About our classes
Learn the meditation techniques that Sri Chinmoy taught and his life-affirming and transformative philosophy that gave rise to his multifarious activities. These free, on-going courses are taught by his students.
You’ll learn about spirituality, meditation, the soul, spiritual teachers, vegetarian diet, mantras, physical fitness, creativity, and the world beyond the physical senses.
More on this page: Current classes • Meet our instructors • Our community involvement in San Diego
What classes are happening now?
See below for a list of current classes. All our classes are free because Sri Chinmoy always offered his meditation instruction and musical-meditations at no charge.
For the safety of those interested
in meditation here in San Diego we have temporarily suspended offering our free classes.
We do have some great resources for learning about mediation and the philosophy of Sri Chinmoy below. Please browse through our many topics and articles and view the books available by Sri Chinmoy.
Learn how to Meditate at Home
While our meditation classes and group meditations in San Diego are on hold we would like to share with you some inspirations for learning to meditate at home. Starting a meditative routine at home takes a small amount of time but has great rewards for creating more inner peace, calm, focus and aspiring energy within ourselves. Learning to meditate also allows us to offer these illumining qualities to our family, friends and everyone who is important in our lives which is especially valuable during stressful times.
Here is a wealth of both practical and spiritual advice for meditating at home:
Meditation Home Study: A four week course by Sri Chinmoy’s students
Meditation: Man Perfection in God Satisfaction: This comprehensive guide written by Sri Chinmoy takes you from the first stages of concentration and meditation through the advanced practice of contemplation
Meditation: A comprehensive guide to starting and maintaining a meditation practice
Meditation Podcast: Follow a visualization exercise focusing on the vastness of the sky
Flute Music for Meditation: Listen to a collection of meditative flute performances by Sri Chinmoy
Radio Sri Chinmoy: A vast collection of meditative music by both Sri Chinmoy and his students
Manage Your Worries and Anxieties: Bring to the fore an inner sense of calm and poise with an inspiring visualization exercise focusing on the beauty and vastness of the ocean
Simple “Dos and Don’ts” for Meditation: Some practical advice for starting your meditation routine
Building Your Meditation Practice: Tips that will help you build a daily practice of meditation into your busy life
Everybody can learn meditation with a little practice and persistence. We hope to see you at our free meditation classes to learn more about developing your own spiritual practice soon.
Inspirations for Meditation
Practical applications for learning and achieving the ability to focus, meditate and contemplate.
How to Manage Worries and Anxieties
Worries and anxieties can rob us of your inner peace and poise and affect our physical health as well. Almost all of us are challenged with these negative emotions and the first step is to recognize when they manifest themselves inside of you. Worries and anxieties...
Words of Wisdom During a Crises from Sri Chinmoy
During a crisis such as our challenges with Coronavirus we are flooded with information, facts and opinions based on the world around us. It is rare but inspiring to hear a perspective from an inner spiritual point of view. Less than a year before passing away, Sri...
How can we create world peace?
How can a single individual living in San Diego help the world achieve peace? It seems like a dauntless task with every contribution being so small compared to the world’s challenges and conflicts. To create lasting world peace far beyond fleeting negotiations, truces...
Best places to meditate outside in San Diego
San Diego has some of the best places to meditate out in nature. San Diego also has some of the best weather for sitting and meditating on its assortment of spectacular views. The purity, beauty, vastness and harmony we can enjoy meditating in these spectacular spots...
San Diego—The Perfect Place to Combine Meditation and Running
Whether you live in San Diego or are just visiting, you can’t beat this place when it comes to finding a great place to run and meditate at the same time. Because of the moderate climate, any season is a good time of year for running in San Diego, This, coupled with...
3 Keys to Happiness
We’re all familiar with the practice of seeking happiness through acquisition of material possessions or through attainment of success in the “outer” world. The irony of this pursuit is that all too often, these things become obstacles to happiness. Our true self, our...
How to Meditate at Work
Finding time to meditate at work can be a powerful boon to both your inner peace and outer satisfaction during the day. The poise, patience and intuition in handling both negative and positive situations that comes from a practice of meditating is rewarding in many...
