The Path of Self-Control

On a crisp morning in 1920, a young Indian monk stood before a crowded hall at Boston's International Congress of Religious Liberals. Unlike the other speakers who discussed theological doctrine, Paramahansa Yogananda spoke of something more fundamental. The science of self-mastery. This moment would mark the beginning of his influential teaching career in America, where he would spend the next three decades demonstrating that true spiritual growth begins with self-control.

In his seminal work, "Autobiography of a Yogi," Yogananda writes, "The true purpose of yoga is to facilitate the mind's conscious communion with God." Yet he emphasizes that this lofty goal begins with the seemingly simple yet profound practice of self-control. "The yoga system," he explains, "teaches man his highest development is possible through a life of self-control according to scientific spiritual laws."