Soul n Peace

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1886), a Bhakti Yogi, brought about a rebirth of yoga in India. A devotee of Mother Kali and a teacher of Advaita Vedanta, he preached that "all religions lead to the same goal."

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), Ramakrishna's disciple, is well known for introducing Yoga philosophy to many in the west, as well as reinvigorating Hinduism in a modern setting during India's freedom struggle.

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) translated and interpreted Yogic scriptures, such as the Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita. His epic poem Savitri is a treasure of Hindu Yogic literature, among the longest poems ever written in English. He also founded an Ashram in Pondicherry, which continues to propagate the practice of Integral Yoga, which is Aurobindo's synthesis of the four main Yogas (Karma, Jnana, Bhakti and Raja).

Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of the Divine Life Society lived most of his life in Rishikesh, India. He wrote an impressive 300 books on various aspects of Yoga, religions, philosophy, spirituality, Hinduism, moral ethics, hygiene and health. He was a pioneering Yogi in bringing Yoga to the west and throughout the world. He was clear, simple and precise in all his teachings. His motto being: "Serve. Love. Give. Meditate. Purify. Realise."

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), taught at Mysore Palace from 1924 until his death in 1989. As much for his many accomplishments, he known as the teacher of four of the most influential yogi gurus who have subsequently spread yoga knowledge throughout the world: Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-present), B.K.S. Iyengar (1918-present), Indra Devi (1899-2002) and his own son T.K.V. Desikachar. 

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), a practitioner of Kriya Yoga, taught Yoga as the binding force that reconciled Hinduism and Christianity. Yogananda founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, in 1925. His book Autobiography of a Yogi continues to be one of the best-selling books on yoga.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) popularised Bhakti Yoga in many countries through his movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, (popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement) which he founded in 1966. His followers, known for enthusiastic chanting in public places, brought Bhakti Yoga to the attention of many westerners.

Gopi Krishna (1903-1984) was a Kashmiri office worker and spiritual seeker who wrote best-selling autobiographical[3] accounts of his spiritual experiences. He wrote frequently about the nature of kundalini and was important in introducing this concept to a wider western audience.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1917-present) is the founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement, which came to great public knowledge when the Beatles studied it for a short time in the mid-1960s, and still has many followers today. Although not a traditional yoga, it is clearly following that tradition and its goals.

Swami Vishnu-devananda (1927-1993) Founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, Swami Vishnu-devananda, was a world authority on Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. He originated the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course in 1969 - a certification now common in Yoga practice in the West. Swamiji was also known as the "Flying Swami" for the different peace missions he accomplished around the world.

P.R. Sarkar also known as Baba (1921-1990), founded the socio-spiritual organization Ananda Marga (the path of bliss) in 1955. Based on tantric yoga, his teaching emphasizes social service in the context of a political, economic and cultural theory; or "self-realization and service to all."

Editor's Choice of Books on Yoga