In this episode, Yogacharya Lucy O’Brien reflects on her path from Lutheran roots to discovering Kriya Yoga, meeting Gurudev Hariharananda, and embracing daily practice. She offers guidance for seekers on finding joy and living spiritual values every day.
About Our Guest
Yogacharya Lucy O’Brien met Shri Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharananda-ji in her home community of Santa Barbara, CA in 1986. The blessing of initiation and that relationship transformed her life. She served Kriya Yoga International as a Center Leader and West Coast Regional Coordinator before accepting a role as Yogacharya. As a lifelong learner, she turned her attention to Eastern teachings after reading the Autobiography of a Yogi at a young age and considers herself under the flag of Paramahamsa Yogananda ever since. She worked as a bookkeeper, serving in the nonprofit community until her retirement. She has a very active retirement sharing her passion for the benefits of developing a personal meditation practice. Other activities include studying scripture, cooking, gardening, and spending time wrangling her two young grandsons.
Music & Chants
This episode features an original song, DISASTER (dis=separate;astra=star), by Kimberly Ann Thomas. Kim has been a devoted kriyavan since 1999, and is a disciple of Shri Gurudev and Shri Guruji. She lives in Colorado and enjoys being part of the Kriya community. This is an original song offered from the heart.
Episode Transcript
Marydale Ma
Om, Om, Om, and welcome to the Women of Kriya Yoga Living in Joy podcast. I’m your host, Marydale, and this podcast was created to honor the voices and the journeys of women walking the sacred path of Kriya Yoga.
Each episode, I’ll be joined by an inspiring guest who will share her story, her challenges, blessings, practices, and her wisdom. Together, we’ll explore how the teachings of Kriya Yoga guide us to live with greater love, equanimity, and joy in our daily lives.
Whether you are new to the path or have been practicing for years, these conversations are here to uplift your heart and support your spiritual journey.
Thank you for joining us on this day of the rest of your life. As we celebrate the light of the women on the path of Kriya Yoga together, hopefully this will be a path of discovery and what it means to truly live in joy.
And now before I introduce our wonderful guest for today, let’s take a moment to settle into this space. I know it took you a lot of effort to arrive here.
And now your loving attention is required. In this way, you’ll be able to truly take in the gift of the moment. Please ensure that your phone is silenced and that you will not be disturbed for the next few minutes.
Let us sit comfortably and begin to take your attention to the sweetness of your breath. Gently close your eyes and move into a state of calm.
Father, Mother, Beloved Lord, our Divine Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharananda, our beloved Guruji Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, and our Paramguru Paramahamsa Yogananda, along with all of the great masters of our Kriya Yoga lineage and beyond—we bow at your feet with hearts filled with thanksgiving for this auspicious opportunity to draw forth women from all corners of the planet to celebrate the feminine and to uplift one another through our stories, through our sincerity, through our love, through our devotion, and mostly through your grace.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this privilege, bowing at your feet with endless love. Om Shanti, Om Shanti. Om, Om Shanti. Amen.
Wonderful. And with that, it is my privilege and pleasure to introduce to you our guest, Lucy O’Brien, who happens to also be my dear friend. I’ve known Lucy for 14 plus years now, and it’s been a wonderful journey to get to know her.
Lucy, we’ve had the privilege of listening to your biography, and it’s so rich with your story as a long-time devotee of Kriya Yoga. And we thank you for agreeing on short notice to share this moment with us. I know it wasn’t easy. However, today we’d like to focus on exploring your journey on your Kriya path.
And that’s going to help all of us to live in joy. If you don’t mind, Lucy, could we start by asking you a little bit about your early life and what drew you to the spiritual path?
Lucy
I’d love to share that. It’s so beautiful to share with all of you. I feel that I came to the spiritual path quite naturally.
I was born into a Lutheran family, and we went to church every Sunday and sang. We had the pew that we all sat in, and my dad had a beautiful voice singing the Lutheran hymns. There was always a sense that God was around and the spirit was present.
We weren’t too strict—just good, middle-of-the-road Christians. That suited me well and gave me a good foundation.
I asked my mom once what we believed in, and she said, “Faith by works.” She was a registered nurse, a public health nurse, and it was all about service.
So when I came to Kriya, service was already very much a part of my spiritual life. My mom told me that faith through works was our belief. Miraculously, when I found Kriya, it folded right into that because Kriya means the soul in action, or God in action in our activities.
It wasn’t a surprise that one flowed toward the other. They came together.
