Discover Ma
No webpage can adequately introduce a Being like Anandamayi Ma.
If something here has stirred your curiosity—or if you simply find yourself wanting to remain near Her a little longer—we invite you to discover Ma through the people who knew Her, the words She left behind, and the living spiritual communities in which Her presence continues to be remembered.
Where can I start learning more about Ma?
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How do I find a community dedicated to Ma?
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The tradition surrounding Ma remains alive.
Swami Gurusharananda offers regular Sunday satsangs centered in the remembrance of Ma, spiritual practice, Swakriya Yoga, and the direct exploration of Truth.
Those who wish to listen, learn, ask questions, chant, practice, or simply sit in satsang are warmly invited.
Hosted on Zoom, Sundays 1130am-1230pm ET.
The Whatsapp community remains the best place to stay informed about all changes or updates to the Sunday Satsangs.
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The Joyful Shelter will also be hosting classes and Satsang events focused around Ma beginning in December.
We will have a prayer circle with a focus on giving members of the community (sangha) a chance to speak whats on their hearts. You might feel called to share a story about the world that has deeply effected you, a person in your life that needs extra prayers or support, a simple request to be seen- all of it is welcome. We will simply witness you in all you are and when those who feel called to share are done we will spend some time in a guided meditative prayer asking Ma to watch over our stories and loved ones. (Time given for speaking will fluctuate depending on number in attendance)
Hosted by Ramani- once a month, 1.5hrs long, time and day TBD
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Ramani also supports another non-profit dedicated to Ma known as SAMAT. You can find monthly Satsangs about Ma hosted by Prajna Hallstrom, Ramani and other members of the community that can be found on the calendar below. You can also check out the amazing work Prajna and the board are doing in dedication to Ma on their website.
What if I want a fully immersive experience with Ma and I am willing to travel?
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One of the best places to start is to read about Ma.
There are many books containing Ma's words, conversations, and the firsthand experiences of those who lived and traveled with Her. A few beautiful places to begin are:
Death Must Die
Atmananda; edited and published by Ram Alexander
The spiritual diary of Atmananda, one of Ma's Western disciples. Atmananda's close friend and fellow disciple Ram Alexander edited and published Atmananda's diaries, preserving an intimate and often remarkably candid record of life with Ma and of the transformative relationship between Guru and disciple.
As the Flower Sheds Its Fragrance
Atmananda
A collection drawn from Atmananda's years with Ma, bringing together stories, conversations, questions and answers, encounters, and experiences gathered during her time in Ma's presence.
Mother Reveals Herself
Bhaiji
An account from Jyotish Chandra Roy—affectionately known as Bhaiji—one of Ma's earliest and closest devotees. His writings preserve invaluable observations from the earlier years of Ma's life and the extraordinary manifestations he personally witnessed.
Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi
Gurupriya Devi — Didi
The extensive writings and diaries of Gurupriya Devi, lovingly known as Didi, who spent decades physically beside Ma. Her records preserve an extraordinary firsthand chronicle of Ma's travels, encounters, words, and daily life.
The Gospel of Shri Anandamayi Ma — Volumes I & II
Lisa Prajna Hallstrom
A remarkable collection drawn from 48 recorded satsangs with Ma between 1960 and 1981, preserved in the Anandamayi Ma Archive at Harvard Divinity School.
Prajna and her collaborators undertook the painstaking work of listening to the original recordings, revisiting earlier transcripts and translations, and working carefully across Bengali, Hindi, and English to preserve Ma's words and meaning as faithfully as possible.
The result allows the reader to encounter something particularly precious: not simply teachings about Ma, but Ma speaking with the people sitting before Her—their questions, Her responses, Her stories, Her humor, and the profoundly individual way in which She taught.
Mother of Bliss: Anandamayi Ma (1896–1982)
Lisa Prajna Hallstrom
Born from Prajna's extensive research into Ma's life, including time spent in India interviewing and learning from people who had personally known Ma, Mother of Bliss offers both a carefully researched account of Ma and an intimate exploration of how those around Her experienced and understood this extraordinary Being.
It is an especially beautiful bridge for someone encountering Ma for the first time: scholarly and deeply researched, yet attentive to the reality that Ma cannot be understood through historical facts alone.
The Goddess Whispers
Swami Gurusharananda
A contemplative collection created by Swami Gurusharananda as an invitation to sit slowly and personally with Ma's words—not as commandments requiring a prescribed interpretation, but as whispers to contemplate and encounter for yourself. Found in the US directly through The Joyful Shelter
Ma Sharanam Ashram
Village-Kawadia(Sitoka),
Tehsil- Maheshwar, District-Khargon
Madhya Pradesh, India.
Ma Sharanam is the spiritual home and sister ashram connected with The Joyful Shelter, under the guidance of Swami Gurusharananda.
For those wishing to encounter this tradition more deeply through satsang, sādhana, retreat, and ashram life:
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The Joyful Shelter
Begining soon, TJS will host retreats and events on our property here in Michigan. You can find these and other events in the calendar section of this website.
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SAMAT
At times there are some in person events held in Massachusetts at the home of SAMATS founders Prajna and Ted Hallstrom. You can locate these in person events on the calender below.
How does Ma connect with The Joyful Shelter?
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Anandamayi Ma is the spiritual heart of The Joyful Shelter.
Our founder, Ramani Sharana, came to Ma not simply through books or historical study, but through a living relationship with Her that continues to shape her spiritual practice, teaching, and service.
Through Swami Gurusharananda, Ma Sharanam Ashram, Swakriya Yoga, years of practice, and repeated time in India, that relationship has deepened into the lineage from which much of The Joyful Shelter has grown.
And yet no one is required to understand Ma in the same way in order to enter this space.
You may come here devoted to God.
You may call the Divine by another name.
You may belong deeply to another faith.
You may be uncertain what you believe.
You may simply need somewhere to rest.
Ma met people where they were.
We hope to do the same.