During his fifteen years as a resident of Kripalu Ashram and Kripalu Center, Yoganand dove deeply into the renunciate practices of Swami Kripalu. In 1989, he was initiated into the vows of Sannyasa and joined Kripalu’s Monastic order.

In 1994, after 14 years of intensive practice, he received Shaktipata initiation from Yogi Amrit Desai and began practicing the advanced yoga that Swami Kripalu himself had practiced for over 30 years. Under the guidance of Amrit Desai, Yoganand was instructed to pass on the deeper teachings to Kripalu practitioners as he felt appropriate.

In 1994, after 14 years of intensive practice, Yoganand received Shaktipata initiation from Yogi Amrit Desai and began practicing the advanced yoga that Swami Kripalu himself had practiced for over 30 years. Under the guidance of Amrit Desai, Yoganand was instructed to pass on the deeper teachings to Kripalu practitioners as he felt appropriate.

In 1998, Yoganand became a director of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training program, and later in the same year became the overseer for Kripalu Advanced Yoga Teacher Training.

In 2003, Yoganand left his teaching position at Kripalu Center. He continued to study the teachings of the yoga tradition and to practice Hatha Yoga techniques from Swami Kripalu’s renunciate path as a householder living and working in the world. Many students gathered around him, attracted to his approach which he refers to as a hybrid path: mostly householder living a sattvic lifestyle with a core of renunciate teachings and practices.

With the blessing of the current directors and developers of Kripalu Yoga, Yoganand gave name and expression to his understanding of the teachings of Swami Kripalu under the title of Pranakriya Yoga. In 2022, Yoganand became Professor Emeritus for Pranakriya; he continues to lead a handful of the School’s trainings, serves as Dean of the Curriculum Committee, and is an important advisor to the School’s Executive Director.