~ JAI KARUNAMAYI ~ ONE DAY SILENT RETREAT with AMMA SRI KARUNAMAYI SATURDAY, JUNE 3 from 8:30am - 6:30pm at ANANDA ASHRAM / SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC. 13 Sapphire Road, Monroe, NY 10950 845 782 5575 | www.anandaashram.org

Rain or Shine you are cordially invited to join Amma for a One Day Meditation Retreat on the beautiful, tranquil grounds of Ananda Ashram on Saturday, June 3, from 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM. Whether you are a beginner or established in your spiritual practice, this will be a profound opportunity to deepen your with silent , discourses and mantra chanting.

This year will be unique, with the retreat being held in a special outdoor setting which will also serve as the venue for the Sacred Fire Ceremony the following day. You are encouraged to attend both events at Ananda Ashram for a very special weekend getaway from your busy city life. Accommodations are available Friday and Saturday nights at Ananda for a full weekend of ananda with Amma’s divine presence in a serene, natural setting.

Preregistration is required for the Retreat and can be done online. The deadline for the early registration discount is May 24. Half-day options are also available. All profits go to support Amma’s charitable projects in .

This event will be conducted outdoors under the large tent where the Homa will be held on Sunday, Therefore please come prepared to protect yourself from the weather as well as insects. Bring your own , blankets, cushions, yoga mats, jackets, hats, water bottles, insect repellents, sun screen, umbrella and raincoat, as needed. Chairs will be provided, but if you prefer to bring your own folding chair, please do.

OVERNIGHT GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS Again we encourage you to spend the weekend in the natural beauty and spiritual vibration of the Ashram. Because public buses and trains do not run as frequently from New York to Monroe on Saturday and Sunday, choosing to come on Friday evening ensures that you do not miss a single golden moment of Amma’s darshan the following morning.

To stay overnight at Ananda, guests are requested to reserve in advance by calling the reception office directly at 845 782 5575. Please mention “Amma’s Retreat & Homa weekend.” For general information and driving directions, see www.anandaashram.org

Other accommodations in the area: Hampton Inn, 60 Center Drive, Central Valley, NY. (3 miles from Ananda), phone 845 782 9600 America’s Best Value Inn, 139 NY-32, Central Valley, NY 10917. (3.5 miles from Ananda), phone 845 928 2266

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

If you plan to spend the weekend at Ananda and attend both the Retreat and the Homa, it is suggested that you arrive the night before, i.e., Friday, June 2. There are several buses going to the Monroe area from Port Authority Friday evening, but there is no public bus or train service Saturday morning that will get you to the Ashram in time for the start of the morning session at Saturday's meditation retreat. The earliest Saturday morning bus arrives in Monroe at 9:30 AM.

• Visit www.shortlinebus.com or phone 800 631 8405 for bus schedules to and from Monroe. Tickets can be purchased in advance online. When booking, select route to Monroe Village or Central Valley, NY and call local taxi for ride to Ashram.

• Local taxis in Monroe from Shortline Bus Terminal at 70 Millpond Parkway, Monroe to Ananda Ashram at 13 Sapphire Road, Monroe, NY 10950. Beam’s Taxi, phone 845 783 4444. 24-hour daily service, taxi $10 / minivan $15 to Ashram. Village Taxi, phone 845 783 6112. Service 7 AM -11PM daily, taxi $10. Geo Taxi, phone 845 500 3177. Service available through the weekend, taxi or 7-seat minivan $10. Royal Taxi, phone 845 781 4242. 24-hr service, $10 taxi.

Please note: A round trip charter bus from Midtown Manhattan to Ananda Ashram by Coach USA will be available only on Sunday, June 4, for the Homa Sacred Fire Ceremony. Details and sign up information are posted on the Homa information page

PARKING

***It is important to follow all parking and no parking signs posted on the Ashram. Please do not double park. We expect that all vehicles will be comfortably and safely accommodated on the Ashram grounds for the Retreat. There is no street parking on Sapphire Road outside the Ashram. That is a tow away zone. If capacity is filled, kindly drive to Sapphire Elementary School, located at 159 Harriman Heights Road, Harriman, NY 10926, which is just around the corner within walking distance. Driving directions: • If you have already entered Ananda Ashram’s main driveway, follow it around the u-shaped curve to the end, which is Sapphire Road. • At the end of the ashram driveway, turn right on Sapphire Road. Continue to the end of Sapphire Road, a few hundred feet. • Turn right onto Harriman Heights Road. Continue a few hundred feet. • Turn left into the first driveway, which is the entrance to Sapphire Elementary School. (There is also a sign that says Harriman Learning Center.) • Private autos should park in an orderly manner the upper right side of the driveway. Thank you in advance for maintaining safety by driving slowly on ashram grounds and leaving emergency vehicle lanes (marked) open.

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are needed throughout Amma’s New York event weekend, beginning early Friday, June 2, and extending through Sunday evening, June 4. There will be a variety of site setup, maintenance, dissemble and clean up needs.

Volunteers are also needed Friday and Saturday, May 26-27, at Ananda Ashram for digging and preparing the homa kundas.

If you can kindly help with these or other opportunities, please contact Kavita at [email protected] for the meditation retreat and/or Geeta at [email protected] for the homa as soon as possible.

Ashram overnight guest accommodations may be available for a limited number of serious volunteers for the homa kunda build and/or the meditation retreat and homa weekend at Ananda Ashram. Please contact at [email protected]

Thank you. We hope to see you at Amma’s New York events! Namaste.