Paramahansa Yogananda

Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in India on January 5, 1893, he later became known as Paramahansa Yogananda. He was a Hindu monk, yogi, and teacher who founded Self-Realization Fellowship and Yogoda Satsanga Society of India to share his teachings on meditation and Kriya Yoga.

Yogananda traveled to the United States in 1920 and spent much of his life teaching there, becoming one of the most influential early voices bringing yoga and Indian spiritual thought to Western audiences. He wrote and lectured widely, presenting spiritual practice as something people could weave into ordinary daily life.

He is especially remembered for Autobiography of a Yogi, a book that introduced generations of readers to his life, teachers, and spiritual outlook. He died on March 7, 1952, but his books and organizations have continued to keep his teachings in circulation around the world.