Swamini Akhilananda first met Pujya Gurudev, His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, at a Chinmaya Mission spiritual camp in Canada. Inspired by his life and teachings, she continued to seek his presence whenever chance permitted. With his blessings, she joined Chinmaya Mission’s intensive two-year Vedanta Course at the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya ashram in Mumbai, India in 1993. She was initiated as Brahmacharini Aparna Chaitanya in August 1995. On Mahashivaratri Day in 2013, she received sannyasa diksha from Pujya Guruji, His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda, and was initiated into the monastic order as Swamini Akhilananda.

She has lived and studied in the U.S. most of her life, and has been conducting Vedanta classes, camps, and workshops for all age groups for nearly 25 years. She formerly served as the Executive Secretary of Chinmaya Mission West (CMW, the guiding body for CM centers in North America) and as the Editor-in-Chief of CMW News, CMW’s former bimonthly newsletter, for more than 10 years.