Your Teachers

Shivani Lucki, founder of the Ananda Raja Yoga School of Europe, is one of the founding members of Ananda Village in California, where she lived from 1969 until 1985 when she moved, with her husband, to Italy to help create Ananda Europe.

Shivani studied with Swami Kriyananda and attained a diploma as an Ananda Yoga and meditation teacher in 1973. She became an Ananda Minister in 1982 and a Yogacharya in 1993. In 2005 she was authorized to give initiation into Kriya Yoga (Kriyacharya).

In 1979 Shivani started the yoga programs at The Expanding Light in California and coordinated Ananda teachers and ministers in the United States. At Ananda Assisi Shivani creates the guest courses and training programs for meditation teachers in all of Europe. She often travels, giving lectures and seminars on Self-realization and Kriya Yoga.

Kirtani Stickney is the Spiritual Director of Ananda’s work in Europe. She came to Ananda Village in 1975, where she was appointed by Swami Kriyananda as the co-director of Ananda Village. In 1980 she was appointed an Ananda  Minister and co-directed the first Ananda teaching center in Italy in Rome. Since 1985 she has been serving Ananda in Europe, where she became the first Kriyacharya in Europe in 1993.

Anand Stickney arrived at Ananda after several years on the path of Self-realization. His expirience, born from deep meditation, is much appreciated by the Raja Yoga students. In 2005 Swami Kriyananda authorized him to give initiation into Kriya Yoga. With his wife Kirtani, he is the spiritual director of Ananda Europe. He often travels, giving lectures and seminars on Self-realization and Kriya Yoga.

SevaDevi Ena is an Ananda Yoga teacher of profound intuition, and an osteopath of wide-ranging practical experience. She has worked with athletes and multiple sclerosis patients. Seva Devi has practiced yoga for many years, and became a certified Ananda Yoga teacher in California. She directs the "Spirituality in Nature" programs and is the co-director of the Ananda Yoga Teaching Training program.

Jayadev Jaerschky began yoga practice and meditation at the age of 15. He worked briefly as a social worker and, then, in 1987, went to India, where he stayed for seven months, visiting many ashrams, and soon decided to dedicate his life entirely to the spiritual search. In 1989 he joined the Ananda community in Assisi, and in 2003 he became certified by the Ananda Yoga School in California. Jayadev is recognized as one of Ananda’s main yoga, meditation, and philosophy teachers, and is the co-director of the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training courses.