Swami Rama (Svāmī Rāma; 1925 – 13 November 1996) was an Indian yoga guru. [1] He moved to the US in 1969, initially teaching yoga at the YMCA, and founding the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Illinois in 1971; its headquarters moved to its current location in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1977.

One of the greatest adepts, teachers, writers, and humanitarians of the 20th century, Swami Rama (1925–1996) is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. Born in northern India, he was raised from early childhood by the Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba.

Swami Rama succinctly describes the inward journey, along with some approximate time frames. For the first month (or two): • Sit at the same time every day, allowing this to become a habit. Learn to ignore shakes, perspiration, numbness, or twitching. To start, 15-20 minutes is sufficient.

Swami Rama directed his life towards the unification of science and spirituality. His Master suggested that he could help bring Eastern and Western science closer together by working with psychologists and medical doctors who were studying mental and physical phenomena.

The Swami Rama Society is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization established to support projects that foster the vision of the Himalayan Sage Swami Rama.

Through his life and teachings, Swami Rama sought to combine the ancient teachings of the East with modern approaches of the West. He was a great yogi, scientist, philosopher, humanitarian, and mystic poet, all rolled into one.

While Swami Rama founded many worldly organizations, his greatest gift to humanity was in his bringing the depths of the wisdom of the ancient sages to the modern seeker in highly accessible ways. He did this through his writings and his lectures, and most importantly through his individual presence when training students one at a time.