Layla Ananda

I have been on a path of therapeutic and spiritual growth for many years.

As the child of a dysfunctional family, I learned many things the hard way,

which has been of great assistance in my work and my life.

I have studied the wisdom of many traditions,

and believe deeply that each person has her/his own inner truth.

To learn about the traditions I have studied, click here.

To see my resume, click here.

To see a list of the workshops I have presented, click here.

This is Maharajji, my guru-spiritual teacher

This is Gwendolyn Jansma, my spiritual mentor

Deep Peace Counseling

sponsored by Nathan Claunch, PhD

Sliding scale fees - First session discount

Email or call for information or an appointment

layla@deeppeacecounseling.com - 734-973-0684

TRADITIONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM

I am Jewish by ancestry and heritage. I attended synagogue through my childhood, had my Bat Mitzvah at age 13, taught Sunday school, learned Hebrew. I learned the beauty of having forms, rituals, songs and prayers that offer guidance.
I began learning about Wicca and Goddess rituals in my college years in the 1970's. Through classes, consciousness-raising and other women's groups, and reading wonderful books, I began to learn that I could see myself in the images of the Goddess. In the mid-1980's I became a member of a small group that has celebrated full moons, new moons, solstices and equinoxes for many years. I have learned so much from honoring the changing of the seasons and the inner knowledge this can bring.
In the early 1980's, I began to search for a spiritual teacher. This was a very intuitive process, as I sought the being that would touch my heart most deeply. I learned about Jesus, Muktananda, Yogananda, Meher Baba and many others. I learned meditation and chanted at the Siddha Yoga ashram, and was initiated at South Fallsburg. My search ended - though not my learning! - when a friend in graduate school gave me a tape of a talk by Ram Dass, and I first heard about Maharajji - Neem Karoli Baba. He teaches people from any and all traditions to "love everyone, serve everyone, feed everyone." He has guided me (from the other side - he left his body before I met him, in 1973) to trust that there is meaning to each moment in my life, and that I can use my life to serve Spirit.
In the mid-1980's, I met my dear friend Ariana, who introduced me to the teachings of the Sweet Medicine Path. I studied from tapes and materials that Ari shared with me, and felt so honored to have the beginnings of an understanding of the beauty and complexity of Native American teachings. The energies of the 4 directions, plus above, below and center, contain more wisdom than I learned in all my years in school. I was also privileged for several years to study with Amylee, an Iriquois teacher from Ohio. I also spent several years going to monthly Moon Lodges (women's sweat lodges) and Naturals sweat lodges. I am so grateful for the many lessons I have received, and continue to receive, from this work.
In the early 1990's, I went to 3 years of weekly classes in clairvoyant training, taught by Jo Pamment of Okemos. This work gave me the opportunity to clean out so many old issues and traumas through meditation, grounding, chakra cleansing, one-cell healing and many more techniques. This work made space for me to begin to hear my intuitive guidance more clearly.
In 1993, I was invited by a friend to attend a workshop in Detroit. That was the first time I met Gwendolyn Jansma, and I was blown away. I saw Gwen do in an hour what other therapists did in a year. Gwen's entirely open, loving heart could find the beauty in each person. She and her guides bring people into alignment with their higher selves in loving, extraordinary ways. Her work is called "Awakening to Higher Energies", and awaken I did. I owe so much of my spiritual growth to Gwen's loving guidance.
I have read, studied and experienced other traditions as well - including Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. I am convinced that each person can find the teachings that will best guide them on their path, whether in one tradition or several. All roads lead to God/Goddess/All That Is. All roads lead us home.