A First Quarter Reflection – Barbara Denempont, Executive Director

I want to take a moment to share something with you—not just an update, but a glimpse into the impact you are having as a Gangaji Foundation donor.

What you are supporting is reaching people in ways that are often quiet, sometimes unseen, and yet deeply transformative.

Let me paint a picture for you…

 

The World is Listening…and Watching!

As the host of Being Yourself, Gangaji’s monthly podcast, I often find myself wondering,
“Who is listening—who am I speaking to as I sit down to record an introduction?”

The answer is moving and astonishing. A simple moment of connection can open something truly longed for—

“My heart said it is Gangaji when I watched the first podcast… I came to the website the very next day.”

In just the first three months of 2026…

• 20,000+ people from around the world listened to the podcast
• 25,000 people visited the website from 136 countries—each visitor arriving with a question, a curiosity, or perhaps a profound longing for something true.
• 11,000+ hours of Gangaji video watched on YouTube
• 240,000+ social media views

Taken together—through the podcast, YouTube, social media, and the website—our online presence is extending this invitation to peace across the world—literally.

 

A Welcoming Oasis of Support

It is our joy to welcome all who are interested to this oasis of support that is alive online.  Along with the in-person retreats Gangaji holds in Ashland, spiritual seekers can easily connect with Gangaji, her invitation, and be supported in their spiritual inquiry by a welcoming community. Free courses and the monthly Community Video Screening provide immediate ways to engage in self-inquiry.

“This is a beautifully simple but profound course… a quiet opportunity for a radical experience of the truth.”

In our With Gangaji online community, participants from 44 countries gather every month in inquiry with Gangaji. Collectively, we are this one heart—longing for itself and discovering itself. Here’s one beautiful report shared in the With Gangaji forum…

“Thinking, thoughts, the power of the mind is amazing, truly. But there’s more. More than what appears and disappears. More than words can ever say. It’s That. I Love. It’s That, I Am.”

 

Meeting People Where They Are - Scholarships

I am continually moved by what we hear from those engaging in self-inquiry through a wide variety of free content, free courses, and through the scholarship program.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude once again for giving me the scholarship and granting me the opportunity to be a part of this profoundly deep, beautiful and heart opening retreat. I am in awe with the space that was created and a wonderful sangha, all having a genuinely life-changing impact on me.”

In a time when financial strain is real for many, your support ensures that this work remains available—meeting people exactly where they are, without barrier. We estimate in 2026, approximately 120 full and partial scholarships will be gifted by donors for the With Gangaji online program, online retreats, and the eight in-person retreats being held in Ashland.

 

Awakening On the Inside – Prison Program

Every week, the Prison Program team and I read letters from men and women living in prison, participating in Gangaji’s Freedom Inside course. The Prison Program is proof of our capacity to recognize freedom within, regardless of circumstance.

One inmate wrote:

       “You helped me… by opening my eyes to the real meaning of love, peace, forgiveness. Hate isn’t even in my life no more.”

And another shared:

“The biggest lesson for me… was to open my heart deeply to my pain. When I did that, I was filled with love and the pain was gone.”

These are not small shifts. They are profound recognitions—happening in the most constrained and often dire conditions. Our program currently provides over 750 inmates regular newsletters by mail, and on the digital platform Gangaji’s courses have been accessed in over 1,300+ US facilities by thousands of inmates.

And now, we have added the Freedom Inside newsletters to our Media Library for all to read and are working on publishing the Freedom Inside workbooks in e-book form.

 

For Future Generations – The Archive Program

While it is not yet publicly visible—something very significant is being built. The Archive Program is beginning to take real shape.

We are not simply preserving recordings—we are in the early stages of building a living archive of Gangaji’s teachings, spanning decades, that will be searchable, accessible, and available for generations to come.

New data systems for transcription and segmentation are now in place—thoughtfully combining AI with human verification, along with duplication and transcoding of media. It is intricate work, still unfolding, but a strong foundation has been laid.

 

One Last Beautiful Reflection - You

When I take a step back and feel into all of this—the listeners, the viewers,
the prisoners, the global community, the archive, and Gangaji herself, I profoundly feel what fuels it all—gratitude.

To offer what we have received. To extend to others, who are just like us, this depth of support is a gift. In times of uncertainty or challenge, there is something deeply meaningful in being able to support the possibility of peace in our lives and in the world.

You are the heart of this. The love of self Itself.

Thank you for making all of this possible—for people you may never meet, in places you may never go. You support their discovery of what is unshakably true within us all.

May all beings awaken to itself.

With endless gratitude,
Barbara

PS My door is always open. Please feel free to knock if you have any questions or just want to connect!