Swami Aliananda Paramahansa
Childhood
My birth name was Elizabeth Warren Hicks and I was born in the far Southwest of Cornwall into a farming family – I was the younger of two sisters. When my mother was expecting me, she developed an interest in theosophical books about the Masters in the Himalayas.
Telling this story now I strongly feel that she was being guided to the books by Babaji. My mother mixed with intellectuals, free thinkers and spiritual teachers and I was witness to many fascinating debates. She read avidly and became a theosophist, so my childhood was steeped in spiritual matters, it’s been my life.
The golden thread of my lives manifested itself from my birth. My journey continued throughout childhood and beyond, during which time I met many spiritual people who had an influence on my spiritual journey.
Family
At 23 years old I married Anthony Holman and we went on to have three beautiful children. When I was 30, we moved to Kenidjack Valley in St Just, to live in an old mine captain’s house, ‘Penrose’, which had been my grandfather’s home.
Meeting Guru Mahavatar Babaji after a 12-Year Journey
In 1985, I had a vivid dream. The holiest man in the world was in my dream and my first words to him were, “Will I ever see you again?” and he replied, “I will never leave you.” From that moment I knew I had to find him. This was the beginning of a twelve-year search. I went to India on many occasions to find him and saw many spiritual teachers, but I knew they were not the one.
Eventually, on 29 September 1997, I stood before Mahavatar Babaji. His first words were, “You have been looking for me for 12 years and now I have called you.”
In 2000, before I left Cornwall and journeyed to him, I initiated a Reiki student of mine and handed her my mantle of Mastery of Reiki and Healing. When I arrived in Nainital, Babaji’s first words to me were, “Don’t teach Reiki anymore; teach Kriya Yoga.” So, there was an incredible synergy with him, and that continues to this day.
From then until 2008, I visited him as often as I could, sometimes twice a year. He was my Guru and I, his disciple. He knew me. He taught me Kriya Yoga and I awoke to God Consciousness through his blessing, his teaching and Kriya Yoga. His teachings were so wonderful that in the practice of Kriya Yoga which is so powerful, he helped me understand and realise the Self which is God Consciousness.
Babaji taught me five transformational, life-changing, sacred and profound breaths. Kriya means action (breath) and Yoga means union with God through breath. Sacred union with breath. There are no asanas, just sitting either cross-legged or in an upright position on a chair. Yoga mats or cushions can be used when practising the breaths and meditation during my Kriya Yoga and Wisdom Teachings.
Babaji’s teachings were about God; the God Glow; God’s Words; God’s Breath; God’s life on earth and in heaven, and he initiated me, thus speeding up my awakening to this understanding – not through books, but through Kriya Yoga, going within, which awakened me to finding my Soul Self. He would say to me, “Go in, go in, go in.”
On one of my visits Babaji said, “You have turned into butter.” I didn’t realise quite what he meant. However, at the same time that I was visiting him in India there was an Austrian lady also visiting, called Ingeborg. It was not until many years later, when I was teaching in Austria, that I was told by her that Babaji had said, “Elizabeth is a Master.” I had not heard him say this, but the links were being made: Paramahansa means butter/Master.
World Peace Mission
In September 2002, on one of my visits to India, my sister and I were travelling to Badrinath with Babaji, Dr Mittal and his wife. Dr Mittal was also a devotee of the Dalai Lama and close friend to his secretary.
Before we went our separate ways, we were in the car park with Babaji, who was between us holding both my hand and Dr Mittal’s, when he said, “Dr Mittal, Elizabeth has a World Peace Mission and I would like you to organise a meeting with the Dalai Lama, and we could all go next March, that will be nice.” This was the first time that I heard of such an important mission. However, the following March I did indeed have an audience with the Dalai Lama, and discussed my mission.
From Elizabeth Holman to Swami Aliananda Paramahansa
In February 2005, I took an American group and my son, Selwyn, to see Babaji. On the 10 February 2005, Babaji blessed me with my name, Swami Aliananda Paramahansa, because He Knew Me, and I had been a disciple for a long, long time. I know he will never leave me.
Swami Aliananda Paramahansa
The name given to Swami Aliananda Paramahansa in Nainital in 2005, by Mahavatar Babaji means:
Swami – Teacher, Carer
Ali – Highest, Highest Rejoicement
Ananda – Bliss
Parama – Supreme Soul
Hansa (Hamsa) – Swan/Brahma. Signifies the link between heaven and earth to awaken you to God/Brahma.
Teaching History
My World Peace Mission teachings include:
- Wisdom Truth Teaching
- Meditation
- Guided Imagery/Visualisation
- Sacred Pilgrimage workshops to St Michael’s Mount
- Sunday half-hour meditation for peace in the world (on Zoom)
- Kriya Yoga Sacred Breathing
- Kriya Yoga Initiation
- Zoom Teachings for Kriya Yoga
My full story can be found in my book, Journey of a Paramahansa. You can buy it on Amazon and the Apple Books store.
Over the years I have taught extensively in many European Countries and in the USA. I am blessed to have devotees worldwide who have been transformed by the practice of Kriya Yoga and Wisdom Truth Teachings.
Additionally, I offer weekly Kriya Yoga sessions on Zoom for those who have attended one of my Kriya Yoga Foundation Workshops held throughout the year.
Love and peace is food for the world.
Swami Aliananda Paramahansa
Founder of the World Peace Mission
Kriya Yoga Master