The Life of Yogananda: The Story of the Yogi Who Became the First Modern Guru by Philip Goldberg | Book Picks

"The Life of Yogananda is a brilliant account of what history will recognize as one of the most significant lives of the 20th century..."

~ Ken Wilber, author of The Religion of Tomorrow

“Yogananda would, I believe, want any book about him to not only inform but transform. It is my hope that the readers will be enriched, expanded, and deepened by this humble offering.”

~ Phillip Goldberg, author

Click here to purchase! We will receive a percentage of all sales.Yogananda, considered by many to be the father of modern yoga, has had a profound global impact thanks to the durability of his teachings, the institutions he created or inspired, and especially his iconic memoir, Autobiography of a Yogi.Since its publication in 1946, that book has sold millions of copies and changed millions of lives. But it doesn’t tell the whole story...

Discover more about Yogananda's life

Much of Yogananda’s seminal text is devoted to tales about other people, and it largely overlooks the three vital decades he spent living, working, and teaching in America. Huge chunks of his life—challenges, controversies, and crises; triumphs, relationships, and formative experiences—remain unknown to even his most ardent devotees.In this captivating biography, scholar and teacher Philip Goldberg fills the gaps, charting a journey that spanned six decades, two hemispheres, two world wars, and unprecedented social changes. The result is an objective, thoroughly researched account of Yogananda’s remarkable life in all its detail, nuance, and complex humanity.

"Goldberg brings to light an enormous number of facets of Yogananda's life, times, spiritual realization, culture clashes, and personal dimensions..."

~ Ken Wilber, author of The Religion of Tomorrow

In the author's own words:

"Paramahansa Yogananda was a world-class spiritual master with a unique and important mission – and he had a fascinating personality. Both a traditionalist and a nonconformist, a respecter of authority and a rebel, he had ample quirks, idiosyncrasies, and peculiarities shaped by a specific family, a specific culture, and a specific era. And he danced to the beat of a cosmic drum that no one else could hear. All this I found irresistible to research and narrate.In The Life of Yogananda I emphasized Yogananda’s human story in all its complexity so that it can be a source of inspiration and a provider of vital life lessons. While I have learned a tremendous amount from the vast repository of Yogananda’s written words, it was in digging deeply into his personal life that I learned the most. He walked his talk with dignity and courage, a spiritual role model for the ages." ~ Philip Goldberg

Meet the Author

Philip Goldberg is the author or co-author of numerous books, including American Veda; a public speaker and workshop leader; a spiritual counselor, meditation teacher and ordained Interfaith Minister. A Los Angeles resident, he cohosts the Spirit Matters podcast, leads American Veda Tours and blogs regularly on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health.19.99