-centered composer, soundrest artist, musical improviser, meditation teacher, and community healing facilitator, with over three decades working at the intersection of music, ceremony infused improvisation, collective healing, contemplative practice, and social justice. A United States Artist Fellow in Music, Molly brings depth and innovation to her research and creative endeavors. She has led and participated in a wide range projects including community sourced arts activations, creating and performing music for circus, sound installation creation, directing creative music ensembles and creating-directing Lifesongs, an intergenerationald music and end of life project for over twelve years. Currently Molly serves as a senior researcher in music and health and as founder/director of Waking The Oracle, an arts, earth kinship, and wellbeing project at University of Minnesota’s Medical School and Center for Spirituality & Healing. www.mollysturges.com
Sara Pajunen is an interdisciplinary artist based in Minnesota (USA), specializing in music and the sonic arts.
Her work blends folk traditions (violin, hardanger d’amore, voice), still and moving imagery, environmental recordings, and improvisation. Born into the immigrant culture of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range, Pajunen’s artistic practice is driven by the interactions of her ancestral roots, American cultural histories, and a deep connection to environments through sound. While questioning dominant American narratives, she searches for long-rhythm values and uncovers beauty and familiarity in the overlooked.
As a composer and improviser, Pajunen challenges conventional boundaries between noise and music, using sound to alter our perception of the physical world. She has studied composition and improvisation with Tanya Kalmanovitch, Anthony Coleman, and Ted Reichman and environmental recording with Chris Watson, Jez Riley French, and Jana Winderen. Longterm project Mine Songs: Sounding an Altered Landscape explores the transformed environment of the Mesabi Iron Range, investigating the fissure in our relationship with the earth and the complex stories we tell ourselves (or have been told) about history, power, identity, and agency. Works from Mine Songs have been presented on stage, in galleries, and as a 2024 audio album.
Steeped in both folk and classical music since childhood, Pajunen has studied folk traditions extensively in the Nordic countries [with Arto Järvelä and Ritva Talvitie (Finland), Benedicte Maurseth and Knut Hamre (Norway), and Mats Edén (Sweden)] and has released six audio albums that use traditional music in progressive yet reverent ways.
Pajunen has performed extensively in Europe and North America and her work has received funding from the Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Kone Foundation, New Music USA, American Scandinavian Foundation, and the Arts Council of Finland – amongst others. She holds classical music degrees in both the United States and Finland, and a Master of Music in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory.
CONTACT
Maja Radovanlija, mradovan@umn.edu , 763-300-9795
Molly Sturges, mollysturges@gmail.com , 505-660-9473
