Episode 11: Yogacharya Nisha Pandey

In this episode, Marydale Ma speaks with Yogacharya Nisha Pandey about a lifetime of devotion shaped by the living presence of Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Born in Amritsar into a family steeped in prayer and pilgrimage, Nisha Ma shares the story of her first journey to Jagannath Puri as a young woman of 17, the extraordinary moment of her initiation, and the nearly 25 years she spent in close association with Gurudev — accompanying him on travels, receiving his personal guidance, and ultimately being entrusted with the orange scarf that would mark her as a Yogacharya. She speaks with deep tenderness about Gurudev's motherly love, his humor, his punctuality, and the way his presence made an ordinary house feel like a temple. She also reflects on her encounters with Mother Teresa, her discovery of Kriya techniques inscribed on the walls of the Potala Palace in Tibet, and how she continues to integrate her practice into the fullness of daily life. A quietly profound conversation about the guru-disciple relationship as living fire — one that does not end when the master leaves the body.

✨ Full show notes and transcripts are available at: womensministryofkriya.org/episode-11

✨ About Our Guest:
Yogacharya Nisha Pandey was born in Amritsar, India and has been a seeker of truth from childhood. Her quest for spirituality brought her to Kriya Yoga in 1978, when she was initiated by Shri Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji in Puri. She remained in close association with him, practicing under his guidance and unceasing love until 2002. Nisha Ma immigrated to Canada in 1998, and in 2017 became a Yogacharya under the guidance of Shri Guruji Paramahamsa Prajnananandaji. She has been teaching and initiating since 2018, and today serves the community in Vancouver with heartfelt dedication and love.

🙏 About the Podcast:
Welcome to the Women of Kriya Yoga: Living in Joy Podcast — a gathering place for women walking the spiritual path. Here, we share stories, teachings, and reflections rooted in the timeless practices of Kriya Yoga. These conversations are an offering from the Women’s Sangha & Ministry of Kriya Yoga International, inviting you to rest in stillness, awaken your inner light, and connect with a community of women to support one another in living in joy.

This podcast is brought to you by the Women’s Sangha & Ministry of Kriya Yoga International. Learn more →  https://womensministryofkriya.org

🙏 About Kriya Yoga:
Kriya Yoga is a powerful meditation practice that awakens constant communion with the Divine through the science of the breath. Handed down from teacher to student in an unbroken lineage of enlightened masters, it transforms body, mind, and heart—helping us be calmly active and actively calm. Today this living tradition welcomes seekers everywhere through the guidance of Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, the principal disciple of the great master Paramahamsa Hariharananda. To learn more about Kriya Yoga, please visit kriya.org

🔗 Learn more:
Women’s Sangha & Ministry: womensministryofkriya.org
Kriya Yoga International: kriya.org