Self-Realization Fellowship

Self-Realization Fellowship, spiritual society founded in the United States by Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952), a teacher of yoga, who was one of the first Indian spiritual teachers to reside permanently in the West. His lecturing and teaching led to the chartering of the fellowship in 1935, with headquarters in Los Angeles; there are now centres worldwide, as well as several independent groups influenced by his teachings. His Autobiography of a Yogi (1946) and other works became highly popular and influential.

Yogananda’s teaching was based on the Yoga-sūtras of Patañjali (2nd century bc). He also taught a specific method, kriyā yoga, combining deep meditation with techniques to control the movement of “life energy” and to withdraw energy and attention from “outer” to “inner” concerns. Self-Realization Fellowship centres emphasize classes in kriyā yoga and also offer Churches of All Religions, with services that combine elements of Hinduism and Christianity and include meditation, lectures, and music. The Self-Realization Fellowship consists of lay members and of those who have taken monastic vows and who generally play the role of clergy in the movement.