the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, a center for
alternative treatment, in Chennai, India. While
teaching, he wrote his first book, Yoga Makarandam
(Secrets of Yoga). One secret was that yoga can help
control the heartbeat. He believed that yoga is most
authentic and useful when adapted to suit the indi-
vidual. He encouraged students to practice accord-
ing to their own ability and needs rather than
follow a course of idealized poses. He also stressed
the importance of following the breath from the
beginning of a practice to the end in order for the
individual to realize his or her highest potential.
Jiddu KrishnamurtiUnlike many gurus, Jiddu Krishnamurti claimed
not to want any followers during his more than 60
years of lecturing all over the world. His goal was
to convince people that the possibility for peace
throughout the world depended on change in each
individual. Krishnamurti, who lived to be 90 years
old, felt that to follow another person, no matter
who it may be, is evil. That is why he did not cre-
ate an organization or authorize anyone to inter-
pret his work His only wish was that his written
and recorded talks be made available to the public.
Indra Devi
Born in 1899, Indra Devi, a woman of Russian
descent, was moved to visit India in 1927 after
hearing Krishnamurti speak in Holland. Two years
later she became a film actress and adopted her
name after Indira Gandhi. At 31 she ended her film
career, married a diplomat and took up yoga in
Bombay. Eventually she studied with Sri Krishna-
macharya in Mysore. She became a popular yoga
teacher among Hollywood movie stars in the 1940s
and 1950s and paved the way for other yoga
instructors who migrated to America. She now
lives and teaches in Argentina. She is known to
have said, “The solution to a better and full life is in
the practice of yoga, where you can find all the
answers. You can also transmit peace through
yoga. I do not belong to any religion. Everything is
between God and myself.”
Sri Aurobindo GhoseSri Aurobindo Ghose was considered a yogi, a rev-
olutionary, a poet, and a visionary. As a leader of
the struggle for India’s independence from British
rule, he was jailed in 1909 for terrorist activities.
While in jail he had his first spiritual experiences.
He said, “It was no longer by its [the jail’s] high
walls that I was imprisoned; no, it was Vasudeva
[the father of the Vedic gods Krishna and
Balarama] who surrounded me.”
In 1926 he founded Aurobindo Ashram as well
as his own philosophy on samadhi. To get there he
prescribed a blend of ancient spirituality and inte-
gral yoga. He believed that striving for spiritual
realization does not require a withdrawal from
society.Papa Ramdas (1884–1963)
Until the age of 36 Papa Ramdas lived an ordinary
life. His focus shifted after exposure to the teach-
ings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda,
among others, who inspired him to renounce his
worldly possessions and follow God. He realized
that his desire was attainable through God. He
founded Anandashram. Swami Sivananda,
founder of the Divine Life Society located in the
Himalayas, characterized him as follows: “Ramdas
is the living example of one that has realized Cos-
mic Consciousness. Thus he is permeated with
bliss. All his actions, utterances and his writings
bubble with this bliss.”
Paramhansa Yogananda (1893–1952)
The author of the well-known Autobiography of a
Yogi and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship
in 1920, Paramhansa Yogananda was the first yoga
master of India to live and teach in the West. He
arrived in America in 1920 and created a tremen-
dous stir with what he called a “spiritual cam-
paign.” He said, “Self-Realization is the knowing in
all parts of body, mind, and soul that you are now
in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do
not have to pray that it come to you; that God’s
omnipresence is your omnipresence; and that all
that you need to do is improve your knowing.”
He continued to lecture and write up to his pass-
ing in 1952.Swami Sivananda (1887–1963)
The physician Swami Sivananda was forever
changed when he happened to treat a wandering
monk who offered information on yoga and
Vedanta. He was moved to help people heal notyoga 167