The Supreme Meditation Ashram is established in the ancient tradition of the Gurukula (school of the Guru) which was also known as The Spanda School, so named by the great sage Vasuguptacharya. Our Gurukula is a place of deep self-reflection and ongoing study in the ancient principles and science of spiritual development and transformation.

Ours is a full curriculum based on the ancient, time-honored Siddha path to Total Freedom of Bhagawan Nityananda and his lineage. As such, our curriculum includes the teachings of the Chidakasha Gita, the practices of the established oral tradition of The Spanda School of Vasuguptacharya and the teachings of Trika Shaivism, also known as Kashmir Shaivism. Emphasis is also placed on the practical application of the teachings of the great poet saint Jnaneshwar Maharaj.

Based on the oral tradition of the Siddha Gurus of our lineage, these sacred teachings are highly applicable to modern life. They directly address the woes, struggles and concerns of seekers everywhere today; those who are seeking true peace, joy and freedom of the heart and want to experience these right where they are naturally, inside one's own being.

Our programs are open to people of all faiths and spiritual backgrounds. You do not need to leave your faith, church, synagogue or mosque to practice Supreme Meditation.

OUR CURRICULUM OF STUDY AT A GLANCE

The Supreme Meditation Intensive

The Supreme Meditation Intensive is the start of our curriculum. It is the cornerstone of everything that occurs here. In it, you receive Shaktipat, the necessary spiritual awakening that we call full kundalini awakening, that makes meditation spontaneous, invokes healing and marks the beginning of your Sadhana (spiritual practice under the direct guidance of a Siddha Master.)

Many people return to take additional Supreme Meditation Intensives. They do so to accelerate their spiritual practice and to deepen their experience of the Self. They also experience that their spiritual practice expands and deepens in a spontaneous way, as they come to love and enjoy the benefits of group participation known as Satsang.

All Supreme Meditation Intensives are led by Acharya Kedar and Ashram staff. They are conducted in small groups in a quiet setting.

New-comers to Supreme Meditation are encouraged to attend our introductory course in How to Meditate.

Why Do Words Have So Much Power Over You?

This is our 1-Day Introduction to Trika Shaivism. Why do words have so much power? When you are complimented or praised, you feel recognized, acknowledged and satisfied. When you are criticized or someone makes a comment about you that you percieve to be negative, your consciousness contracts, your mind becomes restless, and you feel angry, negated, put-down. Then you feel the necessity to react. In this way, your consciousness is enslaved by mere words.

One of our practices on the Supreme Meditation path is to rise above praise and blame so that you are able to attain a state of equilibrium, a state of perfect equipoise, where you are not bounced back and forth on the "roller coaster ride" of emotional pleasure and pain. To accomplish this, you need the understanding of words that will allow you to rise above praise and blame. In this 1-Day Introduction to Trika Shaivism course you will learn why words have so much power over you, and how you can begin to master the energies created by language to free you from the bondage of words.

The principles taught in this course are taken from the Shaiva Agamas and Tantras of The Spanda School of Vasuguptacharya. These timeless teachings and practices of Kashmir Trika Shaivism are taught by Acharya Kedar, out of his own inner experience of these teachings and practices that, by his Gurudev's Grace, have Liberated him.

The philosophy of Shaivism is the highest philosophy for living in the world while loving and remembering God by embracing all the forms of this manifold Universe. This course is a prerequisite to the Maharudra program.

Daily and Weekly Programs

After taking intensives students return on a daily and weekly basis to gain support in their Sadhanas and to deepen their daily spiritual practice by participating in the daily/weekly free meditation and chanting programs offered in the ashram. This is an invaluable aide in one's spiritual growth.

Acharya Kedar leads many of our daily and weekly free programs.

Supreme Meditation Home Study Courses

People who are not able to attend our daily/weekly programs on a regular basis participate in our home study course and also purchase talks on various topics given by Acharya Kedar for the purpose of deepening one's spiritual practice. These courses and talks are available on both CD and DVD. Students who attend our programs also purchase these as an aide to their spiritual development, to deepen their understanding of the Supreme Meditation path.

Week-Long Courses and Retreat

Students who have taken one or more intensives, and who wish to continue their study to deepen their experience of Supreme Meditation, go on to enroll in our annual week-long course and retreat.

This week-long course is offered to deepen your understanding, experience and practice of Supreme Meditation. This week-long course and retreat is designed to provide you with practical ways in which to apply the Supreme Meditation teachings to daily life in your home, work and relationships.

Our most important week-long course is our program in the understanding and practical application of the Chidakasha Gita of Bhagawan Nityananda.

Week-long courses and retreats are taught by Acharya Kedar and ashram staff. The prerequisite for enrollment in any week-long retreat is that you have taken, at least, one Supreme Meditation Intensive.

The Maharudra Program

For those who want to continue their study of Supreme Meditation in The Spanda School environment, in order to accelerate their journey to attain the goal of our practice, Acharyaji has created the Maharudra Program.

The Maharudra Program is designed to foster and support the true Guru-Disciple relationship as it was cultivated in the times of our ancestors of the Siddha Path to Total Freedom.* It supports direct contact** between you and Acharya Kedar in an atmosphere of intense focus on removing the barriers to your constant experience of Total Freedom. Shaktipat is the beginning but Total Freedom comes with Sadhana.

In such an environment, you are guided in prioritizing your life around the goal of your Sadhana (daily spiritual practice) so that you can learn true discipleship in a way that allows you to break through ALL the obstacles to your realization of the God-principle.

The Maharudra Program is for those students of Supreme Meditation who have a sincere desire to attain the goal of the Supreme Meditation path by imbibing all that the Acharya has to offer. In this program you immerse yourself in the oral teachings of the Spanda School of Trika Shaivism, based on the practical application of the principles taught in the Shaiva Agamas and Tantras,*** the primary focus of which is the practical, daily realization of The 5-Fold Act of Divine Consciousness. This is the philosophy on which the Supreme Meditation path is based.

The Maharudra Program is a 3-year (36 months) program. In the first two years, lessons are lead by Acharya Kedar on one (1) weekend day of every month, 9 months of each year, for a period of 2 years. The other 3 months of the year are devoted to the completion of lessons and the practical application of the practices taught.

In the third year, the student is responsible for completing a thesis-type paper, per the guidelines of the program. Interdispersed with the most valuable oral teaching is the close examination of the sacred texts of Trika Shaivism and the scriptures of The Spanda School of Vasuguptacharya. A sample list of texts, along with the lesson plan/topics, is made available with your application for enrollment.

This program will begin on September 12, 2009. Enrollment is by application only and there is an application review process and brief interview. Entry is by approval only and enrollment is limited to a small group of students. Applications are provided to those who have met the stated prerequisites below or are close to meeting the prerequisites. The application deadline for this round has passed. Details of the next round of applications will be posted here as they become available.

Prerequisites: The following are the prerequisites for application to The Maharudra program. You must have completed or expect to complete these prerequisites by the summer of 2009. To apply for enrollment in The Maharudra Program, you must have attended a minimum of two (2), full Supreme Meditation intensives and, additionally, the Miracle Intensive. You must also have taken the 1-Day Introduction to Trika Shaivism course (our intro home study course in Trika Shaivism can be substituted for the 1-Day live intro, if necessary). If you participtated in the 2008 Trika Shaivism intensive you have met this last prerequisite requirement.

*there is no association between the Siddha Path to Total Freedom and the Siddha Path magazine belonging to SYDA Foundation ® and no association between the Siddha Path to Total Freedom and the Siddha Yoga ® Path.
**please note that this is not private therapy sessions.
***this has nothing to do with sex.