[these pages would only be available for non-English language sites. English language sites should instead link to the Siddha Yoga path website for this information]
Swami Muktananda (1908-1982) led very early the life of sadhu, wandering monk in search of spiritual realization. As a young man, Swami Muktananda already had the reputation of an accomplished yogi; yet he himself has often asserted that his spiritual journey did not truly begin until the day the great saint of Maharashtra, Bhagavan Nityananda, gave him shaktipat, spiritual initiation. His spiritual energy, kundalini, then awakened and he entered very deep states of meditation. Nine years later, he reached divine Realization.
In the 1970s, following the injunction of his Guru, Swami Muktananda introduced the West to the very ancient spiritual tradition of his master’s lineage. He granted the Shaktipat initiation, hitherto uncommon, to countless seekers in spiritual quest. He created the Gurudev Siddha Peeth Foundation in India, to manage his work there, and the SYDA Foundation in the United States, to manage the worldwide work of Siddha Yoga meditation.
Before taking Mahasamadhi in 1982, Swami Muktananda wrote many books. He founded several ashrams and over six hundred meditation centers around the world. Swami Chidvilasananda continues, through her tours and teaching, to bring the spiritual heritage of Swami Muktananda to the whole world.