Asha Praver - Loved and Protected: Stories of Miracles and Answered Prayers

Asha Praver is a lifelong disciple of the great spiritual master and world teacher, Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi), and has studied for more than forty years with Yoganandas close and direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Asha has devoted her life to bringing spiritual understanding to others through teaching, counseling, and writing. Toward that end her lectures in the United States and around the world, and letters to spiritual seekers and other writings, are made available through her website: nayaswamiasha.org . Along with her husband David, Asha is co-director of the spiritual work and community known as Ananda Palo Alto. She is also the author of Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him.

Crystal Clarity Publications

Crystal Clarity Publishers offers additional resources to assist you in your spiritual journey, including many other books, a wide variety of inspirational and relaxation music composed by Swami Kriyananda, and yoga and meditation videos.

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Ananda Worldwide

Ananda Sangha, a worldwide organization founded by Swami Kriyananda, offers spiritual support and resources based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. There are Ananda spiritual communities in Nevada City, Sacramento, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles, California; Seattle, Washington; Portland and Laurelwood, Oregon; as well as a retreat center and European community in Assisi, Italy, and communities near New Delhi and Pune, India. Ananda supports more than 140 meditation groups worldwide.

For more information about Ananda Sangha, communities, or meditation groups near you, please call 530.478.7560 or visit www.ananda.org .

The Expanding Light

Anandas guest retreat, The Expanding Light, offers a varied, year-round schedule of classes and workshops on yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice. You may also come for a relaxed personal renewal, participating in ongoing activities as much or as little as you wish. The beautiful serene mountain setting, supportive staff, and delicious vegetarian food provide an ideal environment for a truly meaningful, spiritual vacation.

For more information, please call 800.346.5350 or visit www.expandinglight.org .

In winter, there is a magic line on Highway I-90 in Washington state where the rain stops and the snow begins. Many accidents happen when drivers meet this sudden change in the weather. To make it even worse, the magic line is preceded by a long blind curve. Im a firefighter, part of a first-response medical team. I know that stretch of highway all too well.

This was a typical call. On a cold November morning, a vehicle had spun out and rolled over at that spot. Fortunately, the driver was only moderately hurt. We got him out of the car, strapped him to a backboard, and loaded him into the medical vehicle. I was the crew chief and it was my job to ensure the safety of the whole scene.

Cars were still coming fast around the blind curve, unaware of the accident scene and the treacherous conditions. I began walking toward the curve, facing traffic, placing flares in the middle of the road to warn drivers of what was ahead. My partner Glen, working in the medical vehicle, kept watch on me out the back window.

As I placed the last flare I saw a car, coming too fast around the curve, lose control and go into a spin. He was headed right for me.

Suddenly, I was no longer standing in the middle of the road, but fifty feet away on the shoulder. I dont know how I got there. It happened in an instant. The car hurtled right through the spot where Id been standing, then swerved down the road, sideswiped our medical vehicle, careened off another car, and slid into a ditch.

The car was wrecked, but the driver was okay. My crew emerged from the medical vehicle with only minor bumps and scratches.

My partner, Glen, rushed over to me, grabbed my shoulders and yelled into my face, Are you okay?!

He had watched the whole scene. One moment Id been in the path of death, and the next moment I was gone. He was sure Id been killed.

I couldnt explain it either. We walked together to that spot in the road.

We saw my footprints and the tire marks where the car should have hit me, and my footprints fifty feet away on the shoulder.

There were no footprints in between.

from Brian Dotson

I dont know who saw the bird first, but all four of us rose from our seats and headed to the window to see it more clearly. I was visiting the home of Parvati and Pranaba for the first time, and it never occurred to me that an open stairwell leading to the basement was on the other side of the half-wall to my right.

I was behind the others and couldnt see the bird, so I took a step backward and to the side hoping to get a better view. Instead of solid floor, however, my foot went into space. I was close enough to grab my wifes shoulder to break my fall, but consciously chose not to, for fear of pulling her with me to wherever I was going.

I was pretty reckless in my youth, falling off of every moving thing a boy can ride onbike, skateboard, surfboard, snowboardyou name it, Ive fallen off of it. Fortunately, I always escaped without serious injury.

So when I found myself horizontal in the air going backwards, it was a space I had been in before. I rotated my body to face into the fall and saw that I was going head first down a long, steep stairwell. This is going to be a hard fall, I thought. Maybe this time I wont get away unscathed.

Then I heard a voice of power like I have never heard before. Oh! God! NO! It was Parvati. Usually such an exclamation at such a moment would be tinged with fear, pleading, or regret.

Not this time.

This was a commandment to the Universe, and the Universe complied.

Without any transition or time passing, I found myself standing right where I had intended to go when my foot went into the stairwell behind my wife, looking out the window. It was as if what had happened just previous to that had been only a dream. Both my feet were now firmly on the floor with the stairwell behind my heels.

Later, when we compared notes, all of us had seen the same thing. I was falling down the staircase. Parvati exclaimed. Then I was standing looking out the window.

Pranaba told us that the night before he had dreamt that he fell down the staircase. Was he dreaming my karma? Did I take his? Or did Parvati, as an instrument of Divine Will, avert a terrible accident for both of us?

from Turiya

I vaguely remember that there was a sign, saying: Dangerous Currents. No Lifeguard. I grew up in the middle of the United States. At age twenty I had hardly ever seen an ocean and certainly knew very little about them, so the sign meant nothing to me. It was a beautiful sunny day, and there I was in California at the Pacific Ocean. All I could think about was diving into those waves.

Paddling around in the water, I reveled in this new experience. Then everything changed. I was caught in a rip tide and it was carrying me away from shore. I fought against it, but the current was too strong. Farther and farther it took me out into the sea, until the crashing surf was tossing me about like a rag doll.

I struggled and struggled to no avail. I was fighting for my life and the ocean was winning. Finally, unable to swim another stroke, I turned over onto my back and literally went belly up. I was convinced there was nothing I could do and no one who could save me.