Paramahansa Yogananda, born January 5, 1893 was an Indian monk, yogi and guru who lived his last 32 years in America. He introduced millions to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization The Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF). A chief disciple of the Bengali guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, he was sent by his lineage to spread the teachings of yoga to the West, to prove the great unity between Eastern and Western religions. He preached a balance between Western material thought and Indian spirituality. His long-standing influence in the populist yoga movement led him to be considered by experts to be the "Father of Yoga in America.