ABOUT

The Anandamaya Institute of Transpersonal Studies was established in Austin, Texas in 1998. The Anandamaya Institute is a small Yogshala ("a house of Yoga") where traditional Breath Work and Meditation are taught in the Jnana Yoga tradition. The institute serves as an educational and research foundation, as well as an arcanum study-center, and provides a welcome place for contemplative inquiry and reflection. The Institute provides opportunities for inquiry, study, and practice in the art and science of traditional Yoga Breathwork and Meditation. The Institute offers the Diploma in Philosophy of Meditation and the Diploma in Meditation Teacher Training (the latter is based upon Anandamaya Meditation for Awakening - in the Jnana Yoga tradition). The Institute operates on the Oxford Turorial model of education. Each student is required to complete a personal interview before being admitted to the Diploma program. Interviews may be conducted in-person (if the student is local), or virtually via Facetime or Zoom (if the student is non-local). The Institute also operates on the 1960's Free Education model - a practice that is still continued today. The Institute offers programs and opportunities for study, tuition free - there is never a monetary charge for any programs or classes. The Anandamaya Institute functions as a non-business, non-religious, not-for-profit and non-governmental affiliated research and study center. The Institute was founded by Joseph Meador, Ph.D. in Austin, Texas in 1998 as a Research and Teaching Center for BreathWork and Meditation in Jñãna Yoga Nondualism - Relocated to beautiful and historic downtown Huntsville, Texas - He received his formal education in the U.S. and Jerusalem, Israel (A.A.S., B.A., Dipl. in Biblical Studies, M.Th., M.Sc., and Ph.D.). He served for many years as a Professor of Theology and Religion, and as an ordained minister. His academic specializations include Jewish and Rabbinic History of the Early Christian Era, Comparative Religion, Phenomenology, and Behavioral Science. Joseph travelled widely as a visiting teacher to 27 states in the U.S., and to several foreign countries. He is a past professional member of the American Academy of Religion, and the American Philosophical Association. In addition to teaching and administration, he served on the editorial boards of three religious journals. He is the author of over 100 published articles and monographs, as well as book chapters in over 40 published religious texts and commentaries. He took his first Yoga class in 1977 and began his practice of classical Kundalini Yoga in 1979. Joseph received Shaktipat-Diksha in 1980 from Yogi Amrit Desai in the lineage of Sri Kripalvananda, (Yogi Amrit Desai founded Kripalu Yoga and the historic Kripalu Yoga Center). He is a long-time practitioner and teacher of Meditation (in the Jñãna Yoga tradition) and received his Diploma in Meditation Teacher Training from Bhaktiyogshala. He studied Indigenous Meditation States in San Francisco with Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., and also trained with Richard Alpert, Ph.D. (Ram Dass), as well as in East-West studies at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Joseph also took his first Gestalt class in 1977 and earned the Diploma in Gestalt Theory (with Thesis) from The Gestalt Institute of New Orleans. In addition, Joseph served on the teaching and clinical faculties at The Gestalt Institute of New Orleans, and The Gestalt Institute of Austin. He attended training classes at the C.G. Jung Institute of Austin and the Jung Institute of New Orleans. Joseph last served for 5-years as a teacher and spiritual director at the Gardens of the Ancients (the Flower of Life) Community in Austin, TX. He continues to serve on the board of directors of the Diabetes Resource Center of Texas in Austin. Joseph now lives in downtown Huntsville, Texas.