Paramahansa Yogananda Biography

The great yogi Paramahansa Yogananda is regarded as one of the foremost spiritual figures of modern times. Native to India, this guru emigrated to the U.S. where he taught and practiced spirituality for over three decades. So much is he respected in the West that he earned the title of ‘Father of Yoga’ in the U.S. He was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh into a devout family and exhibited a deep interest in spirituality from an early age. Even as a child he seemed to be more aware of the spiritual self than was considered ordinary. His interest in yoga and spirituality were inherent as both his parents were disciples of the renowned master, Lahiri Mahasaya. As a young man, he desperately sought out many saints and sages in his quest to find a guru who would guide him in his spiritual path; his quest ended when he met the guru Swami Yukteswar Giri. A few years after entering the Monastic Swami Order, he went to America where he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) to disseminate his teachings on India’s ancient spiritual practices like yoga. He spent the rest of his life teaching in America interrupted only by a brief trip to India during which he established Yogoda Satsanga Society of India.