4 Introductionwhich the Yogi found himself in the first few decades of the twentieth century.
Chapter 1 traces a broad history of Yogis and Yogi- figures, first contextualizing
them in an Indian understanding of their identity in relation to their superhu-
man and superpowerful status and then moving to Western representations
of the same. Chapter 2 examines the evolution of the metaphysical concepts,
specifically the existence of a universal material medium, which allowed the
Yogi’s superpowers to become intelligible to a post- Enlightenment Western
audience. The next three chapters comprise a section devoted specifically to
Yogananda. Chapter 3 surveys Yogananda’s life through the lens of sources
other than his Autobiography, including alternative biographies, popular
media, and community records. From there, chapter 4 analyzes Yogananda’s
teachings in the United States, specifically in the context of his adaptations
of the haṭha yogic practice belonging to his lineage in light of American
metaphysical sensibilities and interests and the consequent universalization
of the Yogi. Finally, chapter 5 examines the Autobiography itself as a carefully
constructed narrative of Yogananda’s spiritual growth and identity as a Yogi,
filtered through the lens of his audience as well as universalizing metaphysi-
cal concerns. A brief epilogue considers the case of Bikram Choudhury, the
disciple of Yogananda’s younger brother, Bishnu Ghosh, as an embodiment
of the Yogi represented as a problematic superman before offering some final
reflections.
Yoga, Yogis, and the State of their Union
It might be logical to assume that a Yogi, by definition, is one who does yoga. The
Sanskrit yogin, at base, is just that. However, this linguistic explanation does little
to clarify the term as we are then left grappling with the equally vague category
of yoga itself. The last decade has seen a gradual bridging of the gap between aca-
demic scholarship on yoga, which has historically emphasized pre- modern and
largely textual traditions, and the g ymnastically based practice undertaken by
fit white women in expensive pants that most Americans and Europeans would
recognize as yoga today. Seminal studies by Joseph Alter (2004), Elizabeth De
Michelis (2004), and Mark Singleton (2010) have shed light on the origins of
modern yoga and its postural emphasis, while simultaneously illustrating the
basic lack of strict continuity between modern postural yoga and its pre- modern
counterparts. More recently, Andrea R. Jain (2014) has argued for the context-
specific nature of yoga and its current status as a transnational cultural product.
However, while a small number of works have shifted the focus to pre- modern
Yogis, studies of modern yoga have tended to largely focus on the practice rather
than on its agents.^3