page_title: Swami's
section_title: Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens and Hermitage
hierarchical_section_title: Swami's / Activities / Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens and Hermitage
caption_attribution_description: English: The partially-exposed reef at Swami's Beach during low tide, in Encinitas, San Diego County, California. Tourists explore the tide pools containing various wildlife.
context_page_description: Swami's is an area in San Diego County that contains Swami's Beach and other local attractions. The beach, also known as "Swami’s Reef'" and "Swamis", is an internationally known surfing spot, a point break located in Encinitas, San Diego County, California. Swami's was named after Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, because the grounds and hermitage of the Self-Realization Fellowship ashram, built in 1937, overlook this reef point. The name "Swami's" is also given to the sand beach that extends south from the point to the next beach access point, which is next to the San Elijo State Beach camping area; this more southerly surf spot often goes by the name "Pipes".
  Originally the name "Swami's" was an unofficial nickname that surfers had given to the point break, but eventually the name was adopted officially, and also used as the name of the cliff-top park, which was previously known as "Seacliff Roadside Park".
context_section_description: In 1920, Paramahansa Yogananda founded the Self-Realization Fellowship. Yogananda came from India as a representative for the international congress of religions and wanted to bring the great teachings of meditation to Americans. The meditation garden is filled with flowers, plants, trees and a number of small ponds featuring small waterfalls and koi fish. It extends from the starting point of the meditation garden to the beach cliffs of Swami's.
  
  Activities include weekly Sunday services for adults and Sunday school for children, as well as meditations, kirtan chanting, scriptural readings, commemorations, and many opportunities to serve.
caption: The partially exposed reef with tide pools at Swami's, during low tide.
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