After nearly twenty years of giving realization in rented rooms and on street corners, the Los Angeles collective achieved greater visibility and prestige for Sahaja Yoga by establishing a permanent center in a popular part of the city. The Sahaja Yoga Mediation Center in Sherman Oaks was formally inaugurated on February 26, and is open to the public.
"For years we wanted to present Sahaja Yoga with a really professional image," said Sissy, a long time yogini. "All the other yoga groups have centers and we felt we need one, too."
The grand opening festivities included an introductory talk, a self-realization session, and an Indian music recital by Matt Malley and Steve Day. Refreshments and socializing with newcomers rounded out the evening.
"It feels like everything is changing here," said Anna, who counted 35 new people and about an equal number of yogis.
The center is conveniently located right off a main road, on an attractive side street, flanked by a restaurant and a film company.
The interior room, which holds about 100 people, is handsomely fitted with exposed brick walls and a wood floor, and decorated by the collective with carved cabinetry and oriental rugs. Framed prints of miracle photos and Sahaj history line the walls. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and new seekers are slowly trickling in to the twice daily meetings.
But the yogis hope that many more new people will come. Getting the word out to seekers is still difficult, however, as advertising is costly. Fundraising remains an effort for the small collective. According to the finance committee, local yogis raised over $30,000 to fund the center, an amount barely sufficient to cover its first-year operating budget. Nevertheless, even with the challenges they face, enthusiasm runs high among the yogis.
The new center is the first of its kind in the U.S. and features 1,500 square feet of leased, prime commercial space situated near the juncture of two major freeways in the geographic center of the city. Sahaja Yogis have been manning the center six days a week during both daytime and evening hours since January offering self-realization on a walk-in basis and during formal evening programs conducted in a variety of languages.
Sahaja Yoga is being offered in English, Spanish and Farsi and cultural programs for the surrounding community including music, dance, and other items have been planned throughout the year. The goal is that the center becomes a resource for the community that not only offers self-realization and meditation, but also other activities that can enrich the lives of seekers and give them a greater exposure to Sahaj Culture.
We sincerely thank our Holy Mother from the bottom of our hearts for this golden opportunity to take things to the next level and to present Sahaja Yoga and Shri Mataji in a forum worthy of the most important message of modern times!
For more information about the center, visit
www.sahajayoga.org/usa/LA, or call (818) 986-9857.
JAI SHRI MATAJI !
The Sahaja Yogis of Los Angeles | 
