Paramahansa Yogananda: Bringing Yoga and Spiritual Awakening to the West

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) was an Indian yogi, philosopher, and spiritual teacher whose teachings introduced millions in the West to the practice of meditation and the philosophy of yoga. As the author of the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi (1946), Yogananda became one of the most influential figures in modern spirituality, bridging Eastern and Western traditions.

Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, Yogananda showed deep spiritual inclination from an early age. He studied under his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, who initiated him into the ancient lineage of Kriya Yoga — a scientific method of meditation aimed at self-realization through direct experience of the Divine.

In 1920, Yogananda traveled to the United States as India’s delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals in Boston. His talk on “The Science of Religion” captivated audiences, marking the beginning of his lifelong mission to share yoga’s universal truths with the West. He later founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in Los Angeles, which continues to disseminate his teachings worldwide.

Through his lectures and writings, Yogananda emphasized the unity of all religions, the balance of material success and spiritual fulfillment, and the potential for every human to experience God directly through meditation. His Autobiography of a Yogi remains one of the most widely read spiritual books ever written, inspiring figures from George Harrison to Steve Jobs.

Yogananda’s life was marked by deep compassion, humility, and an unwavering devotion to truth. He was among the first Indian spiritual masters to make yoga accessible to Western audiences, presenting it not as a dogma but as a universal science of the soul.

His legacy endures through global SRF centers, his writings, and the millions who practice Kriya Yoga. Paramahansa Yogananda’s message of divine unity, peace, and self-realization continues to awaken seekers around the world to the infinite potential within.