Meet the Founder

Swami Shankarananda

Awake Yoga Meditation was founded by our beloved teacher, Swami Shankarananda. In 1974, his teacher, Swami Premananda, blessed the inauguration of what was then called Divine Life Church of Absolute Monism. 

Swami Shankarananda was devoted to serving God with all his heart, strength, and mind. He lived in pure consciousness, pure love, dedication, and service. He was also brilliant, funny, and humble, filled with light and laughter, inspiration and kindness, gorgeous pure spiritual energy.

In 1995, he created the Universal Swami Order, which continues the Ancient Swami Order and includes women as well as men, married as well as unmarried devotees. Initiation into the Universal Swami Order signifies a commitment to the ideals of Vedanta, spiritual Oneness, unconditional love and service, and to our meditation community.   

He loved the yogic teachings that guide us to see the Divine everywhere, in everyone, and everything. And he lived that ideal. His mission was to distill the truth so that it reached hearts, so that it was divine nectar we could all partake of. With generosity and good humor, he guided us to put the truth into practice, to love with our entire beings, to share of ourselves, to be of service. 

Swami Shankarananda left the body on November 24, 2014. He appointed as his successor Swami Nityananda, who follows joyfully the path he blazed for all of us. As his successor, she is the one authorized to share Kriya Yoga.      

Swami Shankarananda Teachings on The Bliss Blog