What Self-Realization Fellowship does

Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) is a nonprofit religious organization founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda that teaches Kriya Yoga, meditation, and spiritual living through a structured curriculum of home-study lessons, meditation centers, devotional events, and publications. The core product is the SRF Lessons Home-Study Program, a 9-month progressive course of 18 lessons (delivered biweekly) covering Energization Exercises, the Hong-Sau Technique of Concentration, and the Aum Technique of Meditation, with optional subsequent Kriya Yoga initiation (diksha). Supporting offerings include Supplement Lessons, Kriya Lessons, the Self-Realization Magazine (one of the longest-running yoga magazines in the world), the SRF/YSS mobile and desktop application, an Online Meditation Center, the SRF Bookstore, the Worldwide Prayer Circle, the Voluntary League of Disciples, and the annual SRF World Convocation. The organization serves individual spiritual seekers, youth and families, and committed SRF members and disciples.

The technology platform is a multi-language digital delivery system spanning English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Thai. The SRF/YSS app provides searchable digital access to lessons, audio recordings of Paramahansa Yogananda, step-by-step Energization Exercises video instruction, guided meditations, and study guides. Video conferencing (Zoom or similar) supports the Online Meditation Center. A separate Member Account Portal handles subscriptions and donations. Physical infrastructure is anchored by the International Headquarters (Mother Center) at 3880 San Rafael Avenue in Los Angeles, established in 1925 and designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 2006; the SRF Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades; and a global network of more than 500 meditation centers and groups. Sister organizations include Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS), Self-Realization Fellowship Church-UK, Gemeinschaft der Selbst-Verwirklichung (Germany), and Ente della Chiesa della Fratellanza nella Realizzazione del Se (Italy).

Revenue is generated through one-time SRF Lessons enrollment fees ($90 USD domestic, $100 USD international), donations and charitable contributions (one-time, monthly recurring, and planned giving), bookstore sales of books, videos, audio recordings, and Self-Realization Magazine subscriptions. The annual World Convocation is offered free of charge. Distribution is hybrid: digital-first via the website, apps, and online meditation center, paired with an extensive in-person network of 500+ centers. The organization is led by monastic leadership under Brother Chidananda (president and spiritual head since 2010), with Pfeiffer Partners Architects engaged for the upcoming International Headquarters Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project scheduled to begin fall 2026.

Name

Self-Realization Fellowship

Legal name

Self-Realization Fellowship

Website

https://yogananda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Self-Realization Fellowship is a nonprofit religious organization founded in 1920 that teaches Kriya Yoga, meditation, and spiritual living through a 9-month home-study program, 500+ global meditation centers, digital platforms, and publications, serving individual spiritual seekers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Education

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), General Yoga Instruction (Hatha/Vinyasa/Flow) (HSADACAA)

Keywords

• Meditation instruction
• Yoga education
• Spiritual publishing
• Religious organization
• Home-study courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. SRF Lessons Enrollment: One-time enrollment fee covering the 9-month basic series including 18 lessons, auxiliary materials, student handbook, and spiritual counseling with SRF monastics. Includes complimentary digital access to lessons via the SRF Lessons app.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Voluntary donations from members and supporters including one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, planned giving and bequests. The organization runs periodic appeals such as the May 2026 Appeal for supporting the spiritual mission.
3. Bookstore Sales: Sale of books, videos, audio recordings, digital rentals, photos, and other spiritual products through the SRF Bookstore (bookstore.yogananda-srf.org), including publications by Paramahansa Yogananda such as Autobiography of a Yogi, God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, and Self-Realization Magazine.
4. SRF Publications: Sale of Self-Realization Magazine and specialized publications including The Science of Religion (Centennial Edition) and other spiritual texts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Self-Realization Fellowship delivers spiritual education in Kriya Yoga meditation and spiritual living through a structured 9-month home-study course of 18 lessons (the SRF Lessons), accompanied by digital delivery through the SRF/YSS mobile app, an Online Meditation Center, published works and magazine, and a global network of 500+ meditation centers. The offering is anchored in the original teachings of founder Paramahansa Yogananda, including the Energization Exercises, Hong-Sau concentration technique, and Aum meditation, with optional Kriya Yoga initiation.

Product overview

Self-Realization Fellowship offers a unified spiritual education and meditation platform centered on the SRF Lessons home-study program, a 9-month comprehensive course on Kriya Yoga meditation and spiritual living. The core offering includes progressive Lessons delivered in print and digitally via the SRF/YSS mobile application. This is supported by the Online Meditation Center for virtual gatherings, the SRF Bookstore for published works, Self-Realization Magazine as a long-running print and digital publication, and the Volunteer Portal and Voluntary League for member engagement. The SRF World Convocation serves as the annual flagship event. Key digital properties include the Member Account Portal for lesson subscriptions and donations, and Virtual Pilgrimage Tours for remote access to SRF sacred sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Self-Realization Magazine: A magazine devoted to healing of body, mind, and soul, one of the longest running yoga magazines in the world.
• SRF/YSS App
• SRF Lessons
• Online Meditation Center

