Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters), who left his body in 2013, was a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, trained by the great Indian master to spread the life-transforming teachings of Kriya Yoga around the globe. He is widely considered one of the world's foremost experts on meditation, yoga, and spiritual practice, having authored over 140 books on these subjects. Kriyananda is the founder of Ananda Sangha, a worldwide organization committed to the dissemination of Yogananda's teachings. In 1968 he founded Ananda World Brotherhood Village, the first spiritual cooperative community based on Yogananda's vision of "world brotherhood colonies." Today Ananda includes ten spiritual communities in the U.S., Europe, and India, and over 140 meditation groups worldwide.
