Swami Nityananda, Spiritual Teacher at Awake Yoga Meditation
With love and delight, you are welcome!
We honor and celebrate our spiritual heritage. We bow to the light in Swami Shankarananda, founder of our beautiful meditation community. He appointed Swami Nityananda as his spiritual successor and asked her to teach Kriya yoga, powerful techniques of self-transformation and self-liberation.
All Swamis trace their origins to Adi Shankar, founder of the Universal Swami Order, who codified the teachings of Advaita Vedanta—pure illuminating transmissions of non-dual awareness. We celebrate the teachings of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the way truth and kindness shine in all times and all lands.
We honor Swami Premananda, who taught Swami Shankarananda, and for many decades served and shared light in Bethesda, Maryland. He came over from India in 1928 at the invitation of his teacher, Swami Yogananda, who in turn shared Kriya yoga and yoga philosophy in this country beginning in 1920. Swami Yogananda presents many beautiful tributes to his own teacher, Swami Sri Yukteswar, in the pathbreaking Autobiography of a Yogi. Sri Yukteswar was initiated into Kriya yoga by Lahiri Mahasaya, a powerful and large-minded yogi who began teaching in 1861 at the behest of his teacher, Babaji.
We honor the one Teacher that shares through pure-hearted teachers and teachings—the One that shines and lives within the pure heart and clear awareness of all who love and serve the Divine.
Line of Teachers
Swami Nityananda
Joyfully following the path blazed by her beloved teacher and the founder of our spiritual community, Swami Shankarananda, the presiding Awake Yoga Meditation teacher, Swami Nityananda, emphasizes our connection and oneness with all life, selfless service, meditation, Self-realization, and unconditional love. She is dedicated to helping us apply these ideals in our everyday life and promoting the progress of all beings—our global family. Read full bio→
Swami Shankarananda
The spiritual founder and preceptor of the Divine Life Church of Absolute Oneness in Baltimore. He was the disciple of Swami Premananda. Swami Shankarananda left the body on November 24, 2014. He appointed Swami Nityananda , his most gifted disciple, as his successor. Read full bio→
Swami Premananda
A direct disciple of Swami Yogananda, Swami Premananda established the Self-Revelation Church of Absolute Monism in Washington, D.C. He was the Guru of Swami Shankarananda and sent him with his blessings to Baltimore to disseminate the philosophy and teachings of Absolute Monism, absolute oneness.
Swami Yogananda Paramahansa
A man of dynamic personality, an outstanding yogi, a universalist, and a lover of mankind. He was the first of this line of gurus to come to America. He was the guru of Swami Premananda, ordaining him as a minister in India and later consecrating him as a Swami in America.
Swami Sri Yukteswar
A man of profound wisdom, a great astronomer, and an adept in the science of astrology. He was a self-dedicated humanitarian. He was the guru of Swami Yogananda Paramahansa.
Shyamacharan Lahiri
A worthy disciple of the great master Babaji, he attained the supreme illumination of God-realization while living an exemplary family life. He was the guru of Swami Sri Yukteswar.
Aum Babaji
A guru of divine revelation and a man of supreme compassion, he was the Guru of Shyamacharan Lahiri.