• Yogananda was the first great master of yoga to make his home in the West, coming to the U.S. from India in 1920 and living here until his passing. Ananda is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and his line of gurus.

• Swami Sri Yukteswar is the guru of Paramhansa Yogananda and a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya. He met Babaji in 1894, who told him that one of his disciples was to be sent to America to share the teachings of yoga with the West. He did not have many disciples as he was known for his strictness, however, he had two ashrams, one in Serampore and one in Puri. He is author of The Holy Science. 

• Lahiri Mahasaya is a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji and known for making Kriya Yoga widely available. He met Babaji in 1861 when he was 33 and received the technique of Kriya Yoga from him. He wished to become a monk, but he was married with children and Babaji told him that his mission was to be a householder yogi. He had many disciples, including Swami Sri Yukteswar and the parents of Paramhansa Yogananda.

• Mahavatar Babaji is the guru of Lahiri Mahasaya and the one who re-introduced the ancient science of Kriya Yoga, which was lost during the Dark Ages. Paramhansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi first introduced the world to this mysterious master. Still alive and residing in the Himalayas for centuries or even thousands of years, Babaji has been a guide for great spiritual teachers carry out their special dispensations. For this reason he is called a mahavatar, a great incarnation of God. 

• "In the divine plan, Jesus Christ was responsible for the evolution of the West, and Krishna (later, Babaji), for that of the East. It was intended that the West specialize in developing objectively, through logic and reason, and that the East specialize in inner, intuitive development. But in the cosmic plan the time has come to combine these two lines into one. East and West must unite."
  —Paramhansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi
  
  The presence of Jesus on the altar is more than just a courtesy to Westerners. Yogananda said it was Jesus himself who appeared to Babaji and asked him to send this teaching of Self-realization to the West. At that meeting, Yogananda tells us, Jesus said, “My followers have forgotten the art of divine inner communion. Outwardly they do good works, but they have lost sight of the most important of my teachings, ‘to seek the kingdom of God first.’”

Our centre itself is located in Sydney region of NSW, but we are considered a hybrid community, with most of our offerings online as well as in person when possible. We also have smaller meditation groups and devotees in parts of Australia, including Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Canberra. We are here to connect you with other devotees and support you on your journey. When you connect on our WhatsApp (link in website footer below), we can offer to connect you with others in your area for our MINDFUL MEET-UPS (monthly get-togethers for fun and upliftment).

This is a great question. There are many great books explaining the formation of Ananda, but essentially, SRF, wanted to continue with a more monastic community built around the origins of the early 1900s when Yogananda first established the SRF communities. In the few years before his passing, Yogananda expressed his vision for the necessity of world brotherhood communities where people could build energy around high thinking and simple living, whilst protecting themselves from the coming predicted catastrophes of the world in this new Yuga. We encourage you to reach more if you are interested, here.