Growing up in a Hindu household, I’ve heard about Swami Vivekananda, and his guru Ramakrishna Paramahansa, for as long as I can remember.  At the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), we remember Vivekananda for his famous speech in 1893 at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, where he first introduced Hinduism to the West.   HAF had the opportunity to attend the Parliament in December 2009 and aptly enough, spoke on a panel about the origins of yoga.

This past weekend, the New York Times published a piece, “How Yoga Won the West,” acknowledging the great impact that Swami Vivekananda has on this practice that is so commonplace today.   It is worth a read, especially as the 150th birthday of this great man will be celebrated in just over a year.