"Abraham Lincoln in a past life] had been a yogi in the Himalayas." --Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi Abraham Lincoln was a yogi. No . . . there is no record that he assumed the headstand during Cabinet meetings. Nor did he meditate in the lotus pose before delivering the Gettysburg Address. Yet, in many aspects of his life--in little things he did, and in his reactions to situations--Lincoln behaved, quite naturally and unconsciously, just like a yogi. Yoga is more than a series of physical postures. It is a philosophy, a way of life, a spiritual path. In fact, whether they know it or not, many people today who consider themselves "spiritual" follow a yogic way of life. And so did Lincoln. Lincoln would have agreed, in his own way and to varying degrees, with certain points of view followed nowadays by spiritual people. He was, in some ways, a forerunner of the modern truth seeker. This book was written to throw a spotlight on Lincoln's many regular, and even daily, habits that demonstrate his affinity with the ancient spiritual science of yoga.


Richard ＂Dayanand＂ Salva is a longtime yogi and meditator. A former Hatha Yoga instructor and a veteran meditation teacher, Richard has been studying and practicing daily meditation and the deeper teachings of yoga--as taught by Paramhansa Yogananda and his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda--for more than forty years. For half a decade, he also lived as a monk in a yoga monastery. Richard spent ten years researching Lincoln-yoga connections in order to write this book. He is also a longtime member and minister of Ananda Sangha (a worldwide network of spiritual communities and meditation groups, founded by Swami Kriyananda and dedicated to the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda), and an Abraham Lincoln presenter. Richard’s other books include The Reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln: Historical Evidence of Past Lives; Walking with William of Normandy: A Paramhansa Yogananda Pilgrimage Guide; The Yoga of Ghost Hunting: Tips and Techniques for Psychic Protection and More; and Blessed Lanfranc: The Past Life of Swami Sri Yukteswar, Guru of Paramhansa Yogananda.