Sunburst is a community of practice dedicated to personal and planetary awakening, with headquarters at Sunburst Sanctuary north of Santa Barbara.

Unlock your true potential! Discover soul-awakening practices in the universal lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda and his direct disciple, founder Norman Paulsen.

The teachings of Self-realization that Sunburst offers are based upon the universal lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda and his direct disciple, founder Norman Paulsen, as well as the living guidance of the Christ consciousness Jesus exemplifies unceasingly. These great souls are active in these teachings today, as are many others from the living presence of I Am That I Am.

Paramahansa Yogananda“Through use of the Kriya “key”, persons who cannot bring themselves to believe in the divinity of any man will behold at last the full divinity of their own selves.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, was born in India in 1893. He came to America in 1920 with the intention to spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the West. His teachers instructed him that the sacred science of Kriya Yoga meditation would ultimately spread throughout all lands, and aid in harmonizing the nations through man’s personal, transcendent perception of the Infinite One. There was genuine interest in his unique presence and the power of his magnetic personality. His indomitable will and all-encompassing love were felt by all. He came to America alone, into a wilderness without a single friend, but found thousands ready to receive the timeless soul-teachings.

Yogananda founded the worldwide organization Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) and Church of All Religions, headquartered in Los Angeles. He also believed that an urgent need on this war-torn earth was the founding, on a spiritual basis, of numerous world-brotherhood colonies.

“Remember, you are equipped atomically, molecularly, cellularly, right within your own body, now at this very moment, to fully experience cosmic consciousness, divine illumination, oneness with God. You don’t have to go anywhere; it’s all right within you.
The whole creation is right within you. How can you see it?
Meditate on it.”

Norman Paulsen, compelled by his inborn desire to bear witness that God is alive and can be felt, known and seen face to face, consciously entered this world on February 3, 1929 in Santa Barbara, California. From his earliest childhood, he felt the presence of Spirit within him and hovering around him. When he learned that a man named Moses had once seen God face to face, Norman’s search for God began.

As a young man, his inner quest led him to an enlightened teacher Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of Self-Realization Fellowship. Here, Norman spent several years in the monastery. He learned the daily devotional practice of the techniques of Kriya Yoga meditation that he carried with him throughout his life. It was at this time that he was given the vision and inspiration that would lead to the founding of Sunburst.

After Norman left the monastery in 1951, he had a series of illuminating experiences culminating in a journey into cosmic consciousness – a face to face meeting with the ineffable light of God, merging with the eternal Divine Presence. Through the inspiration of this transformational encounter came his lifelong desire to share the realization of the infinite joy and love of Spirit with all. It was and still is his mission to convey the possibility of this journey for every seeking soul.