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Paramahansa Yogananda and the Spread of Yoga in the West

Paramahansa Yogananda and the Spread of Yoga in the West

Sahil Thakur
4 days ago
5 min read

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893 to 1952) was an Indian monk and teacher who arrived in Boston in 1920 and spent the rest of his life teaching meditation and yoga philosophy in the United States. He is best known for his book Autobiography of a Yogi, and many people count him among the first Indian spiritual teachers to settle in the West. This post tells his story, what he actually taught and how he fits into the larger history.

Key takeaways

  • Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh on January 5, 1893, in Gorakhpur, India; he died on March 7, 1952, in Los Angeles.

  • He arrived in Boston in 1920 and founded Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) that same year. SRF says he set up its international headquarters in Los Angeles in early 1925.

  • His teaching centred on meditation and a method called Kriya Yoga, not on physical postures.

  • Autobiography of a Yogi was first published in 1946 and has stayed in print.

  • He was not the first Indian teacher to bring yoga ideas to the West. Swami Vivekananda came earlier.

A small poem for a long voyage

Crossing (an original poem)

A ship, a coat, a talk to give, a country that he'd never seen. He carried little but a thought: that stillness travels, and it stays. The room was full of strangers. Still, he spoke of calm the way you'd speak of water to a thirsty guest, and then stayed on to teach.

The poem is not a historical account. It is a way into the facts, which are plainer and a little more surprising.

From Gorakhpur to a monk's robe

According to Self-Realization Fellowship, the organisation he founded, Yogananda was born into a devout Bengali family. In 1910, at 17, he met his teacher, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, and spent much of the next decade in his guidance (SRF). After graduating from Calcutta University in 1915, he took vows as a monk and received the name Yogananda, which SRF explains as "bliss through divine union." In 1917 he began a school for boys in Ranchi that combined ordinary education with yoga training. You can read SRF's own overview here: Self-Realization Fellowship, A Beloved World Teacher.

It is worth remembering that SRF is a devotional source. It tells his story with reverence, and it includes accounts of visions and miracles. We do not repeat those here, because we cannot verify them, and many readers will hold them differently.

Boston, 1920

SRF says that in 1920 Yogananda was invited to serve as India's delegate to an international congress of religious leaders in Boston. He arrived in September, spoke to the International Congress of Religious Liberals on "The Science of Religion," and was well received. That same year, he founded Self-Realization Fellowship. For several years he lectured on the East Coast. In 1924 he began a cross-country speaking tour, and in 1925 he set up SRF's headquarters in Los Angeles.

Self-Realization Fellowship's own account says he was officially received at the White House by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 (SRF).

What did he teach?

Mainly meditation, and a method he called Kriya Yoga, which SRF describes as a technique taught to students personally through its own lessons. SRF also says Yogananda stressed the underlying unity of the world's great religions, and wrote commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and the Gospels. If you are curious about Kriya Yoga, it is taught within SRF, not in a studio class, so we leave that to them.

What he did not mainly teach was posture practice. This matters for history. Many people today think "yoga" means physical poses. The Asian Art Museum's notes on its yoga exhibition point out that postural yoga rose mainly with Indian teachers in the early 20th century, and that it was Swami Vivekananda who brought a reformulated yoga to the United States in 1893, with his book Raja Yoga following in 1896. See the Asian Art Museum exhibition notes. Yogananda's message belonged to a slightly later wave, focused on meditation, devotion and inner life.

Autobiography of a Yogi

SRF states that Autobiography of a Yogi was published in 1946 and has been in continuous publication since, translated into many languages. Part memoir, part spiritual story, it introduced many readers to Indian spiritual ideas for the first time. Whether you read it as a devotional classic, a cultural document or a personal story, it is a big reason why Yogananda's name is still known. Treat it as his own telling of his life, rather than a neutral biography.

A fair view of "father of yoga in the West"

SRF calls him "the Father of Yoga in the West." That is how the organisation honours him, and many students agree. Historians would add that several teachers shaped yoga in the West, including Vivekananda before him and, later, the students of T. Krishnamacharya. Yogananda's special place is as one of the first Indian teachers to settle in the West for the long term and to build lasting organisations there. A fair summary: he was a major early figure, not the only one.

Safety: who should be careful

This post is history. If you try breath practices or meditation you read about, learn them from a qualified teacher, go gently, and stop if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable. Anyone with a health condition, anxiety or a history of trauma may want to talk to a health professional before intensive breath or meditation work. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that yoga is generally safe when taught by a qualified instructor, and advises people with health conditions to talk to their provider first. See NCCIH, Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety.

FAQ

Who was Paramahansa Yogananda?

An Indian monk and teacher of meditation and yoga philosophy who settled in the United States and founded Self-Realization Fellowship.

When did he come to the West?

He arrived in Boston in 1920, according to SRF.

Did he teach yoga poses?

Mostly he taught meditation and Kriya Yoga. Posture-focused yoga developed largely through other teachers.

Is Autobiography of a Yogi true?

It is his own account of his life and spiritual search. Many readers treat it as a spiritual classic. Some details, especially accounts of miracles, can't be checked by historians.

Come explore with us

If you'd like to try a calm, beginner-friendly meditation in a friendly room, message us at breathe@theyogshala.org or call 514-575-0009. And if you want to study yoga's history, philosophy and teaching in depth, our Yogshala 200-hour Hatha Teacher Training runs January 5 to April 18, 2027, in person in Montréal-Ouest and online. Certification is issued by Yogshala. Details are here.

Message us about the January training: the Yogshala 200-hour Hatha Teacher Training starts January 5, 2027.

With warmth,

Sahil

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