Paramahansa Yogananda: Autobiography of a Yogi

What if the answers you're seeking aren't found in books but in the depths of your own consciousness? Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi is a spiritual classic that offers more than philosophy—it provides a roadmap for direct spiritual experience and self-realization. First published in 1946, this extraordinary autobiography has guided millions of seekers toward meditation, inner stillness, and the discovery that the divine isn't distant but dwelling within. Designated as one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century," this book doesn't ask you to believe—it invites you to experience, to practice, to discover your own capacity for transformation.

Yogananda's journey mirrors the path many seekers walk: the restless search for meaning, the longing for something beyond material success, the hunger for direct experience of the sacred. From his childhood visions in India to finding his guru Swami Sri Yukteswar, from years as a wandering monk to bringing Kriya Yoga meditation to America, Yogananda shows what becomes possible when you commit to inner work. He recounts encounters with saints and sages, describes states of consciousness most of us only glimpse, and explains the science of meditation with warmth and clarity. His story isn't meant to inspire awe at his attainments but to awaken your own potential—to show that self-realization isn't reserved for a chosen few but available to anyone willing to turn inward.

For readers building a contemplative practice, this book offers practical methods alongside mystical vision. Yogananda teaches Kriya Yoga meditation—a technique for stilling the mind, awakening inner energy, and experiencing the divine directly. He bridges Eastern wisdom and Western life, showing how ancient practices address modern challenges of disconnection, burnout, and spiritual hunger. This isn't a book you read once and shelve—it's a companion for the journey inward, meant to be returned to as your practice deepens. Steve Jobs reread it every year; George Harrison called it life-changing. Generations of seekers have found in these pages not just inspiration but transformation, not just ideas but a path home to themselves.

What You'll Discover
Roadmap for self-realization through meditation and inner work
Introduction to Kriya Yoga—a practical technique for stilling the mind
Bridge between Eastern mysticism and Western contemplative life
Encounters with saints showing what becomes possible through practice
Methods for direct spiritual experience beyond belief or dogma
Companion for building a contemplative practice that transforms

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in India and spent years searching for his guru before finding Swami Sri Yukteswar and the ancient lineage of Kriya Yoga. In 1920, he brought these teachings to America, founding Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles and spending three decades showing Westerners that meditation isn't escape from life but preparation for living more fully. He wrote this autobiography not as a monument to his own attainments but as an invitation—to show seekers that the transformation he experienced is available to anyone willing to do the inner work.

Perfect for: Readers seeking practical methods for self-realization and inner transformation, those building meditation and contemplative practices, spiritual seekers tired of philosophy without practice, anyone exploring Eastern wisdom for Western life, readers drawn to direct spiritual experience beyond dogma, those navigating disconnection and searching for meaning within, students of yoga and meditation looking for depth, admirers of transformative spiritual autobiography that offers both vision and method.

Paperback edition. Yogananda's spiritual classic—offering a roadmap for self-discovery through meditation, inner work, and the realization that what you're seeking is already within you, waiting to be awakened.