In-person registration is sold out. Please see the info below for online retreat (via Zoom) registration.

We are thrilled to welcome Asha to the Assisi Institute for our spring weekend retreat, March 28 - 30. Because she seldom visits the east coast, this is a rare opportunity to experience Asha’s joyful presence and profound yet practical teachings. Her deep love of her teacher, Swami Kriyananda, and her guru, Yogananda, are part of everything she does.

Asha came to the Kriya Yoga tradition through Yogananda's direct disciple Kriyananda as a college student at Stanford in 1969. As one of the founding members of the Ananda community in Palo Alto, she served as counselor, teacher, and secretary to Swami Kriyananda. 

Today, people around the world grow spiritually through her videos, live appearances, recordings, and books. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with her work!  

Asha's warm and clear teaching may begin with a general topic or question, yet her answers encompass so much more. Her inspired, in-the-moment responses keep her audience attentive and receptive, as she answers questions like…

• How can I overcome negative thoughts?

• How do I not take things personally?

• How can I cope with family members who do not understand my spiritual path?

• Do I need to worry about karma?

• What is the most important thing I need to remember in my spiritual life?

How to Register

In-Person (at The Assisi Institute in Rochester, NY)

• Our in-person registration is currently full.

Online via Zoom

If you plan to attend via Zoom online, please register here. We will email details on how to attend the event online and how to support the retreat with a donation.

Retreat Cost

This retreat is possible through your donations. At the time of the retreat, we ask you to be as generous as you can, whether you are in person or online. 

If you are not registered, we cannot guarantee admittance if the temple is full.

Food and Refreshments

All retreatants are welcome for tea, coffee, and snacks in our fellowship room throughout the retreat.

Lunch and dinner are not provided, but there will be ample time to go out. All are invited to use our spacious living room and to enjoy browsing in our Blessing Shop. 

Accommodations

We have reserved rooms at a nearby Holiday Inn and Suites for our out-of-town guests at a cost of $109 per night.  To reserve a room, guests are asked to call the hotel directly at 585-872-0900 and identify themselves as part of the Assisi Institute group or by code ASI. This offer will expire on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. Currently, all rooms at the Assisi Institute are reserved.

Please join us for a five-day immersive retreat at The Assisi Institute in Rochester, NY exploring the teachings of Kriya Yoga, July 14–18, 2025.

Pre-registration is now open, with limited spots available. Our beloved teachers include Isha Das, Ryan Kurczak, Swami Nirvanananda, and Gāyatrī (Judith Listte).

In these transformative times, Kriya Yoga—as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda and Roy Eugene Davis—offers a time-tested path to explore our spiritual path and divine consciousness. Through this sacred practice, we discover greater grace, understanding, and serenity in our daily lives. Our annual Kriya Yoga Immersion creates a supportive space where you can deepen your wisdom while connecting with fellow spiritual seekers.

Our Retreat Teachers

Kriya Yoga is not an escape from ourselves or the world—rather, it is a process that empowers us to live from a place of radical truthfulness, enlightened wisdom, and transcendental peace. As this inner transformation unfolds, we naturally become agents of healing in the world.

Kriya Yoga is an ideal path for everyday people, as it can be integrated into daily life and harmonizes with any religious tradition. During the Summer Retreat, in the transformative and sacred vibration of our temple and our gurus, we will explore Kriya Yoga philosophy, lifestyle, and meditation practices.

Each day will feature two group meditations, devotional chanting, and opportunities to practice Hatha Yoga and Qi Gong. Swami Nirvanananda will offer evening kirtans alongside other devotional musicians throughout the week. For those sincerely committed to this path, Kriya initiation will be offered at the retreat's conclusion. Whether you're new to the practice or a seasoned Kriyaban seeking to deepen your journey, this retreat promises to be inspirational, informative, and enlightening. Please plan to join us!

Areas of Focus

• In-depth teachings about Kriya Yoga which are accessible to both beginners and seasoned practitioners.

• How Kriya Yoga impacts the body in all stages of life

• The intersection of Kriya Yoga and Astrology

• Different ways of being a yogi in the modern world.

• How Kriya Yoga works with our biological nervous system and our spiritual nervous (chakra) system.

