Teachers can come to you either physically or through books. I grew up in the northern part of Mexico. I didn’t have the money or the time to visit India in search of a ‘guru.’ My teacher appeared in the form of obscure but fascinating books. His name, Yogi Ramacharaka. He is the author I quote the most in these daily emails, and his writing captivated me and led me to study the Yogi philosophy.

So, who was this Yogi Ramacharaka?

There’s barely any information about this person online, and there’s no record of his existence. The main theory is that it is a name used by an American author when writing about the Yogi philosophy.

Yogi Ramacharaka is the pseudonym of William Walker Atkinson, an early 1900s American author and publisher who wrote extensively on the topics of New Thought, mentalism, and the Yogi philosophy.

Under the name ‘Yogi Ramacharaka,’ he authored numerous books and articles on all aspects of yoga, spirituality, and metaphysics. His writings often blended Eastern and Western spiritual concepts and practices, making them accessible to Western readers.

His work has been both influential and controversial. While some readers found his teachings insightful and transformative, he has been criticized for presenting himself as a genuine yogi while operating under a pseudonym and for simplifying complex Eastern spiritual concepts.

But it doesn’t really matter who the teacher is or if he is a Hindu or not. What matters are the teachings themselves. If they make sense to you, adopt them. And if they don’t, discard them. It’s that simple.

They made a lot of sense to me. And that’s why I share them.

As he pointed out, “accept as truth only that which you can prove for yourself, as no truth is truth to you until you can prove it by your own experiments. But before many truths may be proven, you must develop and unfold.”

When someone points you the way, you don’t look at the finger that’s pointing. You look at the direction or the thing that the finger is pointing towards.

Despite the controversies surrounding his identity and approach, Yogi Ramacharaka's writings continue to be studied and referenced. They are full of practical applications of Yogi principles in daily life.

I am really grateful for discovering his teachings, whether he served as a pseudonym for William Walker Atkinson, a conduit for Hindu teachings, or a spiritual being channeling wisdom through Atkinson's pen.

Because he delved deeply into profound subjects, explaining them with clarity and precision. And made complex ideas accessible to anyone.

For over a decade, I've immersed myself in these teachings and their guidance, proving what I’ve learned, testing, developing and improving. Infusing them with my unique perspective, personal experiences, and insights extracted from diverse sources.

These emails are rooted in his teachings, retold in my own voice. Teachings that trained me to perceive reality from a broader perspective and therefore, navigate life with more inner peace.