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Self-Realization Fellowship Ashram
The Encinitas ashram was established in 1937 as the residence and retreat center of Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship.
The Self-Realization Fellowship was founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian spiritual teacher whose writings brought meditation and yoga teachings to Western audiences. In 1937, following his return from a spiritual journey to India, Yogananda received a coastal property in Encinitas from his student and supporter Rajarsi Janakananda. The site became his residence and a center for spiritual study, and it was at this Encinitas ashram where Yogananda wrote Autobiography of a Yogi, one of the most influential spiritual texts of the twentieth century.
Today the ashram continues to operate as a spiritual retreat center with meditation gardens overlooking the Pacific. The facility remains open to both members of the Fellowship and visitors seeking contemplative practice and connection to the teachings Yogananda brought to the West nearly a century ago. The ashram's clifftop location and gardens represent an enduring presence in Encinitas, drawing seekers and residents who value the spiritual dimension of the coastal community.
Life planning means thinking about people and time the way Yogananda's work invites: with intention, looking toward what matters most and preparing for the people you care about. A term policy is a practical version of that thought: sizing coverage to the income years, the dependents, and the years when your household would be financially vulnerable if the earner was not there.