Amma's Centers in North America

Thirteen centers across the United States and Canada — homes for meditation, satsang and selfless service, open to everyone.

Find a center near you

Amma addressing the community at MA Center San Ramon

Amma's Centers in North America

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Amma's centers — known locally as M.A. Center or Amma Center — are places to experience her teachings in everyday life. People come to meditate, sing bhajans, share a meal, and serve side by side, whether they have known Amma for decades or are simply curious.

Since Amma's first visit to North America in 1987 and the founding of the San Ramon ashram in 1989, thirteen centers have grown across the United States and Canada, alongside nearly seventy local satsang groups. Each has its own character, but all share one purpose: to put Amma's compassion into action.

A centre is not a mere cluster of inanimate buildings, temples, trees and residences. It is a vital, dynamic and living institution

- Amma

Amma in North America

1987 Amma's first visit to North America
1989 the first ashram, in San Ramon
13 centers in the U.S. and Canada
69 local satsang groups

Our Centers

San Ramon

Castro Valley, California

North America's first ashram (1989), with Saturday satsang, a working farm and a guest program.

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The LA music group performing devotional bhajans

Los Angeles

Redondo Beach, California

A refurbished art-deco landmark, inaugurated in 2014, with weekly satsang and archana.

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Lamp lighting at the M.A. Center PNW inauguration, May 2024

Pacific Northwest

Seattle, Washington

Inaugurated in May 2024 with a temple and home; Seattle's Mother's Kitchen has cooked for shelters since 1997.

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New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Rooted in Amma's first visit in 1987; the Santa Fe ashram (1996) hosts weekly satsang and feeds the city every Sunday.

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Dallas

Aubrey, Texas

Inaugurated in September 2016, with satsang and seva on the center grounds.

Grounds and Garden Seva

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Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

Blessed by Amma in December 2024 — a sanctuary for seekers and a hub for community service in downtown Fairfield.

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Chicago

Elburn, Illinois

A 142-acre campus and the Midwest hub since 2012, with a farm, an orchard and places to stay.

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Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

54 acres near Ann Arbor (1997); delivering Meals on Wheels since 2004.

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Atlanta

Cumming, Georgia

Founded in December 2016, with Mother's Kitchen, GreenFriends and children's classes.

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Washington DC

Potomac, Maryland

A 12,000-square-foot center on 7.5 acres (2009); volunteers have cooked at DC Central Kitchen every September since 2013.

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New York and New Jersey

New Rochelle, New York

An ashram in New Rochelle (about 2018) whose garden grows vegetables for a local food bank.

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New England

Concord, Massachusetts

Satsang in Concord and seva across the region — including a record 1,182 pairs of socks for the unhoused in one winter.

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Sunflower in the Amma Canada Farm veggie garden

Toronto

Georgetown, Ontario

The Amma Canada Centre — an organic farm since 2008 and an orchard of more than 200 fruit trees.

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How the centers grew

From a single visit in 1987 to thirteen centers today.

1987

Amma's first visit

Amma's first world tour reached North America in May 1987. That summer in Santa Fe, a gathering of 35 people planted the seed of what became the Amma Center of New Mexico.

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1989

San Ramon, California

The first ashram in North America, and one of only a few established in Amma's name outside India at the time. Today it is also home to the GreenFriends Farm and Amma's Pantry.

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1996

New Mexico

In Santa Fe, a temple was built to host Amma's programs, and the ashram was inaugurated in June 1996.

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1997

Michigan

M.A. Center Michigan was inaugurated on a 54-acre property five miles from Ann Arbor.

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2008

Toronto, Ontario

The Amma Canada Centre in Georgetown, Ontario, whose farm has been grown organically since 2008 and whose orchard now holds more than 200 fruit trees.

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2009

Washington DC

A 12,000-square-foot facility on 7.5 acres in Potomac, Maryland.

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2012

Chicago

Inaugurated in July 2012 on a 142-acre campus in Elburn, Illinois — the Midwest hub for Amma's charitable, educational and spiritual work.

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2013

New England

M.A. Center New England opened in Boylston, Massachusetts, on more than 30 acres, after the property was purchased in 2012. The community now gathers for satsang in Concord.

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2014