Self-Realization Fellowship sets free Los Angeles yoga convocation for August

Thousands are expected to gather in Los Angeles and online August 2–8 for the 2026 Self-Realization Fellowship World Convocation, a free weeklong event centered on Paramahansa Yogananda’s Kriya Yoga teachings. The program includes meditation, chanting, talks, and virtual pilgrimages, with multilingual access and global participation.

Why it matters: - The Convocation is a free, weeklong gathering built around meditation and spiritual teaching for people seeking purpose, calm, and community. - The event reaches both in-person attendees in Los Angeles and a global online audience, widening access well beyond Southern California. - Self-Realization Fellowship is positioning the program as open to people of any religious background and any meditation experience.

What happened: - Self-Realization Fellowship will host the 2026 World Convocation August 2–8, 2026, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and livestream it worldwide. - Thousands of people from around the world are expected to take part. - The weeklong program will include guided meditations, kirtan, satsangas, and inspirational talks. - Brother Saralananda, a monk of Self-Realization Fellowship, will give the opening-night talk, “The Art of Joyful Living: Yoga’s Path to Happiness.”

The details: - The Convocation focuses on the Kriya Yoga teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, described as a form of Raja Yoga that includes meditation techniques and principles for balanced spiritual living. - The program will feature practical “How-to-Live” teachings on happiness, resilience, concentration, and meaningful relationships. - Daily group meditation sessions are part of the schedule. - Participants will be able to visit pilgrimage sites tied to Yogananda’s life and work, either in person or through virtual pilgrimages. - Featured talks include “Eternal Youth: What Does It Mean and How Can We Have It?,” “Becoming an Instrument of Divine Love,” and “Inner Security Through Divine Connection.” - Simultaneous translation will be available in German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. - Self-Realization Fellowship monks and nuns will also visit centers and meditation groups across Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America during the Convocation period. - Event registration is required, but attendance is free. - More information and registration are available at the Convocation website.

Between the lines: - The Los Angeles setting carries symbolic weight for Self-Realization Fellowship because Yogananda once called the city the “Banaras of America.” - The organization is leaning on Yogananda’s legacy, including his book Autobiography of a Yogi and the temples and meditation gardens he founded in Southern California, to deepen the event’s draw. - The global translation, livestream, and regional visits suggest a push to make the Convocation feel like an international gathering rather than a single-site conference. - The emphasis on inner joy, resilience, and relationships reflects a broad self-improvement message alongside the spiritual instruction.

What's next: - The August 2–8 Convocation will unfold in Los Angeles and online with daily teaching and meditation sessions. - Self-Realization Fellowship is expected to continue using its global network of temples, centers, retreats, and ashrams to extend the event’s reach. - Participants can register now through the event website.