About SRF Online Meditation Center
– Paramahansa Yogananda
Self-Realization Fellowship
Since 1920, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) has been dedicated to carrying on the spiritual and humanitarian work of its founder, Paramahansa Yogananda, widely revered as the father of Yoga in the West.
SRF is a worldwide spiritual organization with international headquarters in Los Angeles. It is the source for the universal, nonsectarian teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. The society seeks to foster a spirit of greater understanding and goodwill among the diverse peoples and religions of our global family, and to help those of all cultures and nationalities to realize and express more fully in their lives the beauty, nobility, and divinity of the human spirit.
Among the principal activities of Self-Realization Fellowship is the creation and oversight of temples, centers, and meditation groups around the world. There are currently more than 800 such locations on six continents, where practitioners come together for yoga meditation as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda. (Centers and activities in India and surrounding countries are part of our sister organization, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.)
About the Online Meditation Center
The Self-Realization Fellowship Online Meditation Center is an official center of Self-Realization Fellowship. Officially launched by SRF/YSS President Brother Chidananda in October 2019, it was designed, built, and is maintained through the generosity and kindness of a devoted group of SRF/YSS lay members. As with all SRF centers and meditation groups, this online venue is overseen by the monastics in the Center Department at our International Headquarters.
Through the Online Meditation Center, SRF offers regularly scheduled online group meditations. Now, devotees from across the world, as well as friends of SRF can join weekly group meditations online led by SRF and YSS monastics in several different languages, as well as lay member led meditations and online study groups of the SRF/YSS Lessons and Paramahansa Yogananda’s commentary on the scriptures.
SRF and YSS volunteers from around the world have organized together to staff this global meditation center serving as lay meditation leaders, online usher technicians, scheduling and calendar support personnel, as well as many other supporting roles, all under the guidance of SRF Center Department. If you are a SRF/YSS Kriyaban interested in volunteering at the SRF Online Meditation Center, we invite you to register for the Volunteer Portal here.
The SRF Online Meditation Center has conducted special events such as one-day online silent retreats led by SRF and YSS monastics and 24-hour monastic-led meditations, and continues to expand its services to include online meditations conducted in different global languages, convenient for devotees joining from across various time zones.
The initial year of the SRF Online Meditation Center’s launch was a journey of many “firsts”!
“Nothing could be created or accomplished by anybody unless it was first born in the mind of God. ”
-Paramahansa Yogananda
SRF Online Meditation Center announced at 2019 SRF World Convocation
SRF/YSS President Brother Chidananda announced the creation of the SRF Online Meditation Center with the promise that the OMC would launch its first public online meditation soon.
Brother Chidananda conducts inaugural launch of the SRF Online Meditation Center
The first SRF online meditation was inaugurated by SRF/YSS President Brother Chidananda on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Watch the inaugural meditation here.
SRF Monastics begin leading services at the SRF Online Meditation Center
January 2020 marked the beginning of monastic-led meditations and 3-hour long Saturday meditations at the SRF Online Meditation Center.
Online meditation attendance balloons to over 19,000 attendees per week in wake of global health crisis
Due to the COVID-19 global health crisis and the temporary closure of SRF and YSS locations around the world, the SRF Online Meditation Center saw an attendance increase from about 4,000 attendees per week to over 19,000 per week.
SRF Online Meditation Center hosts first one-day online retreat led by Monastics
Thousands of SRF/YSS devotees joined together May 30 for a historic online daylong retreat filled with meditation, study, prayers, video and audio presentations all focused on the noble truth “The Kingdom of God is Within You.”
SRF holds historic 24-hour meditation led by SRF and YSS Monastics
This continuous 24-hour meditation was a historic event led by SRF and YSS Monastics and facilitated by SRF/YSS volunteers around the world.
The remarkable online 24-hour meditation service united SRF and YSS as never before.