About

Mary Kretzmann, and family

My husband Tim and I moved to Ananda Village, sight unseen in 1978. We were deeply inspired by the idea of a spiritual community.

I met Tim on his homestead in the Ozarks of Arkansas when I was 20 years old, in 1975. (He had just moved there from Philadelphia…) We built a small, solid oak cabin, and it burned to the ground a few months later! We lost everything (not that we had much). Nonetheless, it clears ones energy to lose all one’s goods. We soon read Autobiography of a Yogi; our lives were forever changed.

We met Swami Kriyananda in Chicago on the “Joy Tours” of 1978, and then started an Ananda meditation group. But we wanted even more satsang, and we saw Swamiji again, in Houston in 1978. There we prayed for guidance, felt a deep sense of peace, and decided to sell our home in Arkansas, and move to Ananda sight unseen! We’ve never doubted that decision. (It’s a great story; maybe I will blog about it sometime.)

We raised our three children here in the community, Krishnabai, Peter, and David. Krishnabai is married to Cullen Lewis, and they live “next door” and we share a large garden and orchard area. She teaches violin, and she makes silk and wool meditation cushions. Cullen is a contractor, and is very interested in agricultural sustainability on the Ananda land. Our son, Peter, also lives and works in the community, and he writes an Ananda blog. Our youngest, David, attends the Ananda Living Wisdom High School.

Tim has a business making meditation benches and altars, and also sells products from Ananda India. If I am ever discouraged about the state of the world, I take heart in the fact that he can support our family selling supplies for meditation. (All three of our kids work part time in the business.) Tim is also a wonderful storyteller.

I have served in the Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry for about 20 years, and I have also served in various aspects of family ministry . In my “off time”, I love to take walks around Ananda Village, bake yummy things for my family, learn about health and healing, and I love to sing. I have a great interest in the international aspect of Ananda’s mission, and in prayers healing and world peace.

So, all of this gives a backdrop of our life at Ananda Village! I hope you enjoy the website.

Joy!

Mary Kretzmann