Indra Devi

Date of Birth: May 12, 1899

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: April 25, 2002

Biography

Indra Devi, born Eugenie Peterson, was a pioneering yoga teacher and actress who played a significant role in popularizing yoga in the Western world. She was born in Riga, Latvia, and her journey into yoga began in the early 20th century when she traveled to India. In 1938, she became one of the first Western women to study yoga under the tutelage of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, a prominent yoga master. After mastering the discipline, she moved to China and later to the United States, where she opened several yoga studios and wrote numerous books on the subject. Her teachings focused on making yoga accessible to all, regardless of age or physical condition.

5 Interesting Facts about Indra Devi

1. Indra Devi was one of the first women to study yoga with Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who is often referred to as the “Father of Modern Yoga.”

2. She opened one of the first yoga studios in Hollywood in 1947, attracting many celebrities such as Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson.

3. Indra Devi wrote several influential yoga books, including “Forever Young, Forever Healthy” and “Yoga for Americans,” which helped introduce yoga to a broader audience in the West.

4. She lived to the age of 102, continuing to practice and teach yoga well into her later years.

5. Indra Devi was often called the “First Lady of Yoga” due to her significant contributions to the global spread of yoga.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Indra Devi

1. “Yoga is a way to freedom. By its constant practice, we can free ourselves from fear, anguish, and loneliness.”

2. “You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state.”

3. “The power of love is stronger than any opposition.”

4. “Yoga is not a religion. It is a science, science of well-being, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind, and soul.”

5. “A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison.”