LOS ANGELES — Journey With Paramahansa Yogananda, a new collection of 49 talks by Sri Daya Mata (1914–2010), will be released November 9 by Self-Realization Fellowship and is now available for pre-order. Daya Mata was one of Paramahansa Yogananda’s closest disciples. Often referred to as the “Father of Yoga in the West,” Yogananda helped bring India’s ancient science of Yoga to a worldwide audience. In the book, Daya Mata shares how Yogananda’s spiritual training shaped her approach to meditation, her relationship with God and others, and the challenges and responsibilities of daily life. The book arrives in the 80th anniversary year of Yogananda’s spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi.
For more than two decades, Daya Mata received Yogananda’s personal spiritual training and instruction, putting his teachings into practice. She also played a critical role in preserving his words, recording his lectures, classes, and informal talks in shorthand, and later transcribing them for publication. After his passing, she continued to serve his work, becoming president of Self-Realization Fellowship in 1955 and leading the organization for more than 55 years.
Central to the guidance she shares in the book is the universality of Yogananda’s teachings: “Part of [his] message is that the experience of God is not reserved for those who live in ashrams and monasteries,” said Daya Mata. “It is intended for all of humanity. You don’t have to fly away to a Himalayan cave! You can find Him wherever you are. The more chaotic your life is, the more you need to find Him.”
The reason, she explained, lies in the nature of Yoga itself: “Yoga is not a religion but a science, developed in ancient India by the rishis, who were scientific researchers in the inner realm of the soul. The fundamental principle is that man is a divine being, made in God’s image; and that the purpose of life is to realize or uncover that divinity within.”
The book speaks directly to pressures many people feel today: constant busyness, anxiety about an uncertain world, and a longing for something deeper than outward success. Daya Mata addresses how to live these spiritual principles amid relationships, responsibilities, and the demands of everyday life.
“If you meditate and then try during activity to keep the mind centered in the Divine, you automatically begin to express balance in your life,” said Daya Mata. “And you become a calmer human being — operating not from emotion but from a deeper state of inner quietude.”
The book also offers a firsthand portrait of Paramahansa Yogananda, drawn from the years Sri Daya Mata lived and worked at his side. She remembers how he made time for visitors, listened to their concerns, and never made them feel he was in a hurry. He also loved to laugh and sometimes gathered his disciples for a game of badminton. “And I tell you, we could never win,” she recalls. “He got us every time!”
Speaking at Self-Realization Fellowship’s 2026 World Convocation, Brother Chidananda, the organization’s president and spiritual head, reflected on the book’s timeliness: “It is so fitting and reassuring that during this period of so many outer changes and challenges — but so many opportunities as well! — that we have this comprehensive new book by our revered Sri Daya Mata which shows us how to walk the twists and turns of the path ahead of us.”
Journey With Paramahansa Yogananda is the third major collection of Daya Mata’s talks published by Self-Realization Fellowship.
About the Author
Sri Daya Mata (1914–2010) was one of the foremost disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, chosen and trained by him to be the third president and spiritual head of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. She served in the role of spiritual leader for more than 55 years, from 1955 until her passing in 2010. A true “Mother of Compassion,” as her name signifies, she inspired people of all faiths and from all walks of life through her talks, writings, and recordings.
Book Information
Title: Journey With Paramahansa Yogananda: Lessons from my twenty years of spiritual training and practice with the author of Autobiography of a Yogi
Author: Sri Daya Mata
Publisher: Self-Realization Fellowship
Pages: 464, with 20 photographs
Release date: November 9, 2026
Pre-order: Available now for pre-order from the Self-Realization Fellowship Bookstore and Amazon.com
Hardcover: $26.50 (ISBN 978-1-68568-338-2)
Paperback: $17.95 (ISBN 978-1-68568-339-9)
eBook: $9.99 (ISBN 978-1-68568-340-5)
About Paramahansa Yogananda and Self-Realization Fellowship
Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) arrived in America in 1920 from India, an invited delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals convening in Boston. There he delivered a speech, “The Science of Religion,” marking a pivotal point for yoga in the West. That same year, Yogananda founded Self-Realization Fellowship to disseminate his Kriya Yoga teachings, which have inspired many through the years to live with greater peace, joy, and purpose. Yogananda’s spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, continues to be recognized as one of the world’s most influential books.
Self-Realization Fellowship is the international nonprofit spiritual organization founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda to introduce to people of all races, cultures, and creeds the ancient science and philosophy of yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. Through its spiritual and humanitarian service, the society seeks to foster greater harmony and goodwill among the diverse peoples and nations of the world, as well as a deeper understanding of the underlying unity of all religions. Self-Realization Fellowship has more than 600 temples, centers, retreats, and ashrams around the world. In India and neighboring countries, Paramahansa Yogananda’s work is known as Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS), which has more than 200 locations.
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Contact:
Blythe Fraser
Self-Realization Fellowship
323 225-2471 x2420
blythef@yogananda-srf.org
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Association
