Swami Vishnudevananda

Born in 1927 to a devotee of master yogi Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Swami Vishnudevananda left his home in Kerala, South India, as a teenager to join the Indian Army and gain access to a scientific education. He joined the Sivananda Ashram at the age of 20, rapidly gaining status as an ordained monk and a...  see moreBorn in 1927 to a devotee of master yogi Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Swami Vishnudevananda left his home in Kerala, South India, as a teenager to join the Indian Army and gain access to a scientific education. He joined the Sivananda Ashram at the age of 20, rapidly gaining status as an ordained monk and a spiritual teacher. With the blessing of Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Swami Vishnudevananda subsequently departed for the West, spreading the word of Hatha and Raja yoga as he traveled. Julian Press published his first book, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, in 1960. In addition to his yoga outreach, he instructed countless people in various aspects of meditation and the wisdom of the Vedas, traditional Indian sacred scriptures that laid the philosophical groundwork for Hinduism. He shared his insights in these areas through influential texts such as Meditation and Mantras and The Ancient Vedic Practices. Swami Vishnudevananda continued to teach, write, and lead until he left his body in 1993.