Products and services

• SRF Lessons Home-Study Program A 9-month in-depth progressive home-study course on meditation and spiritual living consisting of 18 lessons delivered every two weeks, with instruction in Energization Exercises, the Hong-Sau Technique of Concentration, and the Aum Technique of Meditation. Includes auxiliary materials, a student handbook, spiritual counseling with SRF monastics, and complimentary digital access via the SRF Lessons app. Priced at $90 USD domestic / $100 USD international.
• Kriya Yoga Initiation Program Sacred initiation into the Kriya Yoga technique establishing the guru-disciple relationship between the student and Paramahansa Yogananda, available to students who have completed the basic SRF Lessons series.
• SRF/YSS Mobile Application A digital spiritual companion application for study, meditation, and inspiration. Provides digital access to SRF Lessons, audio recordings of Paramahansa Yogananda, step-by-step video instruction in Energization Exercises, guided meditations, and study guides. Available on iOS, Android, and desktop in multiple languages.
• SRF Online Meditation Center An online platform offering virtual attendance for meditations, spiritual retreats, group study of SRF teachings, and access to the Online Meditation Center menu of programs and events.
• Self-Realization Magazine A magazine devoted to healing of body, mind, and soul, described as one of the longest-running yoga magazines in the world, published by Self-Realization Fellowship.
• SRF Bookstore An online bookstore offering books, video, audio, digital rentals, photos, and other SRF publications including Autobiography of a Yogi, God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, and other works.
• Worldwide Prayer Circle A prayer support service allowing members to request prayers and participate in a global prayer circle, with downloadable prayer booklets available in multiple languages.
• SRF World Convocation An annual weeklong in-person and online program on the Kriya Yoga teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, offered free of charge. The 2026 Convocation is scheduled for August 2-8.
• Virtual Pilgrimage Tours Online virtual tours of the SRF International Headquarters (Mother Center) and SRF Lake Shrine, featuring historic buildings, shrine rooms, meditation gardens, and artifacts of Paramahansa Yogananda.
• Voluntary League of Disciples A program for SRF Kriya Yogis providing ongoing connection, support, and engagement for practitioners on the Kriya Yoga path.
• Supplement Lessons Series Additional guidance and techniques supplementing the core SRF Lessons series, offering further depth for dedicated students beyond the basic 18-lesson program.
• Kriya Lessons Series Advanced instruction series for initiation into the Kriya Yoga technique, available to students who have completed the basic SRF Lessons series.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the longest-running yoga magazines in the world - Self-Realization Magazine

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Indian counterpart organization to Self-Realization Fellowship, established by Paramahansa Yogananda to carry on his spiritual work in India. SRF and YSS share the same spiritual lineage and teachings, with Brother Chidananda serving as president and spiritual head of both organizations. The organizations jointly offer the SRF/YSS app and collaborate on spreading Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings globally.
• Self-Realization Fellowship Church-UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRF's EU sister organization in the United Kingdom, operating the SRF London Centre. Part of SRF's international network of affiliated organizations supporting the worldwide spiritual community.
• Gemeinschaft der Selbst-Verwirklichung (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRF's EU sister organization in Germany, one of the SRF EU organizations that may share personal data with SRF to assist in carrying out responsibilities to the SRF community.
• Ente della Chiesa della Fratellanza nella Realizzazione del Se (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRF's EU sister organization in Italy, one of the SRF EU organizations that may share personal data with SRF to assist in carrying out responsibilities to the SRF community.
• Pfeiffer Partners ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural firm specializing in rehabilitation of historic buildings in Southern California, overseeing the International Headquarters Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project. Notable accomplishments include renovation of the Griffith Observatory and Los Angeles Central Library.
• Yogananda Seva, Inc. (YSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated entity that manages SRF's volunteer programs and processes volunteer personal data. YSO collaborates with SRF to manage volunteer activities and organizational support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Art of Living Foundation: Art of Living Foundation is a global nonprofit providing meditation and yoga instruction, educational programs, retreats, volunteer engagement, and community centers to spiritual seekers. Its hybrid digital, event, and center-led delivery closely resembles SRF's operating model.
• Isha Foundation: Isha Foundation offers structured yoga and meditation programs, spiritual teachings, retreats, and global volunteer and community activities. It competes for similar individual seekers while relying on both physical programs and digital content.
• Vipassana International Academy: Vipassana International Academy provides standardized meditation instruction, residential courses, retreats, and a geographically distributed network of teaching centers. It is comparable to SRF's global meditation instruction and retreat infrastructure, though its core technique and organizational model differ.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health provides yoga and meditation instruction, retreats, wellness education, and immersive experiences. It overlaps with SRF's retreat and guided-practice offerings, although its orientation is broader and wellness-focused.
• Integral Yoga International: Integral Yoga International provides yoga, meditation, teacher training, retreats, and spiritual-living education through centers and online programming. It serves a similar learner base with a comparable combination of instruction, community, and content.
• Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University: Brahma Kumaris is a spiritual nonprofit with a worldwide network offering meditation instruction, retreats, and values-based education. Its global centers, volunteer structure, and educational content make it directly comparable to SRF.
• Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres: Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres operate a broad international network of yoga and meditation centers, teacher training, retreats, and spiritual education. Its global ashram network and structured progression from introductory courses to advanced study closely overlap with SRF's model.
• Himalayan International Institute: The Himalayan International Institute offers meditation and yoga instruction, professional and teacher training, publications, and retreat experiences. Its educational curriculum and mix of digital learning and in-person programs are relevant comparables for SRF.

Regional players

• Yogoda Satsanga Society of India: Yogoda Satsanga Society of India carries the same Kriya Yoga lineage, offers meditation instruction and spiritual education, and jointly operates the SRF/YSS app with Self-Realization Fellowship. It is an affiliated Indian counterpart rather than an independent competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Ramakrishna Mission: Ramakrishna Mission is a large nonprofit spiritual organization operating an extensive global network of temples, educational institutions, publications, and service programs. It is a broad incumbent comparison for SRF's combination of spiritual teaching, publishing, education, and community infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/srfyogananda
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/YoganandaSRF
• Facebookfacebook.com/selfrealizationfellowship
• Instagraminstagram.com/selfrealizationfellowship

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Self-Realization Fellowship