Ellen Grace O'Brian - Kriya Yoga Teacher and Author

Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian is a teacher in the tradition of Kriya Yoga who makes this ancient philosophy and practice accessible to the modern mind. Through her many books, events, and programs, she inspires both newcomers and experienced practitioners to create lives of abundant wholeness, purpose, and wisdom. She is the founder and spiritual director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (CSE) with headquarters in San Jose, California. CSE is a meditation center and spiritual community in the tradition of Kriya Yoga, based on the teachings Paramahansa Yogananda brought to the U.S. in 1920.

Yogacharya travels internationally as a sought after teacher, speaker, and retreat leader. She leads two successful nonprofit organizations and has been the recipient of several awards for community service, including the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Promotion of Religious Pluralism from the Hindu American Foundation. Just as important, she is a wife, mother, and grandmother. Her life in all of its fullness brings the timeless Vedic teachings out of ancient India and into the modern lifestyle of seekers of all faiths who yearn for a more spiritually conscious, fulfilled way to live.

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The Power of Breathing Pranayama Practice

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The Power of Breathing: Pranayama Practice

The Power of Breathing: Pranayama Practice

One may definitely overcome the obstacles to yoga (samadhi or the realization of wholeness) by the practice of pranayama. – Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.34 Many people who begin to meditate have the idea that they […]

self-surrender

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Kriya Yoga Practice: Self-Surrender

Kriya Yoga Practice: Self-Surrender

The three strategies or practices of Kriya Yoga that Patanjali offers as the way to remove obstructions and cultivate superconsciousness are self-discipline, self-inquiry, and self-surrender. Self-discipline is practiced every day through intentionally joyful living, by […]

Kriya Yoga Practice Self-Inquiry

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Kriya Yoga Practice: Self-Inquiry

Kriya Yoga Practice: Self-Inquiry

The three strategies or practices of Kriya Yoga that Patanjali offers as the way to remove obstructions and cultivate superconsciousness are self-discipline, self-inquiry, and self-surrender. Self-discipline is practiced every day through intentionally joyful living, by […]

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Kriya Yoga Practice: Self-Discipline

Kriya Yoga Practice: Self-Discipline

The three strategies or practices of Kriya Yoga that Patanjali offers as the way to remove obstructions and cultivate superconsciousness are self-discipline, self-inquiry, and self-surrender. Self-discipline is practiced every day through intentionally joyful living, by […]

self-care

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Self-Care: How to Get Centered and Stay Centered

Self-Care: How to Get Centered and Stay Centered

Environment is stronger than willpower. — Paramahansa Yogananda A successful, thriving, spiritually aware life is best supported by a healthy lifestyle that includes a wholesome diet, sufficient rest, regular exercise, daily meditation, loving relationships, and […]

Yoga wisdom and practice

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Yoga Wisdom and Practice is Relevant to Everyday Life

Yoga Wisdom and Practice is Relevant to Everyday Life

Recently, Yogacharya spoke with Kripalu’s Stephen Cope on her The Yoga Hour podcast at Unity Online Radio. They spoke about his book, “The Wisdom of Yoga” and the ways in which this ancient tradition is […]

meditation practice

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Learn How to Practice Meditation

Learn How to Practice Meditation

Four Stages to Meditation Practice There are four basic stages to meditation practice — like the four movements in a beautiful symphony, they flow together in a great concert of higher awareness. Within these four […]

Connection Between Yoga and Prosperity

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The Connection Between Yoga and Prosperity

The Connection Between Yoga and Prosperity

In her award-winning book, The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga, Yogacharya O’Brian discusses the connection between yoga and prosperity. The concept sometimes surprises spiritual seekers who may think of […]

what is prosperity

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What is Prosperity? – Yoga Teachings on Prosperous Living

What is Prosperity? – Yoga Teachings on Prosperous Living

Yoga Teachings on Prosperous Living, Pt. 1 - Go Ahead, Shine. "We are born to thrive. Life’s prosperity imperative continually supports our awakening and our fulfillment." What is Prosperity? What is prosperity? How can we […]

higher purpose

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Finding Stability and Joy in Uncertain Times

Finding Stability and Joy in Uncertain Times

Lessons for Living Your Higher Purpose with Heart and Meaning: Finding Stability and Joy in Uncertain Times Confronted by the many tensions of our world, many of us ask the question, “How do we live […]