History

The birth and success of Guru Ram Das Ashram lies in the inspired vision of our teacher, Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, also affectionately referred to as Yogi Bhajan or Yogiji.  It was he who named the center after Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs and embodiment of compassion, healing, and miracles.

Invited to visit Los Angeles for a weekend, Yogi Bhajan discovered there the souls whose aspiration and longing had orginally drawn him to the West. He gave his first public lecture in the United States on January 5, 1969, at the East West Cultural Center where he stated his firm conviction that it is the birthright of every human being to be “Healthy, Happy, and Holy.” The young people he met wanted to experience God. Unfortunately, many had been using drugs to alter consciousness.

He told them he hadn’t come to gather students; he had come to train teachers. In his Kundalini Yoga classes he told inspiring stories about the Sikh Gurus, he talked about the virtues and values that would bring happiness. He made people laugh, never criticized anyone, and though he told them, “Don’t love me, love my teachings,” he touched the hearts of every seeker. A master of communication, whenever he spoke, each person felt he was talking directly to him or her. His words sank in.

Despite the centuries old taboo against teaching Kundalini Yoga publicly, the Yogi knew that it was the most effective technology he could share with them to heal their bodies and their minds, and give them a valid experience. They could get “high” without side effects, and it was legal! Their souls were hungry to be awakened.

In the next few years he sowed the seeds for institutions and events that have multiplied and mushroomed worldwide, attracting thousands of people who embraced the 3HO way of life. He said 3HO was to be a family of people who lived not just “with” each other but “for” each other. To provide a structure for the teachings, the 3HO Foundation was legally incorporated in California on July 29, 1969. Yogiji also founded KRI, the Kundalini Research Institute in 1971.

Yogiji went to Gurdwara every Sunday. Many of his students went with him. A devout Sikh, Yogi Bhajan never tried to convert anyone to follow the Sikh Path. But his faith and devotion, and his deep love of the Guru were contagious. People wanted to learn more about the Sikh religion. Some of his students went to the local Gurdwara in Los Angeles and asked to be baptized as Sikhs. The Granthi (religious official) there didn't know what to do, because Americans had never done this before, so he called Yogiji for help.

In the spring of 1972, Guru Ram Das Ashram was established at its current location, a former chiropractic and hydrotherapy office. Originally, the space served as a Sadhana room and Gurdwara in the morning, yoga center by day, and is where Yogi Bhajan, the Siri Singh Sahib, sat and taught classes two nights a week for over 15 years.

In October of 1986, construction began to remodel the Ashram installing white marble floors and creating the elegant space that the Ashram is today.

Guru Ram Das Ashram is a sacred place, where for decades people of all walks of life have come to be healed, to meditate, to bow to Guru, and to find peace.  The walls of Guru Ram Das Ashram now resonate with the vibration of thousands of Akhand Paths that have taken place on a weekly basis since those early days, and the chanting, prayer, and divine Kirtan that have been heard here 365 days a year since its inception.  By Guru's grace, all of these traditions continue as Guru Ram Das Ashram will soon celebrate its 50th birthday.