Self-Realization Fellowship is a worldwide religious organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920 to serve as the principal vehicle for preserving and disseminating his teachings. Established to share the “science of self-realization” and the ancient path of Kriya Yoga, it seeks to help individuals realize their divine nature and experience God directly through meditation. Its work is presented as a universal, practical spirituality that honors the unity underlying the great religious traditions, especially the meeting of Eastern yoga and Western Christianity. In this way, it functions not merely as an institution, but as a spiritual bridge for seekers drawn to an integrative vision of truth.

The organization fulfills its mission through a wide range of activities that keep Yogananda’s teachings accessible and alive. It preserves and publishes his writings, lectures, and recordings, and offers a systematic course of printed lessons that provide instruction in meditation methods, including Kriya Yoga, along with supporting spiritual principles. Self-Realization Fellowship also maintains temples, meditation centers, retreat facilities, and ashrams in many parts of the world, where services, classes, and retreats are conducted based on these teachings. A monastic order of monks and nuns, together with lay devotees, supports this work and embodies a life dedicated to spiritual practice and service.

Headquartered at the Mother Center in Los Angeles, California, Self-Realization Fellowship serves as the central hub for this global spiritual family. From there, its leadership—organized under a President and Board of Directors—oversees the preservation of Yogananda’s legacy and the guidance of centers internationally. In India, the same spiritual mission is carried forward through a closely allied sister organization, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. Through all these expressions, Self-Realization Fellowship presents a path that emphasizes direct inner experience of the Divine, the harmonious development of body, mind, and soul, and a deep recognition that all genuine spiritual paths ultimately lead to the same eternal truth.