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A Brief History of Yoga Gurus

in America

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1893

1893

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) addresses the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago

1920

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), author of Autobiography of a Yogi (published 1946), arrives in the United States

1920

1960

Gurudev Shri Amritji (1932-) arrives in the US as an art student and yoga teacher 

1960

1966

Gurudev Shri Amritji founds the Yoga Society of Pennsylvania (Non-Profit)

Swami Satchidananda first visits NYC and visits the Yoga Society of PA in 1968.

1966
1969

1969

Swami Satchidananda opens at the Woodstock Festival in New York

Yogi Bhajan arrives in LA

Swami Rama arrives in Chicago, and is hosted by Amritji in 1971, giving lectures at the Yoga Society of PA

1970

Swami Muktananda arrives in San Francisco

Bikram Choudhury founds his school in Hollywoood, CA

1970

1972

Yogi Desai founds the first Kripalu Ashram in Sumneytown, PA with a residential staff of 70

1972

1977

Swami Kripalu accepts an invitation from his foremost disciple, Shri Amritji, to visit America. He is so touched by the love and devotion of the spiritual followers in America that he decides to stay 4 years before returning to India

1977
1996

1996

Shri Amritji refines his teachings to what is today known as The Integrative Amrit Method or “I AM Yoga”

2001

2001
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