Autobiography of a yogi is an autobiography of paramahansa yogananda (january 5, 1893 march 7, 1952) first published in 1946. Yogananda was born mukunda lal ghosh in gorakhpur, india into a bengali family. Autobiography of a yogi introduces the reader to the life of paramahansa yogananda and his encounters with spiritual figures of both the east and west. The book begins with his childhood family life, to finding his guru, to becoming a monk and establishing his teachings of kriya yoga meditation. The book continues in 1920 when yogananda accepts an invitation to speak in a religious congress in boston, massachusetts, usa. He then travels across america lecturing and establishing his teachings in los angeles, california. In 1935 he returns to india for a yearlong visit. When he returns to america, he continues to establish his teachings, including writing this book. The book is an introduction to the methods of attaining god realization and to the spiritual thought of the east, which had only been available to a few in 1946. The author claims that the writing of the book was prophesied long ago by the nineteenth century master lahiri mahasava.