East West opened in Seattle in 1989. For more than 30 yearswe were situated on various corners of the one same block in the Roosevelt District.
Cosmically our lease was up in the same month thepandemic started in 2020, so we moved the store online for events for thenext 3 years, with a small in-person footprint downstairs in the Blue Lotus Temple in Bothell.
To the delight of thousands of customers, we reopened the store at a fabulous location in Edmonds! Edmonds literally brings abreath of fresh air for staff and customers alike. And in keeping up with thetimes, we will continue with many popular online event offerings.
At East West, we are guided by the axiom, ‘Know Thyself.’ Universality is our middle name. We seek to be a home for people to discover diverse and unique spiritual paths, lifestyles, and practices, including meditation, new science, modern psychology, yoga, alternative healing. Our goal is to support all in their journey to discover the Joy, Love, Peace, and Wisdom that are the essence of the True Self— in short, to“Know Thyself!”
1) First and foremost, we are a Community: We are a community of soulsfrom all walks of life, who seek to support one another on our chosenjourneys. We are your community.
2) Spiritual Books and Products – We are a books and gifts store with an extensive curated collection of books, and of alternative healing tools suchas quality singing bowls, crystals, art, and many, many more gifts!
3) Programs – We offer online and in-person events (classes, workshops, courses, concerts, and meditations). During the last 34 years we’ve hosted a wide variety of classes and educational presentations from leading, authors, and teachers in many fields including Deepak Chopra, Byron Katie, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, Dr. Joe Dispenza, and more.
East West Books & Gifts was established by members of Ananda, as a non-profit corporation. Ananda is a worldwide family of communities, retreat centers, and meditation groups founded by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) and based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi. The Blue Lotus Temple in Bothell offers classes specific to Ananda in meditation, yoga asanas, the art of spiritual living andthe science of Raja Yoga. Ananda has also operated a successful intentional, spiritual community in Lynnwood, for more than 30 years.
I was born and raised in a beautiful city in Nagano, Japan surrounded by high mountains and hot springs. I enjoyed my simple childhood in nature and the slow-paced environment. A country girl, I moved to a bigger city for college and career and started wandering around the materialistic world and through the duality of life. I was seeking Truth and inner Peace but I couldn’t find the answer. In 2006, I was led to relocate to Seattle and began to raise a family. The same year, I first walked through the doors of a yoga studio. After going through so-called “studio yoga”, I finally found Ananda (East West’s mother organization). It felt like home and I was relieved to meet people who are devoted to seeking Truth. I was initiated into Kriya yoga in 2018 and received 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2021. It is truly my pleasure to serve at East West where I can meet beautiful souls who practice their highest good and share their light with the world.
One of the most inspiring aspects of serving at East West for me, is the opportunity to serve people wherever they are on their spiritual journey. Some may come because they simply would like a nice candle or crystal. Others may come because they are desperately seeking a deeper meaning in life. Yet despite their reason, all who come are in some way uplifted when they walk through the doors. Rika is a long-time friend of mine and when I heard she was going to head up the new East West location in Edmonds and she needed help, I felt inspired to throw my name in the hat and I got the job!
