25/04/2025
FEATURED BOOK:
The Autobiography of A Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda
(Reprint of First Edition, 1946)
$25
Fondly referred to as "The AY", by students and readers, it is widely known as one of the most influential spiritual books of our time. It is a not a stretch to say that it helped launch a spiritual revolution and the interest in all things to do with yoga and meditation that we now enjoy and take for granted. (It is estimated that over 300 million people around the world practice yoga in 2025.)
Read by millions of people around the world, since it's original publication in 1946 the Autobiography of A Yogi has been translated into over 50 languages and is thought to be the most shared book in the world, possibly over 30 million people have read it!
It is universally acknowledged across diverse religious traditions as a profound and beautiful representation of the spiritual journey.
As a cultural phenomenon, it has influenced generations of authors, artists, activists and scientists:
~The cover of The Beatles album, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band included images of Yogananda and his lineage of gurus.
~George Harrison bought cases of the Ay to always have copies on hand to give to to friends and people he met.
~Elvis Presley was a student.
~Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple computers had it as the ONLY book on his iPad, read it once a year, and had arranged for everyone at his funeral toreceive a copy.
A few interesting milestones of Yogananda's life in the west:
~He was the first yogi of India to make his home in the west (America).
~In the 1920s before yoga was even widely known let alone understood,
~Yogananda regularly filled halls in America with thousands of people eager to
hear him speak.
~He even opened the first vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles.
~He is the original inspiration of the modern intentional communities movement,
avidly encouraging students to gather together to start small communities
outside of city environments.
The AY is not merely an engaging read, it is insightful and eye opening for those seeking deeper understanding of universal truths and the spiritual life, inspiring and potentially life changing.
Many people who have read make a practice of reading it yearly, as due to its profound nature it awakens deeper insight and understanding for the reader with each read.
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This is the only available edition that contains:
The original, unedited text, as written by Yogananda himself, free from posthumous changes introduced by others.
An appendix containing the final chapter, written five years after this edition was first published, presented free from all changes made after Yogananda’s death.
An all-new foreword and afterword, written by Swami Kriyananda, one of Yogananda’s best-known direct disciples.
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Here at the Ananda Yoga & Meditation Center @ Yoga Helensburgh, all our meditation and yoga offerings are drawn from the teachings and techniques Yogananda brought forth from the ancient Indian yogic traditions and presented in his Path of Kriya Yoga.
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The AY is available for $25 at our spiritual bookstore (check open times and/or pop in), or through our online shop (link in comments). Secure your copy online and pick up later, or we'll ship it to you.
