Nayaswami Ramani, along with Brahmacharini Rose, serves as Spiritual Director for Ananda South Bay. Ramani is an Ananda Minister and has been sharing — for nearly 30 years — the yoga and meditation teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of Yogi. After finding Ananda in San Francisco in the 1980′s, Ramani co-founded and co-directed Ananda’s Meditation Center in Berekely. She also served for years at the Ananda Palo Alto community. She also served at Ananda India for most of its 10 years of existence. In her classes, Ramani shares her depth of experience of meditation and life. She has two grown children. Ramani trained and worked for years in physical therapy; she is also an avid gardener and permaculturist.
Brahmacharini Rose, along with Nayaswami Ramani, serves as Spiritual Director for Ananda South Bay. Rose is an Ananda Minister and a founding member of Ananda South Bay, having started with the center the month it opened in 2002. After completing her training, she taught yoga and meditation classes here for the next 5 years. Rose then spent 5 more years at Ananda Los Angeles, serving as a core member, and lived for 2 years in Ananda LA’s ashram (community) house. She also led for years the Ananda meditation group in Irvine. Rose is a gifted and caring teacher. She has been with Ananda for over a decade and has visited several Ananda communities in the US and in India. Rose has a career in medical diagnostic ultrasound.
Padma Haldar has been a member of Ananda South Bay Center since 2004. She is an Ananda Minister and leads Sunday Services, teaches, and assists with Sunday School at the Center. As a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, she tries to live His teachings the best she can. She is grateful for the spiritual friendship and community she enjoys at the Center. Padma lives in Rancho Palos Verdes with her husband and two daughters. She is also a high school science teacher.
Paul Fetler has been on a committed spiritual path for over 20 years and has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. He is an Ananda Minister and a certified Ananda Yoga Instructor. Through years of consistent yoga practice, Paul has increasingly experienced tremendous healing and transformation in his life on every level: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. With deep joy and gratitude, he shares with others the gifts of the teachings of yoga he continues to experience.
If asked, “What is the best thing that has happened to you?” Mary Hebert would respond, “Learning to meditate.” Mary learned to meditate while attending Ananda’s Yoga Teacher Training program in 2000. That simple, daily practice transformed her life and she is grateful for the opportunity to share with others what her teachers have so generously shared with her. Mary is a certified Ananda Meditation Teacher. She teaches our Learn to Meditate course, and leads the Center’s free Monday night guided meditation and community meditations.