: He was the first great Indian yoga master to permanently live and teach in the West, aiming to unite Eastern spirituality with Western material progress. 5. Final Years and Legacy

: He was initiated into the ancient "scientific" technique of Kriya Yoga , which focuses on breath control to accelerate spiritual growth. 4. Mission to the West

Yogananda returned to India briefly in 1935, where he received the title (signifying "supreme swan" or the highest spiritual attainment). He spent his final years in California, primarily focusing on writing his autobiography to ensure his teachings reached future generations. He passed away in 1952 in Los Angeles, leaving a legacy that influenced figures like Steve Jobs and George Harrison. The Autobiography of a Yogi (Paramahansa Yogananda)

In 1920, Yogananda received a divine command to bring the teachings of yoga to the West.

Yogananda spent the next ten years under the strict and loving tutelage of Sri Yukteswar. During this time:

The life story of Paramahansa Yogananda , as told in his classic Autobiography of a Yogi , follows a compelling narrative arc from his youth in India to his global mission in the West. 1. The Early Years and Inner Calling

The central conflict of his youth was the search for a master who could guide him to enlightenment. He frequently tried to run away to the Himalayas to find a guru but was often brought back by family. In 1910, at the age of 17, he finally met his guru, , in a market in Benares. This meeting was the fulfillment of years of visions. 3. Training and Transformation

Born as in 1893 in Gorakhpur, India, his story begins with a profound sense of spiritual destiny. Even as an infant, he describes having clear memories of a previous life as a yogi in the Himalayas. His childhood is marked by an intense "thirst for God" and several miraculous events, including being healed from Asiatic cholera by gazing at a photograph of the master Lahiri Mahasaya . 2. The Search for a Guru