May we all realize the joy of such occasions as this Convocation, and receive such upliftment from these experiences that the darkness of ignorance may be forever dispelled by the beacon light of that joy.
Paramahansa Yogananda
Preparation Prior to the Event:
1. If appropriate, let those in your home know that you will be participating in online events throughout the week, including times of silent meditation and chanting, so that you are not unintentionally interrupted and can therefore fully benefit from this experience.
2. You may wish to select beforehand a room that will be conducive to participating in the Convocation events, classes, and meditations; fresh air is helpful to remain alert.
3. Choose in advance the electronic device you plan to use, and keep it well-charged or plugged into a power outlet. If possible, during the events you may wish to turn off notifications, calls and messages to avoid unnecessary distractions.
4. If you plan to use a mobile device to join the Convocation, we suggest connecting it to a Wi-Fi network, if possible. If you use cellular service for your Internet connection, you may wish to consider purchasing additional data. (Streaming HD video can use up to 3GB per hour, and using Zoom on a mobile device can use 1GB every 3 hours.)
During the Event:
1. To help keep your thoughts focused on God and to more fully immerse yourself in the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda throughout the week, we encourage you to put aside other activities so that you can participate fully in the scheduled Convocation events, as your circumstances allow.
2. If you are able to participate in most or all of the week’s program, following are some of the activities you may want to consider doing in between each scheduled event in order to get the most out of your Convocation experience:
- Enjoying the beauty of nature
- Spending time in introspection
- Getting some physical exercise, appropriate to your age and condition, will help to balance the many hours you will be sitting during the Convocation activities. Try to choose something that allows you to keep your mind on God even while exercising the body.
- Practicing one of Paramahansa Yogananda’s techniques for relaxing the body, such as those described in SRF/YSS Lesson 7 (and more briefly in his book Inner Peace).
- Viewing the virtual pilgrimages to SRF locations and additional video presentations
3. We also encourage you to take advantage of a special virtual “meditation room” which will be open to Convocation participants between scheduled events daily.