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Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) is considered one of the preeminent spiritual figures of modern times.
Author of the best-selling spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, this beloved world teacher came to America in 1920 from his native India, and was the first great master of yoga to live and teach in the West for an extended period (more than 30 years). He is now widely recognized as the Father of Yoga in the West. He founded Self-Realization Fellowship (1920) and Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (1917), which continue to carry on his spiritual legacy worldwide under the leadership of Sri Mrinalini Mata, one of his closest disciples.
Paramahansa Yogananda has profoundly impacted the lives of millions with his comprehensive teachings on:
- the science of Kriya Yoga meditation,
- the underlying unity of all true religions,
- the art of balanced health and well-being in body, mind, and soul.
His teachings and the meditation techniques he taught are available today through:
- Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons, a comprehensive home-study series originated by Yogananda himself;
- Books, recordings, and other publications from SRF, the organization he founded to disseminate his teachings worldwide;
- Programs conducted by ordained monks and nuns of the Self-Realization Fellowship Monastic Order at SRF temples and meditation centers all over the world.