Our Ashram
Atma Jyoti Ashram (Light of the Spirit Monastery) is a monastic community for those men who seek direct experience of the Spirit through yoga meditation, traditional yogic discipline, Sanatana Dharma and the life of the sannyasi in the tradition of the Order of Shankara. Our lineage is in the Giri branch of the Order.
Our outreach is through its website, OCOY.org (Original Christianity and Original Yoga). There you will discover many articles on leading an effective spiritual life, including Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self and Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet, as well as the “Dharma for Awakening” series–in-depth commentaries on spiritual classics: the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Dhammapada, the Tao Teh King and more. Other articles include The Christ of India, Foundations of Yoga and How to Be a Yogi and other practical guides for anyone seriously interested in living the Yoga Life.
You can listen to podcasts by Swami Nirmalananda on meditation, the Yoga Life, and remarkable spiritual people he has met in India and elsewhere, on our Podcast Page.
Join over 27,000 subscribers and watch over 120 videos on these topics and more, including recordings of online satsangs where Swami Nirmalananda answers various questions on practical aspects of spiritual life. Visit our Youtube channel here.
Our Director
Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) is the founder and director of the Light of the Spirit Monastery (Atma Jyoti Ashram) in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, USA.
In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was made a member of the ancient Swami Order by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharati Krishna Tirtha.
In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York.
For many years Swami Nirmalananda has researched the identity of Jesus Christ and his teachings with India and Sanatana Dharma, including Yoga. It is his conclusion that Jesus lived in India for most of his life, and was a yogi and Sanatana Dharma missionary to the West.
Light of the Spirit Press
Light of the Spirit Press is the publishing endeavor of Atma Jyoti Ashram, presenting books on spiritual wisdom and practical spirituality and meditation. We have published over two dozen books by Swami Nirmalananda and other spiritual writers. From our “Dharma for Awakening” series (practical commentaries on the world’s scriptures) to books on how to meditate and live a successful spiritual life, you will find books that are informative, helpful, and even entertaining.
Find out more about our publications at lightofthespiritpress.com