• How to work with our deeply-held pain and trauma.

Event Details

Date: July 14–18, 2025

Location: The Assisi Institute in Rochester, NY

How to register (please keep in mind that there are limited spots available):

1. Please pay the $10 registration fee (if you cannot pay this fee, please let us know and it will be waived).

2. Fill out this form. More information will be sent closer to the event.

Cost: This retreat is made possible through participant contributions. Donations will be accepted at the time of the retreat.

Accommodations: There are 8 (non-air-conditioned) rooms available at the Assisi Institute on a first-come, first-served basis. Email purnima@assisi-institute.org if you are interested. The Holiday Inn and Suites in Webster (about a 15-minute drive from Assisi) is offering a reduced group rate of $122 per night. This offer will expire on June 13. More information will come shortly to those who register.

Meals: Coffee, tea, and snacks are available throughout the day. No meals will be provided; participants will be given ample time to have lunch and/or dinner. You are most welcome to bring your own meals each day. We have a refrigerator and microwave available. Please note that we are strictly vegetarian and meat is not allowed in our building.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Mary at assisi.marymcfee@gmail.com.

Teacher Bios

Isha Das (Craig Bullock): Accomplished teacher, writer, lecturer, practicing psychotherapist, and spiritual director of The Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York. A former pastoral administrator at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Rochester, Isha Das earned graduate degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Notre Dame and Clinical Psychology from the University of Duquesne. His education includes extensive study in psychology, spirituality, mysticism, world religions, and yoga. He counts Richard Rohr among his life-long friends and mentors. Isha Das was made a minister and official Kriya Yoga teacher by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

Swami Nirvananda: Internationally-known musical and spiritual recording artist Swami Nirvanananda Saraswati will be joining us virtually (and in-person if possible) to lead devotional chanting. Merging the teachings of Kriya Yoga with the devotional aspect of Bhakti Yoga and the charitable path of Karma Yoga, Swami expresses unity in the diversity of many paths and religions which all lead to the same goal: Universal Love and Oneness With Spirit.

Ryan Kurczak: Ryan Kurczak is an international meditation teacher in the Kriya Yoga tradition. He was taught and ordained to teach by a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda, Roy Eugene Davis. Ryan has authored several books on meditation and spirituality and hosts “The Kriya Yoga Podcast,” a bimonthly podcast dedicated to meditation and yoga. He is the director of the 2-year Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program and regularly leads retreats in the US and abroad.

Gāyatrī | Judith Listte: A dedicated Yoga practitioner for over 20 years, she was also a Physical Education teacher at the University of Córdoba, Argentina. A Kriyaban since 2010, she collaborates with the KYS center (Savona) to spread the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, organizing seminars across Italy. In 2016, she obtained her Yoga Teacher certification with a therapeutic focus at SITY Milan, studying under Sn. Trigunananda in the Satyananda method and the Bihar School of Yoga (BSY). She continues her training at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger, India. Specialized in Yoga for Women (fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause), she follows the teachings of Uma Dinsmore-Tuli and Dr. Barbara Woehler. Passionate about Vedic sciences, she deepens her knowledge of Jyotiṣa at the "Yoga delle Stelle" Academy with Prema Kumar Das. She is the founder of the Triguṇa Cultural Association in Catania, where she leads weekly Pilates, Yoga, and Meditation classes to promote a conscious lifestyle. Additionally, Triguṇa organizes an annual residential Kriyā Yoga seminar and offers specialized training in Prenatal Yoga and Yoga Nidrā.

Jasmine Moran: Jasmine began her journey into Qigong through YOQI®, a global qigong training organization. Having completed two years of training, she is now an associate Qigong instructor who continues her advanced studies with YOQI®. Jasmine’s classes provide a structured framework for tapping into “qi” - universal life force - while promoting harmony with the natural rhythms of life. Her seasonal approach to Qigong (“chee-gong”) complements the energy and dynamics at play in nature in order to maintain physical, mental, and emotional balance. She became a full time Qigong instructor and assistant with Kriya Yoga Online in 2023. She travels nationally and internationally with her partner, Ryan Kurczak, offering Qigong sessions at Kriya Yoga Meditation retreats.