Helping people find direction,
fulfillment, and inner peace
About Us
Gyandev and Diksha McCord are two of the primary teachers at Ananda Village, a renowned intentional community in Northern California. Together, they offer more than 35 years of experience teaching meditation, stress management, Ananda Yoga, healthy lifestyle, spiritual direction, and more. They teach across North America, and in Europe and India—most often at Ananda’s retreat center, The Expanding Light. Their work also includes personal life coaching and spiritual direction.
At the core of what they offer is the ancient science of yoga—not merely the physical postures that most Westerners think of as yoga, but the entire scientific and practical approach to living of which the postures are but a small part. They support this with modern research in medicine and psychology. Their yoga tradition is that of the great master, Paramhansa Yogananda, and his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda.
Gyandev (Rich) McCord
Gyandev is the worldwide director of Ananda Yoga® and Ananda Yoga Teacher Training. He also co-founded Yoga Alliance, the nonprofit organization that sets standards for training yoga teachers in the United States. Gyandev has a PhD in Mathematics (Operations Research) from Stanford University.
Gyandev says: “The supreme practicality of yoga appealed to my scientific nature from the start. The two fields have much in common: Both emphasize clarity of mind, an understanding of the relationships among things rather than focusing on their differences, and above all, direct experience as the criterion of truth. I am continually amazed at how yoga offers the solution to every problem I come across. Sharing these solutions with others is both a joy and a privilege.”
Before beginning his work with Ananda, Gyandev was a management consultant in San Diego and in Silicon Valley, California. He has managed two businesses, and is also a professional storyteller.
Publications
• Yoga Therapy for Headache Relief, with Dr. Peter Van Houten (book)
• Yoga Therapy for Overcoming Insomnia, with Dr. Peter Van Houten (book)
• Yoga for Busy People (DVD)
• Yoga to Awaken the Chakras (DVD)
• Ease into Sleep (CD)
• Magnetize Your Life (CD)
• Dance of Divinity (CD)
Diksha (Rina) McCord
Diksha co-directs Ananda’s Meditation Teacher Training and Spiritual Counselor Training programs. Born and raised in Israel, Diksha has a BS in Biology from Jerusalem University, where she was part of a Neurobiology department research team that explored the influence of drugs on the brain. She also earned a BA in Art from Bezalel Academy of Arts, after which she received a prestigious scholarship from the Japanese government to spend 3 years at the Art University of Kyoto, studying and exhibiting her art work while participating in the Masters degree program.
“The yoga teachings have changed my life in many profound ways, and I feel great inspiration from sharing that wisdom with others. There is such satisfaction in seeing people deepen their own self-understanding, get clearer on what they really want from life—and begin to attain it.”
In addition to her extensive teaching background, Diksha has managed a large retreat center kitchen and has expertise in nutrition and Ayurveda (the ancient Indian science of health and healing).
Publications
• Meditation for Inner Peace (CD)
• Awaken Your Inner Powers (CD)
• How to Know and Trust Your Inner Guidance (CD)
• Global Kitchen (book)
• Vegetarian Cooking for Starters (book)