Marydale Ma
Well, it sounds like you had a very wise woman as your mother, as your feminine mentor from an early age. And certainly hands, hearts, and head are all part of our path. That was a real blessing.
Now, is there any defining moment that you can think of that set you on the path toward Kriya?
Lucy
Absolutely. From that middle-of-the-road Christian background, when I was in college in Boulder, Colorado, there was a festival called the Holy Man Jam back in the 1960s. A lot of teachers came, and I went to the talks and heard about reincarnation for the first time.
I thought, “Oh my goodness, this is great. Why didn’t anybody tell me this?” Once I discovered that there was another door, different from what I had been taught, I went straight for it.
Reincarnation rang like a bell to me. I thought, “I need to learn about this.” I began studying Eastern religions and found they were much more accessible.
The Vedas tell you very clearly how to live, what values to hold, and what practices to follow—different from the Bible. Even though Jesus’ teachings are the same, he teaches in metaphor, so you have to wade into it. The Hindu texts will just tell you directly. I resonated with this path, and from then on, it was a journey to find Kriya and to find my master, Hariharananda.
The path unfolded gradually—with setbacks and progress, but always moving me forward.
Marydale Ma
Would you mind sharing how you met Gurudev Hariharananda and how he changed your life?
Lucy
I learned about Kriya Yoga through Autobiography of a Yogi, like many others. I was in a period of begging for something more, and then one day, by chance, my work sent me to deliver muffins to a part of town I never went to. On the door of a coffee shop was a poster about Kriya Yoga and the lineage of masters. I was astounded.
I went to the talk, learned Kriya, and soon after, Guruji Hariharananda was in San Francisco. I met him, and he was so loving and patient. For me, it was life-changing.
I had doubts at first, but when I began practicing the techniques, they immediately helped me. My concentration improved, my depression lifted, and joy began returning. I was so transformed that I was afraid to stop meditating, fearing I would lose the progress.
Within six months, my anger had subsided and my life had changed dramatically. The techniques worked so powerfully. Hariharananda taught us: pick a practice that works for you and stick with it. That’s what I did.
Marydale Ma
What a gift. About how old were you when you found Kriya?
Lucy
I was 34 years old. I had gone through a divorce, moved with my son, and was building a life in California. It was a challenging time, but Kriya helped me build a foundation.
Marydale Ma
And what was it like for you as a woman on this path? Did you face difficulties?
Lucy
Not particularly as a woman. What’s beautiful about this path and this organization is that it isn’t designed only for men or only for women. Hariharananda ordained women teachers, and there were women monks and acharyas.
So yes, there were more men, but there was always space for women. It never felt like a man’s world. Kriya Yoga has always been a safe, respectful place for women to study and learn.
Marydale Ma
Were there any female role models that influenced you?
Lucy
Yes. The one who comes to mind is Bambi Merriweather. She brought Hariharananda to California for the first time. Without her, my life would be completely different.
She loved him deeply and modeled devotion, enthusiasm, and how to be with the guru—with love, trust, joy, and respect. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She welcomed us, organized meditations, and kept us active. She was a mentor and a Mother Divine figure for me.
Marydale Ma
Is there any singular practice you could not do without?
Lucy
Daily meditation. Hariharananda always told us to watch every breath. It sounds simple, but it’s the foundation. Watching every breath means watching God—being present with God in every moment.
Marydale Ma
How has your practice changed over time?
Lucy
Earlier, I focused more on seva and organizing. Now I spend more time in study, retreat, and meditation—focusing on going deeper.
Marydale Ma
And what advice would you give to seekers, especially women beginning the path?
Lucy
Find a practice that works for you and that you love—then stick with it. That’s the only way to progress. Build your spiritual values into daily life: love, compassion, kindness, truthfulness. Remember that everything can be part of your spiritual life.
Marydale Ma
And what brings you the most joy on your path today?
Lucy
Recognizing little moments of grace—synchronicities, beauty in nature, time with family and friends. These things bring me joy and remind me I am not alone.
Marydale Ma
Lucy, you truly walk the walk and talk the talk. We are so blessed to have you as one of our Yogacharyas.
Lucy
I’m speaking to you today from Gurudev Hariharananda’s ashram in Homestead, Florida. Everyone is welcome to come and spend time here, even if not initiated. Please come, visit, and experience the peace of Gurudev’s home.
Marydale Ma
Thank you, Lucy. And thank you to all our listeners for joining us for Women of Kriya Yoga: Living in Joy. May you feel the blessings of the masters in every breath. Jai Guru. Om, Om.
Lucy
Jai Guru. Blessings.
