Indra Devi
A Latvian-born dancer turned yogi who brought ancient Indian practice to the glittering salons of Hollywood and the Western world.
1899–2002 (age 103)·Yoga teacher of Hollywood stars·Birthday: May 12·The Lost Generation
Biography
Born Eugenie Peterson in Riga, Indra Devi's life was a global odyssey long before she found her calling. She studied theater in Moscow, danced in Berlin, and traveled to India, where she became the first Western woman to study under the formidable yoga master Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Defying his initial reluctance, she mastered the discipline and emerged as a teacher. In the 1940s, she planted yoga in the unlikely soil of Los Angeles, opening a studio that attracted stars like Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson. Her 1953 book, 'Forever Young, Forever Healthy,' translated esoteric practice into accessible lifestyle advice, making her a pivotal figure in yoga's journey from spiritual asceticism to mainstream wellness. She taught into her nineties, a living testament to her philosophy.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Indra was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Indra Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Indra's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 50
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 80
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
2002Died at 103
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Became the first Western woman to study under the influential yoga teacher Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in Mysore.
- Opened one of the first yoga studios in Hollywood, attracting a major film star clientele in the 1940s.
- Authored the bestselling book 'Forever Young, Forever Healthy' (1953), popularizing yoga for a mass Western audience.
- Played a crucial role in establishing yoga as a physical and mental discipline outside of its Indian religious context.
Did You Know?
She was a silent film actress in India before dedicating herself to yoga.
Her first yoga teacher, Krishnamacharya, only accepted her as a student after the intervention of the Maharaja of Mysore.
She taught yoga in Shanghai, China, for several years before moving to the United States.
Devi was a vegetarian and advocated for the diet decades before it became widely popular in the West.
“Yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed and the energy directed into constructive channels.”
