Thousands of people from around the world are expected to gather in Los Angeles next month for the 2026 Self-Realization Fellowship World Convocation, a week-long programme of meditation, spiritual talks and devotional music inspired by the teachings of Indian spiritual teacher Paramahansa Yogananda.
The free event will run from August 2 to 8 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, with sessions livestreamed for participants worldwide. Organisers expect attendees from dozens of countries to take part either in person or online.
The annual Convocation, established by Yogananda in 1950, centres on the practice of Kriya Yoga, a form of Raja Yoga that combines meditation techniques with teachings on spiritual development and daily living.
Opening the event will be Brother Saralananda, a monk of Self-Realization Fellowship, whose address is titled The Art of Joyful Living: Yoga’s Path to Happiness. He said many people were seeking “lasting happiness, deeper purpose, and a sense of peace that isn’t dependent on outward circumstances”.
He said Paramahansa Yogananda taught that “what we are seeking already exists within our soul. Through meditation and spiritual practice, we can learn to access that inner reservoir of soul joy, wisdom, and strength directly. Convocation offers people an opportunity to experience that for themselves.”
The programme includes guided group meditations, kirtan, satsangas, practical talks on personal wellbeing and daily opportunities for participants to meditate together. Sessions this year 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.
Los Angeles holds a special place in Yogananda’s history. After arriving in the United States from India in 1920, he later established his international headquarters in Southern California and referred to Los Angeles as the “Banaras of America”, drawing a comparison with one of India’s holiest cities. During Convocation, participants will be able to visit sites connected with his life and work, either in person or through virtual pilgrimages.
Yogananda is widely recognised for introducing yoga and meditation to Western audiences during the early twentieth century. His book Autobiography of a Yogi, first published in 1946, remains one of the most widely read spiritual works and has influenced readers across generations.
Self-Realization Fellowship, founded by Yogananda in 1920, now operates more than 600 temples, meditation centres, retreats and ashrams worldwide. In India and neighbouring countries, its work continues through the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, which has more than 200 centres.
This year’s Convocation will offer simultaneous translation in German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. Self-Realisation Fellowship monks and nuns will also visit meditation centres across Europe, North America, Oceania and South America during the week to mark the gathering with local members and supporters.
Event Details:
- What: 2026 Self-Realization Fellowship World Convocation
- When: August 2–8, 2026
- Where: Westin Bonaventure Hotel, 404 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071, and online worldwide
- Presented by: Monks and nuns of Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship
- Cost: Free and open to all; registration required
- More information and registration: convocation.yogananda.org
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