Meditation with Music
Just as music has a powerful sway over our emotions and outer energy, it also has the capacity to inspire our deep meditations. Listening to music that was composed and performed in a high state of consciousness gives us the opportunity to aspire to that state as...
Building Your Meditation Practice
There is only one good way to get better at meditation and to receive more benefits and that is regular as well as punctual practice. There are no short cuts. Here are some tips that will help you build a daily practice into your busy life. 1. Choose a good time -...
About our instructors
Our classes are given by instructors from all walks of life, some of whom have been studying meditation of Sri Chinmoy for over 30 years.
Mahiyan Savage
Mahiyan has taught meditation in San Diego for nearly 30 years. A graduate of UCSD with a major in Physics, he was a champion tennis player who initially learned meditation in order to help his tennis game. more »
Vasudha Deming
Vasudha has practiced daily meditation for over 30 years and has taught classes on various topics throughout that time. As an instructor, her goal is to create an environment in which participants can experience a true sense of inner peace and self-knowledge. more…
Pushkara Blue
Pushkara has studied meditation for over 35 years. His journey began in college in Long Island, New York and his spiritual adventure lead him to California in the 80’s. He teachers in a down-to-earth style that is sincere and unpretentious. more »
Papaha
The study of meditation and the spiritual life has been an aspiring integral part of Papaha’s life as an artist, designer and instructor for over three decades. His life flourishes from the clarity, energy, creativity and heartfelt oneness that meditation offers and he is inspired more »
Serving the community in San Diego
As well as free meditation classes, our members run several enterprises that bring the principles of meditation into daily life, and are continually organising projects to serve the public, and to help each human being find the best within themselves.
Running for Peace
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run is the world’s largest torch relay for peace. The Peace Run traveled through San Diego on its international route May 22nd through 26th, where it visited schools, youth and community groups, and government officials spreading the message that we have much more in common than what divides us. More information is at: http://www.peacerun.org
Here are two great videos covering the visit to Central Elementary School on May 22, 2018 on KUSI by Ed Lenderman. The second one has a more comprehensive report: http://www.kusi.com/international-peace-run-makes-a-stop-in-san-diego.
In 2019 the Peace Run will visit San Diego once again to do a local run around San Diego County.
Watch this news coverage on KUSI about the run in 2017:
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Our weekly 2-mile races
Sri Chinmoy felt that outer running definitely helped our inner running (i.e. meditation) by keeping the body fit and calming the emotions. Every Saturday at 8 am, we hold an informal 2 mile race – Sri Chinmoy called them ‘Self-Transcendence Races’, because the main goal is to get joy be bettering your own capacity. The race starts and finishes at the Sri Chinmoy Peace Garden, 2520 Adams Avenue between Arizona and Hamilton, 92116.
Under the banner of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team also hold larger sporting events for the San Diego public – for example, the Self-Transcendence La Jolla Swim & Run which will be held in the Spring of 2019 once again.
Sri Chinmoy Peace Garden.
Inaugurated in 2012, this park aims to provide a quiet space in one of the busiest parts of San Diego, so that the public can find a moment’s peace in the middle of a busy world.
Adams Avenue and Arizona Street
Self-Transcendence La Jolla Swim & Run
The San Diego Sri Chinmoy Centre organizes a classic San Diego event now in its 34th year! 1-mile out-and-back ocean swim at La Jolla Shores beach followed by a 10K or 5K run on a loop course along flat-packed sand at low tide. It is a beautiful location for for a runners and swimmers alike that has drawn top athletes from around the world. Relays are also allowed. Awards are given for age-group individual athletes as well as top relay teams. For more information go to: us.srichinmoyraces.org/sandiego/swim-run
Jyoti-Bihanga: San Diego’s oldest vegetarian and vegan restaurant.
Jyoti-Bihanga is situated on Adams Avenue, and dedicated to providing delicious food in a tranquil atmosphere. Our staff study meditation according to Sri Chinmoy’s teachings, so if you have any questions about meditation or our classes that you would like to discuss, please come on in!
3351 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 282-4116 – jyotibihanga.com